Venice is undoubtedly one of the top tourist attractions in Italy. Numerous monuments dating back to the golden days of the Republic of Venice and an unusual location on the water, puts this city at the forefront of the most popular tourism centers around the world.

The unique combination of canals, churches or bridges and the architecture of the historic part of Venice has made the city a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourism in this place is the main source of income for residents, and the season lasts here virtually all year round.

Just because of the numerous monuments, countless interesting places, churches, bridges and attractions, we invite you to explore Venice with our tourist guide.

Tourist attractions in Venice

Venice’s biggest attraction is its location on the water. Navigating the water channels is extremely attractive, not only by gondolas, but also by, for example, ordinary water trams.

Grand Canal

That is why we put the Grand Canal as the first tourist attraction of Venice. This four-kilometer strait connects the Venetian lagoon with the channel of St. Mark. Interestingly, there are only four bridges throughout its section: Rialto, degli Scalzi (Discalced Carmelites Bridge), dell’Accademia (Academia Bridge), della Costituzione (Constitution Bridge).

It is worth sailing on the Grand Canal because of the views. Right next to this canal, many notable buildings were built, including the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and the Golden House.

Gondola cruise on the canals of Venice

Another undoubted attraction of Venice, directly connecting to the water channels are gondola cruises. This is not a cheap thing (check the current prices in Venice including how much it costs a gondola ride), but at least once it is worth to get into the gondola to sail and admire the city from the water perspective.

Some time ago, the city met the needs of tourists and set prices for gondola cruises so that nobody would be deceived.

You just have to be aware that sometimes there are so many people willing to take gondola cruises that the boat is practically stuck all the time.

Carnival of Venice

In addition to regular attractions in Venice, there are also seasonal events organized every year. One of such important events is the carnival of Venice.

It begins 10 days before Ash Wednesday and then there is a great celebration that precedes the time of fasting.

On the street you can meet colorful disguises whose characteristic feature is masks that cover the face. It is a time of fun and many cultural events in Venice, so attractive that tourists swarm to the city en masse.

These are just a few of the valuable attractions in Venice that are not related to the buildings themselves. Now our guide to Venice will take us to interesting places that are worth seeing and we will visit several valuable nooks of this city on the water.

Visiting Venice

Visiting Venice takes place mainly on foot, in the historic part of the city. Vehicle traffic has been completely disabled here, the only means of transport are gondolas and other water vehicles (trams, taxis).

St. Mark’s Square

The place where everyone is always heading is St. Mark’s Square. You can even say that all roads in Venice lead to this place. It is the heart of the whole city and the center of all events.

Once St. Mark’s Square was named the most beautiful ballroom in Europe by Napoleon himself.

It is at St. Mark’s Square that one of the largest and most recognizable Venetian monuments is located, or St. Mark’s Basilica. It impresses not only from the outside, because inside its decorations are even richer.

This is an example of Byzantine splendor with intricate sculptures and paintings. Entry is free, the only thing you have to wait is in a long queue. It is worth paying attention to Capitello del Crocifisso crucifix  and two pulpits from the fourteenth century.

See on the map of Venice where St. Mark’s Square is  located:

The rest of the basilica’s attractions are available for a fee:

– Golden Altar (Pala d’Oro),

-Museum

-treasury.

Bell tower of St. Mark

Another object to visit on St. Mark’s Square is a free-standing bell tower of St. Mark. It is the tallest (almost 99 m) building in Venice and an excellent vantage point at the same time. The tower is built in the Romanesque style and five bells are placed on its top. Each plays in a different key, and on larger and more important occasions they ring all together. You can climb to the top or take the elevator (for a fee).

Visiting further interesting places and attractions of Venice you will find:

Doge’s Palace

In the near distance there is another famous Venetian monument, namely the Doge’s Palace. It was the seat of the highest officials in Venice, today made available to tourists for sightseeing.

It is worth spending some time exploring the Doge’s Palace, because there is something to admire: the courtyard, richly decorated stairs (Golden Stairs, Giants Stairs), rooms of the official doge (chambers, Great Council Hall) or armory.

One wing of the Doge’s Palace connects to the building of the new prison.

See on the map where the Doge’s Palace is located:

Bridge of Sighs

This bridge is the Bridge of Sighs – another tourist attraction of Venice. Its name comes from the fact that convicted prisoners before passing punishment to prison, for the last time could look at the city, exactly on this bridge.

You can visit this object either from the inside during a visit to the Doge’s Palace or by swimming under it in a gondola. The Bridge of Sighs is also clearly visible from the Ponte della Paglia and Ponte della Canonica.

