Venice and Chioggia

Venice and Chioggia are ideal destinations for tourism by sea, thanks to the attraction exerted by the artistic and natural heritage that characterizes this marvellous UNESCO site.

Going back in time, the two Adriatic ports have always been playing an important role for their communities: shelter and repair from Barbarian invasions, at the very beginning of their history, and source of wealth and cultural enrichment, over the centuries.

In particular, Venice is a port-city since 421 AD, founded 1600 years ago: spread over 118 small islands, it became a major maritime power in the 10th century. The unique cultural heritage accumulated in the lagoon over the years is attested by the discovery of important archaeological settlements in the Altino area and other sites on the mainland, which were important communication and trade hubs.

Thanks to its connections to different cultures and markets, the whole city is an extraordinary architectural masterpiece as a result of a crossover with styles coming from the Orient, not to mention the fact that even the smallest building contains works by some of the world’s greatest artists.

The port-city of Chioggia has very ancient origins too. According to legend, it was founded by Clodius, a companion of Aeneas fleeing Troy. The relation with the sea explains the birth of the city and the reasons for its significant development between the 11th and 12th centuries, when it had already assumed the role of an important maritime hub developed around the production and trade of salt, fishing and other economic activities related to its the sea.

Thanks to the ancient maritime trades and routes – settled by great navigators handling precious goods (such as spices and salt) – and to the today efficient connections with the main road, rail and air network, Venice and Chioggia are points of reference in the Northeast of Italy for the logistics of goods and passengers.

Conveniently located close to the historical centres of the two cities, the complex of the two ports offers facilities and services capable of effectively responding to different types of users: cruises, river cruise on the route “Venice lagoon-Po River”, ferries, hydrofoils with seasonal connections to/from Istrian Peninsula and superyachts.