Venice is a popular and wonderful tourist destination in the world. Venice is a great place to go for a romantic vacation or to travel with your best friends. You may be having some misconceptions about the city of Venice. You may think that Venice is a congested cruise ship destination and a city of sorts. However after visiting Venice, you would be enthralled by the charm and passion of the city.
TOP 8 PLACES TO VISIT
1.ST MARK’S BASILICA
The church is one of the most recognized churches in the world and is also Venice best-know church. It is decorated with Byzantine art treasures such as the gold-backed mosaic pictures above the doorways on the façade, treasures from other periods and the magnificent golden altarpiece, the Pala d'Oro, one of the finest in Europe. Also see the gold reliquaries and icons in the Treasury.
2.PALAZZO DUCALE AND BRIDGE OF SIGHS
Visitors are impressed with both the size and finesse of the architecture of the palace. Once you entered through the Porta della Carta you can see perfect examples of Venetian Gothic at its height as well as the Sala del Collego the palace’s most beautiful chamber. You'll see works by all the Venetian greats including Tintoretto, whose Paradise is the largest oil painting in the world.
3.PONTE DI RIALTO
It was once the only bridge across the Grand Canal and was built in 1588 after the original wood bridge collapsed. The stone arch supports two busy streets and a double set of shops. Close by is the church of San Bartolomeo and it has an excellent altarpiece, The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, by Palma the Younger.
4.CA’D D’ORO
The palazzo is now an art museum restored to provide both a setting for the art works and a look at the way wealthy Venetians lived in the 15th and 16th centuries. The connoisseur responsible for saving the palace, Baron Giorgio Franchetti, gave his art collection to the state in 1922, with works by Titian, Mantegna, Van Dyck, Tullio Lombardo, and Bernini.
5.MURANO AND BURANO
Hopping aboard a vaporetto to cross the lagoon to Murano, home of Venice's fabled glass workers. Showrooms and studios, showing everything from cheap imported trinkets to exquisite works of art are lining the canal sides. Inside the 17th century Palazzo Giustinian you will find one of the largest and most important collections of Venetian glass from the time of the Romans to the 20th century in the Glass Museum.
6.JEWISH GHETTO
The Jews was forced to move to a small northwestern section of the island in 1516. Considered to be the world's first ghetto, residents were only allowed to leave the neighborhood during the day and were then locked up at night and guarded. Today, this area is filled with restaurants and shops, a Jewish museum as well as several synagogues.
7.ACADEMY GALLERY
The gallery was originally an academy and was later turned into a museum by none other thank Napoléon. The gallery is filled with a expansive collection of Venetian art from the 14th to the 18th century by artists such as Bellini, Tintoretto and Veronese.
8.TEATRO LA FENICE
The theatre is one of Italy’s most popular opera houses. Although repurposed, it still has an Old World feel with decadent, intricately designed gold interiors outfitted with plush, red velvet chairs, making it the perfect setting to take in the auditory/visual pleasure of classic Italian opera. During the year a variety of dance, ballet and music performances is scheduled.
OTHER PLACES TO SEE
- St. Mark’s Square
- Grand Canal
- Scuola Grande di San Rocco
- Correr Civic Museum
- Venice Jazz Club
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
- Campanile di San Marco
- TeaThe Arsenal and the Museum of Naval History
- Lido
- Santa Maria dei Miracoli
- Torcello Island
- Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
- Palazzo Rezzonico
- Gallarie dell’Accademia
- Scuola dei Merletti
- Torre dell’Orologio
- Campanile
- Teatro Malibran
- Boutique del Gelato
- Scuola Schiavoni
- Palazzo Mocenigo
- Chiesa dei Gesuiti
There are just two ways to get around in Venice: on foot, waterbuses and boat.
The best time to visit Venice is late spring and early summer. Venice's location, in northern Italy on the Adriatic Sea, means that the city has colder, longer winters and the winds that whip off the Adriatic and down the alleyways are bone-chilling.
