Venice Things To Do

Sightseeing
The entire city is a marvel. First-time visitors will want to travel on the Canal Grande and see the fabulous sights around St Mark’s Square: the amazing Byzantine Basilica of San Marco, the stunning Renaissance Doges Palace and the gorgeous Rialto Bridge and Bridge of Sighs. The splendid Piazza de San Marco is one of the world’s finest squares and the natural focal point of the city. Visitors constantly rate a cruise on the Grand Canal as their favourite Venice attraction. The canals are particularly memorable by night.

Art and Museums
If you are normally content to observe fine buildings from the outside think again. Most of the famous Venice landmarks contain innumerable art treasures. The Doges Palace has works by Bellini, Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiziano and Titian. Venitian churches like the Chiesa dei Frari have outstanding work by Titian and Bellini. The 16th century Chiesa di San Sebastiano has beautiful frescoes by Paolo Veronese. The extraordinary Scuola Grande is a simply staggering monument to Tintoretto. Top Venice museums include the vast collection at the amazing Gallerie dell'Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for 20th century masters like Picasso and Pollock, the Correr Museum for Venetian masters and Canova sculptures, and the Marciano Museum for tremendous views of St Mark’s Basilica.

Discover the districts
Try to find time to explore the lesser-known neighbourhoods. Venice can be surprisingly quiet away from the predictable tourist routes, particularly at night when the narrow streets and piazzas are wonderfully atmospheric. Wander the maze of medieval lanes of the San Polo area south of the Grand Canal, admire the fabulous churches and the Jewish Ghetto in the Cannaregio area, or take one of the boats tempting visitors to the Murano district with its renowned hand-blown glass workshops and a fine glass museum.

Cafés
Venice has a typically Italian profusion of first-class cafes. Pavement terraces are excellent spots for people watching and are good for salads, pasta and pizza with a glass of wine. Venice cafes really come into their own in winter: cosy, characterful spots to warm up with fantastic coffee or a shot of high-octane hot chocolate.

Markets & Shops
Venice markets are one of the best ways to mix with the Venetians themselves and good way to discover lesser-known districts of the city. Markets both big and small are excellent places for finding less predictable presents and souvenirs. The most famous is of course the Rialto, a superb market despite its position in the tourist heart of Venice. The Rialto area is packed with fine architecture and contains one of Venice’s oldest churches, the Chiesa di San Giacomo di Rialto. Superb fish market near the Grand Canal and a characterful food market in the Castello neighbourhood. Intriguing small shops are scattered throughout the city. Jewellery, glass, carnival masks, linen and leather are good buys.

Venice City Breaks  Getting Around Venice

Things To Do In Venice  Venice Weather