How to attend the Carnival of Venice 2020?

The Venice Carnival will take place from 15 to 25 February 2020. You are told how to participate and everything you need to know about this unique event!

Each month of February takes place in Venice the famous Carnival of Venice . This is one of the most festive, most incredible, colorful and fantasy events in the world. Going to Venice during its carnival is an excellent opportunity to discover the City of Doges from a different angle, to observe the city and its inhabitants turn for 10 full days. But what do we know? carnival of Venice ? Here's a little more details that will make you want to wear mask and capeline under the Bridge of Soupirs. All info about the Carnival of Venice 2020!

A little history

The carnevale di Venezia appeared at the beginning of the 10th century: the people took advantage of the last days before the Lent by entertaining themselves and taking advantage of the pleasures and joys of the Sereneas.

During these days of celebration and total release, one had the permission to wear a mask, so that the nobles fraternized with people wearing disguises and other artifices.

Today, the carnival of Venice attracts visitors from all over the world: in Venice, it is impossible to rent accommodation because everything is reserved months before. The rates fly easily and it is the race to find its place. The alleys are saturated with walkers and it is not uncommon to meet traffic jams at the level of the vaporetti and on the different bridges.

Masks

It is impossible to mention the carnival of Venice without talking about the famous masks. As long as the carnival lasted, the law allowed to wear a mask and everyone met without worrying about the “social garment” of the other. The carnival of Venice was then a lifestyle, a true state of mind. Today things are more agreed, but the spirit of celebration is always present.

The masks that we find most often, yesterday and today, are mainly from the Commedia dell’arte (Italian popular theatre): Arlequin, Pantalon, Polichinelle, Brighella, Colombine or Scaramouche and Pierrot. We give you addresses where you buy masks (follow the link).

What to do during the Carnival of Venice?

If you have the chance to participate in the Carnival of Venice, don’t hesitate to attend the various parades and fanfares that cross the streets and alleys of the city. Venice is already a magical city all the rest of the year, but in the period of carnival, it stands out from its most beautiful surroundings, you have to take advantage of it, taking full eyes.

The atmosphere is completely crazy: you’ll feel like you’re out of time and space. On site, you will have the opportunity to visit Venice deeper.

Carnival of Venice: how to attend the carnival?

To begin with, since the carnival of Venice is extremely well known, the crowd of curious turns out to be impressive and it is not always easy to find its place. It is advisable to book your accommodation at least six months in advance or then pass directly by a travel agency that will take all your stay in charge.

The advantage of travel agencies is that they usually offer a circuit and a carnival participation.

The other important point, of course, is to get you a suit worthy of this name: if you have a designer talents or if you are creative, you can of course make yours inspired by the models of the Commedia dell’Arte .

Or then, you can buy one by buying it either by correspondence, or by going on site a few days in advance and by going to manufacturing workshops: the workshop “Flavia”, the workshop “Ca del Sol”, the workshop “Marega” or the workshop “Antonia Sautter” near Saint Mark’s Square are the most famous and renowned.

On-site transport

For attend the Carnival of Venice , there is also the question of transport to be taken into account. Several possibilities are available to you:

Coming to Venice: Venice Airport is the Marco Polo Airport which is about 10 km north of the Cité des Doges. The plane is the fastest way to get to Venice. To find a cheap flight on our partner's website Skyscanner . From the airport, you can take shuttles like the boats of the Alilaguna company (which serve several points of the city and the islands).

Once you have landed in Venice, you have different solutions to get to the city:

The bus : there are connections between the airport and Piazzale Roma which is at the northern entrance of Venice. You can also take Line 5 Aerobus of the ACTV company or Line 35 of the ATVO company (6 medium euros for 20 minutes).

The bikescafi : the traditional taxi boat that provides connections between the airport and Venice and its islands.

The train : Santa Lucia train station is located in the north of Venice, then you can reach the center of the city in vaporetto or on foot.

The car : Venice is well served by the road network but the heart of the city is not accessible by car, it must be left outside the city.

For you move to Venice , especially during the carnival, the best way remains walking and vaporetto for longer journeys. Don’t forget to take a good map of Venice with you to avoid returning to your steps or losing yourself in alleys.

Most of the carnival takes place on St Marc Square. Enjoy it to drink a cappuccino at one of the cafes in the square but also visit the surroundings like Doges Palace or Campanile to take height on the festivities.

Note that there are many private balls and receptions that are organized in the different palaces. Let yourself be embarked by enthusiasm, madness, fervour, leess, admire the wonderful costumes, greet the masked characters who walk around the city and join St. Mark’s Square for a beautiful finish and emotions.

Where to stay in Venice during the Carnival?

To book accommodation in Venice during the carnival dates, it is necessary to take several weeks or even several months in advance. Indeed, hotels, hostels and apartments are taken by Italian and foreign tourists. To find out where to stay, do not hesitate to read our article to find out in which area to stay in Venice .

Main photo credit: Flickr – Frank Kovalchek