A gondola is a long, narrow boat used in Venice, Italy, where canals serve as streets and boats replace cars. These elegant black boats have flat bottoms perfect for shallow water and curved ends that sweep up gracefully. A gondolier stands at the back, pushing a single long oar through the water to glide the boat silently through Venice's narrow waterways.

Gondolas have carried Venetians and visitors for over a thousand years. The boats look simple but actually require great skill to build and steer. A gondolier trains for years to learn how to navigate Venice's tight corners and busy canal intersections using just one oar. The boat's asymmetrical shape (one side is slightly different from the other) helps the gondolier steer straight even though they push from only one side.

The word also refers to enclosed cabins that hang from cables, carrying skiers up mountains or passengers across rivers and canyons. These ski lift gondolas protect riders from wind and cold as they travel high above the ground. Some cities use gondolas as public transportation, letting people soar above traffic jams.