There's no place like Venice. The unusual terrain (made up of 118 islands) chosen to build the city ensured Venice its unusual look. It's eventful past, on the other hand, equipped the city with astounding treasures. This fiercely independent merchant city maintained the largest trading empire in Europe throughout the Middle Ages when Venice was one of the most cultured and also one of the wealthiest places in the Western world. Today Venice is the most visited city in Italy after Rome, but most of the time this is bad news as throughout the peak season the tourist crowds make moving through Venice virtually impossible. Not to mention that such a high concentration of people sends the prices through the roof. Still, walking this overcrowded and overpriced city it's impossible not to feel fabulous. Venice is, however, not all about its splendid sights and mighty past. This open air museum on the water hosts world's oldest film festival (founded in 1932) and together with Cannes and Berlin it's the most important such even in Europe. Other festivals held in Venice include the Venice Biennale, the most important exhibition of contemporary art on the planet.
