Lagoon Excursions

Many itineraries are organized to reach special places of the lagoon. They offer an extraordinary chance to get in touch with cultures and traditions of an almost lost world, and to plounge into a fascinating and delicate ecosystem. Lazzaretto Nuovo, because of its central position in the north part of the lagoon of Venice, is the ideal place to start or end an excursion.

Outgoings are carried out in the Ekos Club bragozzo “Pietro III”. Bragozzo is a typical fishing boat used in the Venetian lagoons and in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea. These boats are still one of the most well known symbols of lagoon traditions and the rich legacy of the lagoon. Its name probabily derives from the Greek word “bracos” (shallows). This boat is characterized by  its robust structure (Ekos Club’s one has a seating capacity of 25), flat bottom without keel and rounded stem. It often presents allegorical pictures along the broadsides, popular and religious motifs (benedictory angels for example) the designs of which are handed down from father to son. Bragozzo has typical trapezoidal sails called al terzo. These characteristic sails are also decorated– every family has its own drawings and colours that are carried on through the generations. At the top of bragozzo’s masts brightly coloured wind vanes called penéli can be found that narrate the owners (parón) and his family’s story. They are decorated with special rings to which are attached small multicoloured flags that represent family’s fortune and misfortune.

This special sailing boat is able to sail through the lagoon shallows reaching the internal and fishing areas, and to enjoy the beautiful landscape, suspended between earth and water, a environment of great natural interest: a delicate ecosystem that is the reference of a rich variety of birds.