When one hears the word Venice, the first adjective which comes to mind is romantic. The second one is, undoubtedly, expensive. This is what the majority of people think, and what I, myself, used to believe when visions of visiting this unique, floating city would cross my mind.

Finally, a couple of years ago, I started to seriously look into the option of visiting Venice and, upon carrying out some detailed research, I found out that the destination need not be as expensive as I envisioned. In fact, spending a Valentine’s short break – one of the peak times in terms of city travel – in Venice suddenly became an entirely doable option. Of course, I had to do my homework first.

A commonly-made mistake is that of assuming that because Marco Polo Airport falls within the commune of Venice itself, it offers the most practical flight options. Instead, I found that using Treviso Airport was much less expensive, mostly because it caters for low-cost airlines. Do book at least six months in advance.

This minimises costs considerably, both in terms of airport fees and accommodation. In my case, the two-hour flight from Malta to Treviso Airport cost around €140 per person return. Getting to Venice itself is relatively simple by shuttle bus – tickets can be bought online (www.atvo.it/en-treviso-airport.html), while on the plane, or from the bus driver at €18 per person, return included.

The bus stops right outside the station in Piazzale Roma. That was the first budget hurdle overcome. My heart soared just a little, only to crash again by the time I started looking for an accommodation in central Venice. However, a bit of judicious research unearthed what was to become our refuge for these much dreamt-of four nights.

Hotel Ca’ Zose (www.hotelcazose .com/en/), set in a 17th-century building and located squarely in the centre of Venice, almost next door to the iconic Chapel of Santa Maria della Salute.

This chapel, built in 1681, is richly decorated with statues and a prevalent baroque-style. Its two domes and two belltowers dominate the skyline and it appears in most tourist photos and paintings.

Venice is widely known for its element of elegant decay. Its rich and diverse architecture, most notably the gothic style of its palazzi, combining Byzantine and Ottoman influences, has enchanted poets and painters, writers and musicians.

And, perhaps, nowhere is this style, with its intricate designs and rich window frames, better exemplified than in the famous Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti – a veritable dream upon the water.

The city’s magnificent buildings are sinking and yet this, too, seems to add to its sad beauty

Built in1565, the palazzo today hosts various exhibitions and events throughout the year, since it is also the seat for the Venetian Institute of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. I was wowed by the exquisite Ca’ d’Oro, also on the Grand Canal which, with its floral Gothic architecture and loggias, is a fairytale-like testament to Venice’s more prosperous past as a seaside port.

The Venetians prize every inch of land, not surprisingly, when one takes into account the huge number of canals running through the city and the fact that over the years, the land is being inexorably reclaimed by the sea. The city’s magnificent buildings are sinking, its charming artwork is slowly decomposing and yet, this too, seems to add to its sad beauty.

So yes, there is much to see in Venice but also much to pay for, as you have to pay an entry fee to visit pretty much anything. There is a solution that helps minimise costs as much as possible –the Venezia Unica City Card offers the historically-minded traveller access to a large number of monuments, churches and museums, including the famous Palazzo del Doge, by paying one single price, instead of purchasing a ticket at the door of each attraction.

This works out to be much cheaper, especially if you are planning a packed itinerary of museums, churches and historical sites. The card, which can be bought online at http://www.veneziaunica.it/en, also offers access to public toilets and public transport.

With Venice, consisting of myriad tiny islands interlinked with bridges, the exploration is part of the experience. Starting with the area surrounding Piazza San Marco, of course, a must-do tourist territory. Do give the Rialto Bridge, which is every bit as imposing as its reputation, its deserved time too, even though the teeming crowds might put you off.

Even today, this powerful structure built in the 12th century remains a pretty impressive sight that stretches between sea, sky and land.

The perfect photo opportunity? Not really, as there were hundreds of tourists jostling me.

One important tip – don’t wear heels if you are going to be walking around Venice. While still distracted by the grandeur of Piazza San Marco, flanked by St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, I scraped my shoe against the pavement the wrong way and the sole disintegrated in front of me, resulting in a panicked search for a pair of cheap, yet comfortable, shoes in the most expensive part of Venice.

As I made my way back to the hotel on the last day of my stay, I also made it a point to look for and visit the Bridge of Sighs, adjacent to what was once the prison. As legend would have it, convicts would take one last look at the world outside precisely from this spot, before going to face their fate.

Ironically enough, for a brief moment I could understand their sense of loss, since, I too, was leaving Venice.