Why isn't high water in Venice a serious problem?
- Because it only takes 2 hours and affects few parts of Venice: St.Mark’s Square and Rialto are the first to go down to the water, but in all these places there are many platforms where you can walk on them and reach the main places.
- Because it is possible to buy (for only €5 or €10) some disposable boots to use during the few hours of high water. Boots (the good ones) can reach above the knee, so you won’t be wet at the end of the trip. In 97% of cases, coverage up to the knee is sufficient. Every shop or market in Venice sells them. The other 3% include uncommon events that happen once or twice a year and where the water will be so high that it is best to stay in the hotel until the tide reaches normal level (it takes a couple of hours to do so).
Will my hotel or apartments have problems due to high tide in Venice?
Absolutely not. High water does not damage electricity, electricity and pumps: the water in showers and sinks remains clean and drinkable. This happens thanks to the complex Venetian hydraulic system which prevents lagoon water from entering the pump during high tide.
How can I understand the high water level?
The best device to know the High Water level is the HI!TIDE mobile application: it provides tide forecasts for the next 3 days, so you can organize your day based on reliable data. Otherwise you can consult the official website of Venice.
To make things easier, I will explain, with some photos, the meaning of the numbers. So if you want to go out, you can understand how much water you have to deal with!
You can consider high water as annoying starting from 110 cm. Behind this number there is high water only in some points of Piazza San Marco, but you can visit the square without problems.
- Between 110 and 130, many parts of Venice are underwater (just a few centimeters) and it is best to wear the aforementioned boots.
- Between 130 and 140, we advise you to be very careful because many places are very flooded such as the San Marco and Rialto area. Avoid these areas and walk on the sidewalks.
- Above 140 (it almost never happens), I recommend staying in the hotel/apartment and waiting for the tide to return to normal level (it only takes 2 hours or less).
The high water alarm in Venice
Above 110 you will hear the famous and loud alarm throughout Venice: it warns that the tide will begin to rise within an hour. Inside the alarm you hear a bell: each bell is 10 cm above 110 cm.
Example: Two bells inside during the alarm mean: 110 cm + 10 + 10 = 130 cm total.
