From Baroque palazzi to tiny pensiones, from stellar restaurants to simple trattorias, this city has it all. John Julius Norwich shares his favorites

Venice is composed of well over a hundred tiny islands, but these are so tightly interconnected that the city effectively consists of only three: the two sides of the Grand Canal—which divide the city neatly down the middle—and the large island known as Giudecca, to the south. Within Venice, the vaporetti are your best means of public transport. They are capacious, reliable, and punctual to the minute, but expensive if you don't have a Carta Venezia (ask the concierge at your hotel). Venice is one of the most visited cities in the world, so expect crowds—especially around St. Mark's Square—and high prices everywhere.

The country and city code for Venice is 39-041. Prices quoted are for December 2008.

Lodging

The city has eight hotels on Condé Nast Traveler's 2008 Gold List: Bauer Hotel (520-7022; doubles, $456–$1,034); Bauer Il Palazzo (520-7022; doubles, $520–$1,888); Hotel Gritti Palace (794-6111; doubles, $456–$760); Hotel Luna Baglioni (528-9840; doubles, $317–$414); Londra Palace (244-5001; doubles, $269–$490); Palazzo Sant'Angelo (241-1452; doubles, $540–$878); San Clemente Palace (244-5001; doubles, $662); and Westin Europa & Regina (240-0001; doubles, $311–$1,406).

The luxurious Cipriani Hotel, on Giudecca, specializes in peace and quiet, with 82 lovely rooms, an immense swimming pool, and a good restaurant. A boat shuttles guests to and from St. Mark's (520-7744; doubles, $1,220–$1,835). In recent years, many small hotels have opened in old palazzi, including the Ca' Sagredo, a 15th-century palace with paintings by Tiepolo, Ricci, and Longhi, and 42 rooms, many overlooking the Grand Canal (241-3411; doubles, $430–$650). In Castello, the 18th-century Ca' dei Conti is a small, well-decorated property on a tiny canal leading onto the Campo Santa Maria Formosa, one of the oldest and most colorful squares in Venice (277-0500; doubles, $140–$270). The recently opened Grand Hotel dei Dogi, near the Church of the Madonna dell'Orto, on the north edge of Venice, is far from the crowds and has a large garden overlooking the lagoon (220-8111; doubles, $239–$269). The Metropole, on the Riva degli Schiavoni, has Canalettoesque views over St. Mark's Basin toward the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. A bit old-fashioned but quite grand, it has a fine collection of art and antiques, plus the Michelin-starred MET Restaurant (520-5044; doubles, $270–$473; entrées, $34–$43). The long-established Pensione Accademia, in Dorsoduro, occupies the former Russian embassy and has a well-deserved reputation for its location, charm, and pretty garden. It has only 27 rooms, so book well in advance (523-7846; doubles, $189–$371). The inexpensive Hotel La Residenza, in Castello, was recently renovated. Insist on a room either on the square or facing the gardens in the back (528-5315; doubles, $108–$243).

An increasingly popular alternative is renting an apartment. Many of these are in old palazzi but have modern comforts. Views on Venice has a good selection and flexible rental options (241-1149), or try the London-based Venetian Apartments (44-20-3178-4180).

Dining

The paradox of Venice is that although there are hundreds of restaurants and bars, it's hard to find outstanding food. If price is no object, the famed Harry's Bar is unrivaled for its history and clientele as well as its Bellinis, beef carpaccio, and pastas (Calle Vallaresso, San Marco 1323; 528-5777; prix fixe, $135–$202). The city's other Michelin-starred restaurant, Osteria da Fiore is rightly celebrated for its fish (Calle del Scaleter, San Polo 2202; 721-308; prix fixe, $110–$170). Excellent and atmospheric seafood restaurants also include Corte Sconta, which has a delicious spaghetti neri (Calle del Pestrin, Castello 3886; 522-7024; entrées, $24–$34), and the tiny Alle Testiere, which lacks a written menu but has superb homemade pastas and grilled fish (Calle del Mondo Novo, Castello 5801; 522-7220; prix fixe, $65–$100). Old favorites are Al Covo, where Venetian chef-owner Cesare Benelli cooks up endlessly inventive fare and much-celebrated risottos. His wife, Texan-born Diane Rankin, is known for her exceptional desserts (Campiello della Pescaria, Castello 3968; 522-3812; prix fixe, $96). Antica Locanda da Montin was much loved by Ezra Pound and remains popular with Venetians for its fantastic wine list and authentic dishes like four-cheese rigatoni and porcini ravioli (Fondamente de le Romite, Dorsoduro 1147; 522-7151; entrées, $16–$34). Trattoria Antiche Carampane also serves Venetian specialties like fried moeche (local soft-shell crabs) and a spaghetti dish in a fiery shellfish sauce called cassopipa (Rio Terà delle Carampane, San Polo 1911; 524-0165; entrées, $26–$34). Anice Stellato, near the Jewish Ghetto, is a good value and has tables on the edge of the canal (Fondamenta della Sensa, Cannareggio 3272; 720-744; entrées, $20–$26). If you are horrified by the prices at Cipriani, try Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo, where the peaceful grounds and local food complement the astounding cathedral views (Fondamenta Borgognoni, Torcello; 730-401; entrées, $30–$40).

Reading

Venice, by Jan Morris, is one of the best books on the city: intelligent, informative, and occasionally hilariously funny (Faber and Faber, $18). The most comprehensive guide is Giulio Lorenzetti's Venice and Its Lagoon (Edizioni Lint Trieste, $85). The Blue Guide Venice is a more compact reference (W. W. Norton, $30). In Venice for Pleasure, J. G. Links leads you on six long walks through the city; although not a serious guidebook, it is instructive and insightful (Pallas Athene, $28). Tropic of Venice, by American novelist Margaret Doody, is a brilliant survey of the city (University of Pennsylvania Press, $32), while No Vulgar Hotel, by Judith Martin, is a delightful compendium of essays on all things Venetian (W. W. Norton, $16). John Pemble's Venice Rediscovered is an account of how American and European visitors developed an obsession with the notion of a dying city (Oxford University Press, $25). I have written two books on the city: A History of Venice is a straightforward account of the Venetian Republic from its beginnings to its abolition by Napoleon in 1797 (Penguin, $15), and Paradise of Cities paints a portrait of 19th-century Venice and the famous foreigners—Byron, Wagner, Henry James, Robert Browning—who lived there (Doubleday, $16).