Venice Travel Forum

i've heard this is the case...is it true?

yep, sometimes the water in the canals smells a bit ripe...

But tjhats no reason to avoid the city... it isnt that bad :)

Very smelly indeed, too many sweaty tourists and dodgy armpits. I would avoid if I were you.

Cannot agree with above, visited a few years back expecting a pong but there was none, now this was a relatively cool summer's day, maybe it made a difference. Crowded? you'd better believe it.

Hi, I guess you mean the smell from the canals?
When I visited in the summer of 1978, it was a bit whiffy. Dec 06 and 07, and June 2007, hardly noticeable!

On three different trips, never notice anything offensive. There's more cat pee smell in the alleys than stink from the canals.

I've been three times, once during a bit of a heatwave and have never found it smelly. I find Venice absolutely mesmorising so go and find out what all the fuss is about.

I was there last summer for a week, during a heat wave, and never smelled anything other than the above mentioned cat/dog doing its thing in a closed in area.

Go - you will love it - get lost - and spend more than just a day. There is so much to see that the in-and-out tourists miss.

Have to concur with the "not so smelly" camp. Been 10 times and never noticed any significant stink. Yes, crowded in the summer, but it really is concentrated at the big tourist spots (san Marco, Rialto, Stazione & in-between). So if it's the people that smell, even on the most crowded days, you can actually get away from the heavy crowds by getting off the beaten path.

Simply - no. And even if it is a bit - it would be the last thing to notice in Venice.

Have made several visits to Venice and am returning next year.

The only time I smelled anything like sewage was when one of the canals had to be drained to allow engineers to carry out maintenance work.

We have been to Venice 5 times and never smelled anything bad from the canals. Sometimes it can be a little musty but not really stinky.

Mike