Blue Guide Venice

Intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find

Rating Star: 5

By Richard Hyman
Format: Paperback

I cannot add substantially to the previous review of Joanie G. This much improved edition is almost twice the size of the previous which was inferior to the Blue Guides to London and Paris. To my knowledge it is the only thorough, intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find and appreciate the overwhelming riches of this city. Plus advice on getting about efficiently. Recommend without reservation.

Blue Guide Venice

This is an excellent guide-book and includes very intelligent and descriptive articles

Rating Star: 5

By Jilly Clarke
Format: Paperback

This is an excellent guide-book and includes very intelligent and descriptive articles. I bought it, together with the Pocket Rough Guide and they complimented perfectly.

Blue Guide Venice

Blue is the colour

Rating Star: 5

By Intermeddle
Format: Paperback

The Blue Guides are still the best choice for visitors seriously interested in architecture and art. This one improves with every edition.

Blue Guide Venice

Wow!

Rating Star: 5

By Tim Synge
Format: Paperback

This really is a fantastic guide. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a week in Venice and many of my target destinations were based on the contents of this book. It is so incredibly informative and authoritative that it knocks the information in other guides, such as Baedeker and Lonely Planet, into the long grass. Of course, it is much more of a specialist publication with an unapologetic focus on art, architecture, sculpture and history, so you would expect it to do better than general purpose guides.

A couple of minor drawbacks: firstly the ordering of contents (once you get beyond the six districts of Venice) is a little opaque. The mini-maps for each major site are loosely indicative, but you do need a proper streetmap too. Secondly, it is a job to distinguish between one-star and five-star recommendations. Granted, it is not for this book to be too populist and rank its contents, but sometimes a real gem is almost lost in a small paragraph. I am not sure how this could be improved, but I often found myself cross-referencing against a “tourist” guide to decide how to prioritise the visits.

All in all, an excellent work. My first Blue Guide, but emphatically not my last.

Blue Guide Venice

Essential guide for serious lovers of Venice

Rating Star: 5

By Venetia
Format: Paperback

Not a book for those seeking superficial information or brief summaries of the major sights, but an excellent guide for anyone with a serious interest in Venice’s art and architecture and who wishes to acquire an intimate knowledge of the city. The maps are detailed and the walks included are also first rate, opening up hidden corners that might otherwise be overlooked. Highly recommended.