Venice gondola rides are without doubt the number one must-do experience in Venice. Gliding through serene waters, while serenaded by your gondolier, against the stunning backdrop of Baroque buildings is an experience you won’t soon forget. The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. One of the most well known and romantic images portraying Venice is the gondola. It is the most famous Venetian vessel also considered the most elegant means of transport. This quaint and touristy view of the gondola should not hide the fact that it is an important development in shipbuilding technology. Despite its small size it is a refined model of naval design. To give an idea of just how efficient it is, precise research has found that the level of energy used by the gondolier to row a gondola with three passengers aboard, is equal to that used by a person to walk at the same speed. This results from continuous refining of the construction process which has been developed over the years. The gondola's asymmetric structure enables the gondolier to row whilst standing up but only on the right hand side. The flat bottom allows it to cruise even in very low water. The gondola is 150 cm. wide, the left side being 24 cm. wider than the right. The efficiency of the gondola depends on not only well established techniques of construction, but also the quality of wood used is very important. While gondolas were once regularly used by Venetians, especially of the upper classes, today vaporetti have become the main form of water transportation in Venice. A couple hundred years ago there were about 10,000 gondolas but today there are only about 500.