These gondolas are nothing more than flat-bottomed row boats used for years in Venice. Originally used as the primary means of transportation, they have largely been replaced by more modern watercraft…usually with engines.  Nonetheless, these boats are very well suited for the Venetian Lagoon and are often found along the Grand Canal.

Once the single most important watercraft in Venice, the Gondolas now are seemingly only used by tourists.  People come from all over the world keep these boats from going extinct and their captains in business at the same time.  This picture here is nice because it shows Venice as a nice, peaceful city…those who make it out to Venice for carnival however know better!

IF YOU GO:  You’d better hurry up, check out one of the many Apartments in Venice for rent, and visit this place before it is too late.  The city is sinking and although modern engineering will probably keep it afloat for years to come, there will likely be some serious changes.  Trains come to Venice from all over Italy and Europe so there really is no excuse not to visit!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr user Dr. Savage via a creative commons license.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo series.