20 Great Things to do in Venice 5/20 - Fireworks

Watch the New Year's Eve Fireworks from S Giorgio

Experience New Year's Eve Fireworks from a Unique Vantage Point at San Giorgio Island: This is a fresh recommendation that I stumbled upon just recently. While the traditional spot for watching the New Year's Eve fireworks is St. Mark's Square, it can get incredibly crowded, with over 70,000 people gathering there last night alone. Why not opt for a less congested yet equally mesmerizing location? Consider viewing the fireworks from San Giorgio Island, which offers a stunning backdrop of the beautifully illuminated St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale). This alternative location allows you to escape the crowds while still enjoying a spectacular view.

Christmas in Venice

While preparation are taking place in Venice and the Lagoon for Christmas here are few tips:A wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve is to attend midnight mass at St. Mark's Basilica. But remember, midnight mass starts at 10:30 p.m. and you should get there early to get a seat (no tickets are needed). Try to enter through the north entrance and not the west entrance often used by tourists.

Even though December 26th is a national holiday (St. Stephen's Day), most of Venice's museums and sites will be open.

Several Venice restaurants are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and even on the 23rd and 26th. Most hotel restaurants and Harry's Bar are open. Be sure to do your homework and make reservations ahead of time for Christmas meals. We hear Caffe Quadri and the restaurant - Piazza San Marco's famous cafe - is open on Christmas Day. Good place for Christmas breakfast and coffee!

Remember that the vaparetto schedule changes on major holidays. Check the signs posted on the platforms for schedule information.

Each year on December 26, the Frari Church in San Polo (in the Campo dei Frari) offers a free concert at 4:00 p.m. The church is filled with magnificent art, including Titian's Assumption of the Virgin, Canova's Tomb and a carved monk's chair from 1468.

For an incredible seafood dinner and a warm celebration at midnight, go to Trattoria Antiche Carampane on New Year's Eve. (San Polo 1911; (39) 041 524-0165) The price for dinner runs about £70 per person. No matter where you go that night, you must make reservations.

Another restaurant recommendation: Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie (Rialto Pescheria Venezia; (39-041-721-1822) is open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. This restaurant also has excellent fish and a larger menu as well. The soups and Venetian-style calf's liver are terrific. Fireplaces keep the restaurant warm on cold nights.

If you're in Venice on January 6, don't miss the Befana races. Men clad in long skirts, wigs and babushkas climb into boats for races on the Grand Canal. The best views are from the Rialto Bridge.

Ibernisti Swim on New Year's Day

Hundreds of people gather at Lido di Venezia to celebrate the New Year. Following a Viennese waltz, the ibernisti swimmers take a dip in the sea before celebrating on a typical combination of wine, lentils and sausage.

Happy New Year! 2012 that is.

VENICE, ITALY - DECEMBER 31:  Fireworks display are seen in St. Mark's Square during New Year's Eve street party on December 31, 2011 in Venice, Italy.  Official figures say that around seventy thousand people gathered in St. Mark Square for this year's street celebrations.