Google Street View takes you on a gondola ride in Venice

Google Street View is becoming Google Canal View to take you on a ride through Venice’s famous watery streets.

The company announced in a Wednesday blog post that the Street View team has mapped the streets of Venice, from the narrow cobblestone walkways to the picturesque canals for which the city is known.

Venice always has presented a challenge to Google because of its unique layout, narrow streets and, of course, network of canals that draw tourists from all over the world.

The team had to take Google’s Trekker technology onto a gondola in order to get some of the footage, which was captured in April and May. They mapped 265 miles by foot and 114 miles by boat, according to the post.

The Trekker technology was created to allow Google employees to map streets by foot in areas inaccessible by car.

Several iconic Venetian landmarks can be seen on Street View, including the synagogue of the Venetian Ghetto and the Devil’s Bridge in Torcello Island.

Google collaborated with local museums to provide images of famous works of art that correspond with areas of significance in the city. Clicking a pin under “Take a tour” brings up side-by-side images of the modern street with paintings of the same location. Other pins bring up historical maps of the city.

Venice is one of the last major western European cities to be added to Street View and is the latest in a string of famous locations explored by the Trekker team, including the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest and the Great Barrier Reef.

Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes