The magical Italian city of Venice is the perfect location for a romantic break, with its narrow streets and waterways.

The city is often described as a huge outdoor museum and is home to some of the best Renaissance art and architecture, as well as being the romance capital of the globe.

Cars are banned in Venice and one of our chief delights during our time there was wandering around and getting lost in the narrow streets, separated by bridges, 16th century houses and canals. We browsed for several days in and out of pretty churches, around quirky shops and through beautiful palaces, galleries and museums.

There are plenty of places throughout the city to stop for coffee and a rest and a trip to Venice is a prime opportunity to sample Italian cake, sorbet and ice cream. The narrow streets and faded storefronts are home to fascinating shops, selling everything from masks and carnival dress to delicate Murano glass and gold jewellery.

Watching the world go by in a water taxi or on the vaporetta, the loveliest sights are Venice's many bridges, each with its own unique character. From the Bridge of Sighs, long which prisoners were led, to the shop-lined Rialto Bridge, immortalised in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

A trip up the Campanile in St Mark's Square is a great way to gaze out across the city and affords a chance to see just how different Venice is from anywhere else in the world. The quieter areas, such as the streets around the excellent Gallerie dell'Accademia and in the city's old Jewish quarter.

We chose to take a romantic gondola ride on our last evening in the city, choosing twilight when Venice is, arguably, at its most beautiful. The city was relatively quiet, as many tourists had left for the day and we snuggled up as the gondola slid along the waterways and the sun slid behind the pastel houses and palaces.

A gondola is a way to see another Venice, as many of the smaller canals are used exclusively by the narrow black boats. Our gondolier was charming and discreet, answering our questions about the history of Venice and gondolas and falling silent when we passed through a particularly enchanting street glittering in the late afternoon sun.

One of my personal highlights of our time in Venice was sitting outside Caffe Florian in the Piazza San Marco listening to the live music and sipping crisp Italian Prosecco, served in a silver ice bucket. The music, setting, cathedral backdrop and warm summer air were perfect and made more so by the large bunch of pink roses my partner negotiated to purchase from a flower seller.

We stayed at the Hotel Panorama, which is located on Lido Island, directly across the Grand Canal from the city of Venice. The hotel afforded a stunning view to the famous Piazza San Marco, the room was spacious, comfortable and equipped with a large jacuzzi bath, while the hotel staff were friendly and well informed.

Because we had opted to stay on Lido, we were able to take a vaporetta, or water bus, across the Grand Canal each time we wanted to go into the city. The light in Venice is stunning and we were able to view the city across the water at twilight, in early morning sun and in cloud, providing a new experience each time.

The hotel also had its own stretch of beach at the other side of the island and we were able to spend a peaceful and lazy day together by the sea. The water was warm enough in summer to swim and the beach was refreshingly quiet, with a bar nearby.

We chose to eat most evenings in the city and quickly found that it is wise to explore away from the main tourist streets in order to find reasonably priced, romantic and peaceful restaurants serving good food, such as the charming Osteria Sant'Elena.

Getting maximum romance out of Venice can be expensive, but it is well worth the money as the memories will endure. The city is like something from a fairytale and despite the tourist crowds during high season it is possible to feel as though you are the only people in the world.


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