For two weeks each February, Venice transforms into the most magical masquerade on earth as the city's labyrinthine calli and campi fill with elaborately costumed revelers in feathered masks and 18th-century splendor reflected in the winter lagoon. Carnival Venice is a dreamlike immersion into a vanished world of mystery and elegance, where every bridge and canal becomes a stage set and every stranger a work of art.
The two weekends are the most spectacular for costume pageantry in St. Mark's Square — arrive early as the square becomes dangerously crowded by midday. A quality mask and costume elevates the experience enormously; rent or buy from a local atelier rather than tourist shops. Book accommodation 6+ months ahead as Venice fills completely and prices triple. The final Tuesday (Martedì Grasso) is the emotional crescendo.