Places to visit in Venice, Italy

How to define this extraordinary city? Those who visit Venice, but also those who have lived there all their lives, would be at a loss for words.

Venice is the city that sparkles in the heart of the Venetian lagoon, surrounded by a rose of islands of incomparable charm. It is the city where elegance seems to be embodied in the delicate beauty of palaces and churches. But it also shows the greatness of traditions and the splendors of the Serenissima that continue to live on after centuries: arts and crafts, but also an excellent gastronomy and an incredible variety of events that unfold throughout the year.

And how to forget it? Visiting Venice also means delving into its most famous symbols.

Which ones, you may wonder: dive into this page and enjoy the best places to visit in Venice with us.

Where does the charm of this splendid city, almost dancing on thin strips of land between sea and lagoon, come from?

It all comes from its sea. The waters that surround Venice are the inner strength of this city.

They are a precious refuge, as when dozens of people decided to abandon their homes to escape the so-called barbarian invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire.

They are also a source of power: for about a millennium of its history, Venice was the Serenissima, one of the most powerful maritime republics.

But for Venice, the sea is also, and foremost, love. Any time of the year you visit Venice, you feel its full excitement. The gondolas, the vaporetti, the squeri: here everything connected with the sea has its own name. A name that you will not find anywhere else in the world. Not to mention that this deep love is sealed, from year to year, in a real Wedding between Venice and the sea: have you ever heard of the Festa della Sensa?

Visiting Venice, however, means understanding how sometimes the sea can become something to be defended against. Throughout its history, as you know, this city has also had to contend with its power.

Walking through its narrow streets, the well-known calli, you will really discover that all the places to visit in Venice are a true diorama of emotions, sensations and endless contradictions.

A multitude of experiences and life that is not easy to comprehend in all its fullness. Unless you return there again and again.

Which we wish you by all means!

Venice's connection with water is truly solid. So, to visit Venice, you definitely have to cross the waters.

The only bridge that connects the city to the mainland is the Ponte della Libertà. It’s about 4 kilometers long and allows you to reach Venice from Mestre.

Alternatively, you can decide to get there from the sea. If your airport of choice is Marco Polo, for example, you can take a vaporetto or private cab to the city center as quickly as possible.

You will also be able to reach Venice by train, thanks to the Santa Lucia station that is right in front of the Grand Canal, or, you can also reach it by car. In fact, you will be able to leave your car at Tronchetto (the artificial island you will see on your right when you cross the Ponte della Libertà) or directly in the garages of Piazzale Roma.

At that point, you can finally begin visiting Venice!

In its intricate maze of bridges and canals, it can seem very complicated to get around Venice. In reality, you will find that, with a little organization, there is nothing simpler.

For one thing, you can simply get around Venice on foot. The historic center is quite small in size, and the streets are filled with signs guiding you to the city's main points of interest.

For everything you cannot do on foot, you can choose to get around by public or private transportation. In fact, an efficient vaporetto system will get you around the main stops within the city as well as to the islands. Or, you can rely on water cabs and, of course, gondolas (for an extra bit of magic!).

How to visit Venice? It seems that wherever one's gaze is allowed to linger, there are places to see, ancient palaces to explore, churches that are treasure troves of works of art, and panoramas of immeasurable value.

Let this city's charms lead you to discover the most beautiful (and not all equally famous) attractions of Venice.

Rialto is the symbol of the city and the oldest bridge in Venice.

It stands elegantly over the waters of the Grand Canal, and those who venture between its steps can savor not only its intriguing history but also appreciate its architecture.

Two rows of artisan and big-name stores, in fact, stand on it, giving here and there glimpses of infinite beauty over the lagoon.

Anyone who wants to visit Venice can only start from here. But only while waiting for the next stop.

One of the most famous places to visit in Venice is one of the most famous in the world.

St. Mark's Square is a symbol of elegance and beauty, and right here are some of the city's main attractions.

Once you cross the threshold of the square, be amazed by all its majesty. So scenic and, at the same time, so light that it seems about to take flight.

Then, let your gaze appreciate the abundance of detail that covers every palace and every building that fronts the square. Some of these places are among the most famous not only in Venice, but in the whole world. The Campanile, the Basilica, for example. Here, however, is also the famous Doge's Palace, the Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Marciana, and the splendid Correr Museum, with its endless collection of neoclassical art.

Right next to that world of elegance and beauty we have just described is the Doge's Palace, the seat of the highest governmental office of Venice.

Already observing it from the outside you can admire all its sublime grace. The doors from which to enter, on which stands out over all the Porta della Carta, but also the colonnade and the Gothic-style facades with clear references to the East: this palace certainly invites you to discover its fabulous interiors as well. Halls, works of art, monumental staircases, but also the apartments of the Doge and his family and, above all, the fearsome prisons.

How to get there? Find out in the next paragraph!

How could you visit Venice without also discovering its stories and legends?

Just behind St. Mark's, lies the Bridge of Sighs. A place with such an emblematic name could not help but arouse endless tales, some of great melancholy, others of love.

And, therefore, if for many the Bridge of Sighs will forever be associated with the laments of the prisoners who walked across it in the days of the Serenissima, for many others it is an indelible promise of love.

Indeed, legend has it that a kiss exchanged under the Bridge (in a gondola, of course) at the moment when the chimes of St. Mark's Bell Tower are heard ensures endless love.

As impossible as it may seem, is it not worth a try?

