No visit to Venice is complete without a trip to at least some of the islands in the magical, mysterious Lagoon. Many centuries ago the people of the mainland were forced by invaders to seek refuge amongst the sandbanks; they built protective walls and thriving communities grew up, now long since disappeared. Murano has been a centre of glass-blowing since medieval times; San Michele is the cemetery island, and includes the tombs of famous artists and writers.

Burano is packed with gaily painted houses; Torcello is the enigmatic cradle of the Venetian civiliza­tion, with only two beautiful churches to remind us of its days of supremacy; the Lido, developed in the l9th century is both city suburb and seaside resort, and retains the faintly melancholy air of the once-fashionable. Its great hotels are filled with conventions, but the smaller ones might make a good choice for families who can combine playing on the beach with sightseeing in Venice.