Venice sightseeing
Along the Grand Canal
The Grand Canal stretches 4km from the railway station, Stazione Ferrovia, to St Mark's Basin with views so breathtaking that many visitors simply ride back and forth soaking up the atmosphere, although the inappropriately named, accelerato waterbus stops at every landing stage.
The banks of the canal are lined with more than 200 ornate palaces and grand houses including the Natural History Museum, Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi where composer Richard Wagner died, Ca' Pesaro housing modern and oriental art, Ca' d'Oro or House of Gold; one of Venice's most famous frontages housing the Fanchetti Gallery which boats renaissance art, frescoes and minor works by Tintoretto.
Spanning the Canal and dividing the city is the Rialto Bridge with its elegant marble arch, and close by are the handsome twin towers of the town hall. Palazzo Mocenigo was once home to the poet Byron, and the glorious 17th century Ca' Rezzonico is now home to the Museum of 18th century Venice boasting two paintings of the Grand Canal by Canaletto.
The 18th century Palazzo Grassi is used for international art exhibitions, the Palazzi Barbaro was favoured by artists Monet and Whistler, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni is home to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and finally, the last building to note is the listing Palazzo Dario, plagued by five centuries of intrigue.
The Sights
With its wealth of churches, art galleries and historic monuments, a finite list of Venetian sights is impossible, however, in addition to the Grand Canal, the following are the city's primary tourist attractions. St Mark's Square, is a hectic yet civilised spot, neighboured by St Mark's Basilica, an exquisite and sumptuous shrine, and St Mark's Bell Tower for breathtaking views.
Originally a Byzantine fortress, the second most visited sight is Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace); this was the seat of the Republic for nine centuries and now boasts Gothic architecture, resplendent state rooms, fine paintings including Tintoretto's Paradiso, Casanova's cell, and the infamous Bridge of Sighs. For art lovers, the Venetian art in Gallerie dell'Accademia is the third most visited attraction in the city, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection reputedly houses the most comprehensive modern art collection in Europe, and the breathtaking Scuola Grande di San Rocco houses one of Italy's most precious art collections.
The Rialto area is Venice's oldest district and features the greatest concentration of Byzantine palaces; it is famed for its markets as well as the Rialto Bridge with its shops and elegant marble arch. San Giorgio Maggiore, San Michele, Murano, Burano and Torcello islands are easy to visit, as is Venice Lido a long strip of land providing visitors with smart hotels and beaches.
Map
Climate
Venice experiences very hot, humid summers particularly July and August. Winter, temperatures dropped to as low as 0° C-3° C. Spring and autumn tend to be the more popular months to visit.
Did you know?
It has been suggested that the word ghetto is Italian in origin and was perhaps used for the first time in Venice, circa 1516, to describe a neighborhood on the site of the city’s foundry. It denoted a walled-off and gated section of the city to which Jews were restricted. Because they were viewed as cultural minorities owing to their non-Christian beliefs in a Renaissance Christian environment, Jews were placed under strict regulations throughout many European cities.