Venice

Venice is a peaceful and attractive tourist destination that is located on a group of 118 small islands. These islands are linked by beautiful bridges and separated by the many canals running through the city. Venice is also informally known as the “floating city” or the “city of canals” and is highly popular among tourists for its historic buildings, structures and places of ancient significance. The uniqueness of Venice and its lagoons have also brought it up on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. The floating city is largely popular for its various artistic movements, which are depicted in the many pieces of artworks around the city.

The major attractions in the city include churches, museums and squares, including the St. Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs and more such places. These are dedicated to saints and put a mark of architectural significance in the city. These are popular attractions among the locals and tourists who come here to experience the novelty of these destinations. There are a number of activities that make Venice Tourism an exciting one! Included among these are, a ride around the famous Grand canal on a gondola, watching the opera and taking a sky high view of the city at the bell tower.

Even if you simply set out to explore the city of Venice on foot and wander around to its many corners, you will discover something interesting and romantic. Speaking of romance, for those seeking an amorous evening with their partner, there is no dearth of options. From taking a gondola ride together, to embarking on wine tours, there is a lot that you can explore with your partner. The absolutely best time to visit Venice for Sightseeing is in the first few days of May, which makes sightseeing easier. The weather in Venice is humid at most times with cold winters and really hot summers. July and August are the warmest months in Venice when the highest temperature can reach 30 degrees. This is why the best time to visit Venice is in April and May, and then, September and October.

Which are the must Attractions to visit in Venice?

1. St. Mark’s Basilica: Built in the typical Gothic style architecture, the basilica also boasts of Byzantine, Italian Gothic, and Venetian Gothic architectures in its structure. The charming domes and walls of the building are decorated in gold mosaics, which draw the attention of visitors to its precincts. You will also find the structure decorated with more than 2000 precious gems and stones that are a sight to behold!


2. St. Mark's Square: This is the one place in Venice city where you will get to see the beauty of Venetian architecture, spread massively on all sides of the structures. This is the largest square in Venice, beautified by the extraordinary charm of architectural uniformity surrounding the square on all three sides. The square is a common ground for locals and tourists to arrive at, have drinks, stop to chat and socialise, meaning you will find some of the best eating joints nearby. 

3. Bridge of Sighs: Get prepared to be impressed by this section of Venice City, which never fails to charm tourists, both in terms of its size and architectural magnificence. You can take a private tour to explore the Bridge of Sighs, a walk that takes you back to the historic times, making everything around you seem precious and magnificent. Also look out for the dark cells of the Prigioni, the famous prison, known for the escape of Casanova.

4. Grand Canal: The Grand Canal draws its significance from historic events  that put it on course of a prominent river. The giant ‘reverse S shape’ of the canal sweeps across the heart of the city, providing a connection between the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. You can take a gondola ride between different points across the bridges, all the while feasting your eyes upon the Venetian Gothic and Renaissance facades decorating the buildings along the way.

5. Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) and San Polo: It is believed that at one point, this was the only bridge across the Grand Canal. Today, the marvellous stone arch provides a connecting point between two busy streets of Venice. The bridge serves as one of the favorite vantage points for tourists who love to click pictures here and watch the gondola rides passing under the bridge. You will find some of the busiest and popular food shops at this side, making it a must visit spot for tourists. On the other hand, San Polo is a neat district, famous as a meeting joint for the locals. There are a number of markets and eateries here that are frequented by tourists.

6. Scuola Grande di San Rocco: Built gracefully in white marble, this historic building has been dedicated to Saint Roch. Within the Church you will find many masterpiece paintings and artwork, including the Crucifixion. Besides this, the building is also home to many scenes from the testament, making this a wonderful place for someone who admires art and desires to revisit the works of historic artists. 

7. Murano: Get aboard a vaporetto (Venetian waterbus) and ride across the lagoons to reach these destinations, without which your trip to Venice might be incomplete. You will come across the Palazzo Giustinian, within which is a glass museum in Murano, home to the largest and highly important collection of Venetian Glass dating back to the time of the Romans. In Murano, you must visit the church of Santi Maria e Donato, built with intricate craftsmanship and take part in a tour inside which will reveal the highly praised artwork from the 14th century. 

8. Peggy Guggenheim Collection: Visit this place if you are a history buff and want to take a first hand account of the art collections of heiress Peggy Guggenheim. Unlike most other museums in Venice, this one emphasizes on European and American artworks from the first half of the 20th century. The fancy white interiors of the museum are home to a number of collections from Picasso, Leger, Klee, Pollock and more artists. Outside the museum are beautiful sculpture gardens where you can take a stroll and find works of Calder and Hepworth.

9. Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari: This church is built in the Gothic style of architecture and boasts of multiple structural elements that draw visitors to its perimeter. The façade, interior walls, chapels and the campanile of the church, which is the second-highest in the city, bearing beauty to the sculptures of St. John the Baptist by Florentine and St. John the Baptist. You will also find several other important works of arts and renowned figures on display within the church. 

10. Gallerie dell'Accademia (Fine Arts Museum): This museum is situated side by side to the Grand Canal and houses some of the most important collections of Venetian artwork from the 15th to 18th centuries. The gallery has collected all these artworks from many different places, including some of the royal families. The galleries have beautifully gilded ceilings, which are truly admired only when you stand under them for real. They truly inspire awe and admiration from the visitors. 

11. Torcello Island: This peaceful and heavenly island is highly recommended for visitors, and is among the most popular islands in the lagoon. One of the most remarkable features of history and architecture to visit here are the Byzantine mosaics.

Which are the famous things to do in Venice?

Embarking upon Venice Tourism this holiday season? Here are the top things to do in Venice that you must not forget to explore.

1. Climb the Campanile di San Marco: It is the famous bell tower in Venice that climbs high and dominates the skyline of the city. You can get to the top via an elevator, for which you will have to purchase a ticket. Reaching the top, you will be able to get a bird’s eye view of the entire city around you. However, please note that the Campanile is closed during harsh weather conditions such as high winds and cold temperature. It is highly recommended that you make your bookings for the bell tower as soon as you have decided your travel dates to Venice. There are only 12 tickets available for a particular time slot. 

2. Stand atop the Rialto bridge: The Ponte di Rialto is the most popular bridge that spans the Grand canal. When you stand on top of the bridge, you can take in some of the most unique views of the canal and the city around you, which are otherwise hidden from another angle. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to visit this bridge and relish the most enchanting views of the city. While it might sound ordinary but simply watching the gondolas, vaporettos and ferries pass by under the bridge in the grand canal is a mesmerising sight that you can only experience in Venice City. 

3. Take a ride through the grand canal: The grand canal runs for 2 miles, along which it attracts tourists in large numbers, each of whom loves to click innumerable pictures of themselves with the canal. It is one of the most iconic attractions in the city and riding through the Canal is one of the top things to do while you are in Venice City. While the ride can be a bit expensive, it is definitely worth it. The best time to take a gondola ride is during the evening. If you want something cheaper than this, you can hop aboard the Vaporetto, which is a water bus service in Venice that plies between the Grand Canal, stopping at different locations on its way. It is up to you to decide how you wish to experience the Grand canal but the fact remains that the experience is entirely worth it. 

4. Visit the Jewish Ghetto: This is one of the most amazing sightseeing experiences in Venice, which holds an intense history of events behind it. The neighbourhood today consists of many restaurants and shops that offer kosher products, among other things. Here, you will also find a Jewish museum in the precincts, along with many synagogues that are best for visiting by tourists. Moreover, You can book yourself a walking tour around the ghetto, where a travel guide will explain everything about the history of the destination.

5. Visit the Correr Civic museum: This is one of the most popular elements of Venice Tourism, offering a large collection of arts, artefacts and other collections from the historical times of Venice. If you have already purchased a ticket to visit the famous Doge’s palace, you can also visit this museum, since the price of which is included in the ticket. While, this museum might not be on the top things to see in Venice, you might regret not going there after all. This place is an excellent escape from the crowds of the city as it is quite peaceful, which is why people thoroughly enjoy coming over to this place.

6. Listen to the opera: If you are in the mood to explore the romantic side of Venice, then there cannot be a better way than to spend an evening listening to the Opera with your loved one! The most popular and revered opera house in Venice is the Teatro La Fenice, which is the most frequented by visitors and tourists, owing to its series of unfortunate events. The thing to relish here is not only the performances but also the great ambiance of the opera house which is a remarkable spectacle in itself. Everything from the visual to the audio is top in class here, which gives the visitor a beautiful experience that remains unmatched with everything else. 

7. Attend the famous carnival: Known as the ‘carnival of Venice’, the popular annual festival is held in the month of February and goes on for weeks of celebrations. This is the only festival where attendants wear fancy masks, simply looking at which is an experience in itself. You will find the locals and even some of the tourists dressing up in fancy costumes, elaborate masks, to attend different masquerade balls. Beside the masquerade balls, included in the festival is a water parade, a re-enactment of the flight of the angel and more. Plus, there is a lot of food to try and experiment with, including some of the best local delicacies of Italy and Venice. This festival sums up the culture and festival traditions of Venice, in its true form.