If you’ve always wanted to visit Venice, but have been put off by the crowds, now is your chance. November is a great time to visit Venice. It’s far quieter than the summer months and you won’t have to deal with oppressive heat.
You’ll need a coat – the average temperature is around 13C – but there’s a 50% chance of clear blue skies. And you may be surprised to hear that November is significantly drier than September, on average.
The catch is that November and December are the season of the ‘Acqua Alta’ – or ‘high water’. This naturally occurring phenomenon – created when the Adriatic Sea tide rises – has been part of life in Venice for centuries.
Unless the tide is exceptionally high, it’s still possible to navigate the city fairly easily, just as the locals do. Pack your rain boots and use the elevated wooden walkways to get around. The high tide only lasts for a few hours before subsiding away.
Sadly, climate change is causing more frequent extreme high tides. It’s a topic of great concern to Venetians, as I discovered when I had the honour of interpreting for Luigi Brugnaro, the Mayor of Venice, at the Economist’s Sustainability Summit in London. It was very moving to hear him discuss the struggle to mitigate the impact of climate change on water levels in this beautiful city.
While it’s important to be aware of the risks of extreme high tides (download the Hi Tide app for the latest flood information), witnessing a ‘normal’ acqua alta is a uniquely memorable experience.
There is something very special about seeing the city’s ancient buildings, such as the Basilica San Marco, reflected in the shimmering seawater. After visiting the Basilica, pop into Harry’s Bar on Calle Vallaresso for a bellini in the bar that first invented them – as mentioned in my last newsletter!