If we are already at the famous and famous bridges in Venice, we must also mention …

Rialto Bridge

The second and much more famous bridge in Venice is Rialto. It is the oldest bridge in the city, which rises 7 and a half meters above the mirror of the Grand Canal. The Rialto Bridge has three passages, including the middle one is intended for shopkeepers and traders. In high season it is often a crowded place, after all it is a symbol of this city.

A place worth seeing and directly connected with this bridge is the Rialto district. Known mainly for trade and the Mercato di Rialto market, where we stock up on fresh food of all kinds.

You can see the Rialto Bridge itself on live cams from Venice.

Now it’s time for the sights of Venice.

Sights of Venice

Of the monuments of Venice, most are churches, in their time there were even almost 140.

Church of Santa Maria della Salute

The most characteristic, of course, right next to the aforementioned Saint Mark’s Basilica is the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. It is a smaller baroque basilica, located on the Grand Canal itself.

Access to it is free, while inside you can admire the images of Titian himself – e.g. Saint Mark on the throne along with saints Kosmas, Damianos, Sebastian and Rocco.

Every year, on November 21, the people of Venice take part in a thanksgiving procession for health. The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute itself was built as thanksgiving after the outbreak of the plague.

It is also worth visiting other churches scattered around the city. Noteworthy is also the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, which is the largest Gothic church in Venice, and the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, which next to the first is an excellent example of Venetian Gothic.

Many distinguished Venetian Doges are also buried here.

Teatro La Fenice

One of the most important monuments of Venice is also the Phoenix Theater – Teatro La Fenice. It is here that more importantly opera performances, which this city is after all a cradle. Many artists wrote and wrote operas with a view to their staging at La Fenice.

The Phoenix Theater can be visited with an audio guide, almost all parts of the building are available for tourists, but without the lower floor.

Ca ’d’Oro – Golden House

When visiting Venice, you cannot miss visiting one of the many palaces built in this city. The most famous is probably the Golden House – Ca’d’Oro, located directly above the Grand Canal.

Its name comes from the golden decorations that once covered its facade. Currently, the palace houses the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti, where you can see, among others, Pieta with two angels, Sleeping Venus and Venus in front of the mirror, by Titian.

Gallerie dell Academia

A place worth visiting is Gallerie dell ’Academia, which was the seat of the Academy of Painters and Sculptors. Currently, it houses an art museum, where you can admire Venetian painting from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century, including works by Titian, Leonardo da Vinci and Canaletta.

Museums in Venice that are worth visiting

As for museums, there are also plenty of them in Venice. One of the most visited and generally important objects of this type in Italy is the National Archaeological Museum.

It has collections of exhibits from the times of the Roman Empire and ancient Greece. The object itself is one of three parts, which also include: the Correr Museum and the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana Library.

You get here for one ticket and you can visit everything.

What else is worth seeing and visiting in Venice?

In addition to the historical district itself, you can go to Venice on one of the islands, which are equally interesting. The most famous is definitely the island of Murano, where producers of Venetian glass have their factories. You can take part in one of the glass production shows, but when choosing a particular master, it is worth making sure that this is not a counterfeiter.

Unfortunately, just like all over the world, fraudsters also occur on the island of Murano.

You also need to be careful about glass products, because often instead of Venetian glass we get a product made in China.

Burano island

Burano is another interesting place, or rather an island. More known and associated with small colorful houses. Apparently, the fishermen who lived here specially painted them in bright colors, so that when returning from fishing, they would not mistake the house.

Burano Island is also famous for lace products that can be purchased in one of the nearby shops. This place is not so crowded with tourists, but it is slowly changing from year to year.

See in one video how closely the island of Murano and the island of Burano look:

The third island we have to offer you is Lido. This place, in turn, is famous primarily for the Venice film festival and the beach, which is not in the historic part of the city. This is where residents come when they want to dive in the sea. It is also worth noting that some hotels on the island of Lido have slightly lower prices than those in the historic district.

Gardens of the Giardini della Biennale

The Giardini della Biennale gardens located in the Castello district are also a nice place. This is the greenest area in Venice, where you can escape from the heat, as well as from crowds of tourists. In the gardens of the Giardini della Biennale, you can walk not only among trees and bushes, but also sculptures, bridges and pavilions created here. In addition, special playgrounds have been prepared for children.

And what are your favorite attractions, monuments, churches, bridges, districts and interesting places in Venice? Let us know what you usually do while spending your holidays in Venice.

Your opinions are important to us!