At the top end of the Adriatic sea. At the intersection of the main European transport corridors and of the Motorways of the Sea.

The Port of Venice is in a position to act as the European gateway for trade flows to and from Asia.

The open port

The Venice Port Authority promotes a range of initiative aimed at bringing the port closer to the city and increasing knowledge of port activities and it benefits to the local community.

The Port of Venice, an open port

All the activities aimed at strengthening the relations between the port and the city of Venice are conducted under the Port Authority's “Open Port Initiative”. Established over ten years ago, it encourages integration and interaction between port and city.

Schoolchildren on a visit to the port

The activities of the “Open Port” initiative

Each year, the Venice Port Authority organises activities to involve and bring the city closer. The most important activities include tours of the port for students and citizens to get to know the port and its operations and how it contributes to the local economy

The “Open Port Initiative” also includes other events organised in the city. VPA provides organisational, logistics and financial support to events that closely involve the local community. Some of these events include the Venice Marathon, Su e Zo per i Ponti (an alternative way to open the port to the city: the race brings participants along the waterfront of the port at Santa Marta and San Basilio), and the San Pietro festivity at Castello.