High Water in Venice

Venice experiences aqua alta, or high water, bringing water onto Venice's streets about sixty days a year between October and early January. Venice was hit with the highest water level in more than 20 years on December 1, 2008. Coupled with a transport strike during the day, many tourists in Venice were surprised and stranded. Read more about Venice Under Water on Europe Travel.

If you're planning to travel to Venice in late fall or early winter, it's probably a good idea to pack your rain boots although the wooden walkways placed above the streets will be sufficient for staying dry most of the time. Take a look at James Martin's video, Aqua Alta - How to Deal with High Water in Venice.

In cases of extreme high water, such as was experienced today, a siren is sounded and you can even sign up to receive a SMS warning. Find out more about Aqua Alta and how to sign up for SMS on Venice Word.

Stay dry and take a virtual visit to Venice with our Venice Pictures.