From the late 19th century the island of the Lido di Venezia gradually transformed into a fashionable resort for European nobility and wealthy families, who found there an elegant society and expensive parties.
The island has twelve kilometres of beautiful sandy beaches, where one can enjoy the cool breeze on a relaxed summer's day, or the solitary pleasure of a winter day when the sea is agitated.
The Lido di Venezia is easy to reach by means of car ferries, vaporetti (public water buses) and private boat lines, departing from Tessera (airport), Malamocco, Cavallino, Treporti and many locations in Venice itself.
Once arrived on the Lido it is worth taking a walk to discover its luxurious hotels, such as the art nouveau Hotel Des Bains, the oldest which Thomas Mann made the scene of his "Death in Venice", and the Hotel Excelsior which combines typical neoclassicism with a strong oriental influence so common in Venice. The Excelsior is today the preferred residence of film directors and actors during the annual Venice Film Festival, which is held in the Palazzo del Cinema.
Close to the Hotel Excelsior and neighbour to the Palazzo del Cinema, the Casinò offers the possibility of trying one's luck at the green tables or at the slot machines, whether for the passion of the game or just to pass a few hours of entertainment, while at Malamocco it is possible to play a few hours of golf in a decidedly unusual environment.
The Lido has other less visited attractions, such as its gardens and the old villas immersed in lush gardens. In the past the Lido di Venezia attracted persons of the calibre of Byron, Freud, Shelley and Goethe, and still today it is a special place, in the middle of the lagoon and just a few steps from Venice, to enjoy an atmosphere which is only partly changed from the memories of other times.