The International Gallery of Modern Art of Venice is housed inside a striking palace.

Cà Pesaro, in fact, faces the Grand Canal welcoming its visitors with its elegant Baroque facade, bas-reliefs and statues.

What is most astonishing, however, is the interior. In fact, it consists of two museums, one dedicated to oriental art, and the other to modern art. The latter houses works by Klimt, De Chirico, Chagall, Kandinsky, Matisse and numerous other geniuses of the past.

The La Fenice Grand Theater is literally part of Venice's history.

It is a fundamental pillar of it and the symbol of a city that, like the Arabian phoenix, continues to rise again after every fall, more majestic and brilliant than ever.

The premieres of the works of world-famous composers, such as Rossini and Verdi in the nineteenth century, but also Stravinsky, Stockhausen and Kagel in the twentieth century, have taken place here.

And how to forget the traditional New Year's Eve Concert? One of the most long-awaited events on the Venetian calendar.

The Museum of the 18th century has been open in Venice since 1936, taking visitors back to the splendor, elegance and beauty of that period of the Serenissima.

The Museum is housed inside one of the city's most sumptuous palaces, Cà Rezzonico. It is mirrored on the Grand Canal with its white and elegant mole, and preserves inside a splendid courtyard, a monumental staircase and a ballroom of great refinement.

On Giudecca Island, separated from the city by the canal of the same name, is the Church of Redentore. Why visit this church during your trip to Venice?

Because it was built following one of the darkest events in the history of Venice, the terrible plague of the 16th century.

In addition to being a votive offering, it is also the centerpiece of one of the liveliest festivals on the Venetian calendar, which takes place on the third Sunday in July. Making the Redentore celebration magnificent are an incredible floating bridge that connects the church to Venice, and a fireworks display that lights up the entire St. Mark's Basin.

The Accademy Bridge is located a short distance from St. Mark's and is famous for being one of the largest wooden bridges in the city.

Where does the name come from?

Initially it was named after the nearby Scuola Grande della Carità complex. However, when the complex was converted into the headquarters of the Academy of Fine Arts, the Bridge also changed its name.

Without a doubt, the current Gallerie dell'Accademia, where Leonardo's famous Vitruvian Man is also located, is one of the most interesting places to visit in Venice.

What would Venice have been without Carlo Goldoni? Without his magnificent comedies and the characters of the Commedia dell'Arte?

During your visit to Venice you can find out more about this wonderful 18th-century playwright by even going to visit his home.

Inside Palazzo Centani, in fact, there is a museum dedicated to Goldoni with a library of authentic manuscripts.

If you think that Museums in Venice are only about the history of the city and its incredible traditions, you will discover instead that at the Fondaco dei Turchi there is a museum dedicated to one of Italy's greatest archaeologists, Giancarlo Ligabue.

The Museum of Natural History consists of no less than 16 rooms where you will discover skeletons of a dinosaur and even the largest crocodile that ever existed.

The tour is exciting and appeals to both young and old.

The ticket is included in the city pass.

When visiting Venice, your gaze cannot help but linger on the surroundings as well.

As you look at the lagoon and your gaze wanders over the smooth sheet of water, you can catch a glimpse of the many islands that contribute to the image of Venice.

So many traditions, in fact, live on in these small strips of land, where life proceeds so quietly, cadenced by the rhythms of the sea. However, there are also lively places, beloved by tourists, where it is possible to immerse yourself in the heart of Venetian life.

Discover some of them with us.

The most famous of the islands surrounding Venice is probably Murano.

Walking through its calli and bridges, one breathes the air of the nearby city without the constant coming and going of tourists that populate the streets of Venice.

Those who come here, however, want above all to know more about the magnificent art of glassmaking that has made this little patch of land famous everywhere in the world.

And, therefore, if you decide to devote some of your time to this island, you will discover countless furnaces that allow you to witness the creation of very elegant art objects from a shapeless mass of glowing paste.

If you like to learn more about the art of glass, we undoubtedly recommend the Museum dedicated to its history and some of its most valuable works. Access to the Museum is also included in the Card!

Yellow, light blue, but also red and midnight blue. Walking through the narrow streets of the small island of Burano is a colorful dive of emotions.

These beautiful houses, in fact, colored to guide sailors through the thick mists of the lagoon, are as cheerful and sweet as you can imagine. You will find countless places here for your photo shoots and scenic stops.

On this island, however, you will also have the opportunity to taste the deliciousness of the local cuisine and, above all, learn about the famous art of lace-making.

You will find, sitting at your doorstep, many old ladies intent on the art of embroidery, but also numerous stores where you can buy precious fabrics. And if you want to learn more, you can visit the splendid local museum. Not only will you learn more about the history of this wonderful art form, but you will see unique pieces that are priceless.

One place to visit in Venice where you can breathe the historical soul of the city is definitely Torcello.

Located in the northern part of the Venetian lagoon, it is a wonderful island that invites you to relax in nature and discover the first settlements around the 5th century.

You can discover a wonderful basilica with mosaics in Byzantine-Venetian style, but also ancient statues and striking bridges.

In short, the ideal place for visiting another face of Venice.

Can you really visit Venice on a budget?

The attractions and points of interest are so numerous that they almost seem to multiply under your rapt gaze.

Yet, there is a way to save money while visiting Venice.

You can take advantage of discounts on attractions, museums and monuments, and even be entitled to free admission.

It's the Venice Pass, which also allows you to have public transportation included.