Venice’s boat festival - 13th September 2023

Venice is famous for canals and gondolas. The gondolas are the main way to get around. The first Sunday in September, the city celebrates the Historical Regatta with boat races.

German tourist Patric Scherzinger enjoys the boat parade. Martina Eckel thinks it’s beautiful.

Patric Scherzinger: "It's really all about the presentation of the boats, the historic ones. The regatta itself, yes, is not that impressive. But the historical part with all the costumes and the preparation of the boats, that is of course ingenious, you really have to say that."

Martina Eckel: "Very beautiful as every year, and as a Venetian, it is always a wonderful experience every year to see it."

The Historical Regatta begins with a traditional parade. The sailors, called gondoliers, dress in traditional costumes. They transport the Venetian ruler, his family and the city officials in a colourful boat parade. It celebrates Venetian history as a water city, built across 118 islands.

The regatta has a long history that began in 942 CE. It’s said that pirates kidnapped some Venetian women from a festival in the city. The gondoliers chased after them and rescued the women. Today, they remember this with boat races.

The regatta attracts many people. Lidiano Enzo thinks it’s great for the city’s image.

Lidiano Enzo: "We do these events to promote Venezia football and Venice because it is a unique city in the world and so it is beautiful."

People often think of Venice as a slow, romantic gondola ride under bridges. But Emmanuel Granat from France believes the Historical Regatta shows the true Venice of the past.

Emmanuel Granat: "The boats are magnificent, the costumes are magnificent... There's an atmosphere, a little bit of music, it's Venice."