Venice launches virtual tour of canals

Internet users can now travel along the canals of Venice from the comfort of their own homes to prepare their trips, with a new website launched by the picturesque city's local government on Thursday.

The website - http://maps.veniceconnected.it - is made up of 360-degree high-definition photographs snapped by a camera mounted on a boat travelling the length and breadth of the northern Italian city's famous canals.

"It's another part of a project that is well suited to the specificity and uniqueness of Venice, which has to be visited in an intelligent way," Roberto Panciera, a tourism official at Venice city hall, said in a statement.

The virtual tour also offers advice on interesting tourist sites and local shopping and allows visitors to walk city streets, including some of its famous narrow alleyways that are not reachable by car.