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WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Everyone who visits Venice will have a different idea about what they want to see and do and there are time constraints too depending on how long you are in the city for. This is just a guide and if you have visited before you will have your own agenda. For those visiting for the very first time below are just a few of the things you might like to take in whilst you are there.
St Marks Square, The Campanile and the Basilica
For most people, when they think of Venice, these three things are the most familiar, and its true to say that they are a must if you have never been before.
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Due to this it does tend to be a little crowded especially in the high season, with folk flocking around, various mobile stalls selling what I consider to be rather tacky Gondola hats, t-shirts, light up Gondolas etc. If you are staying in the city which I hope you are, then the best time to visit St Marks Square is in the evenings when the tourists have gone and the square is lit on all sides by the cafes and bars. It then takes on a magic not seen during the day.
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The Campanile (bell tower) is worth a trip up in the lift to get a different perspective. Be prepared to wait in a queue though if going in high season. The cost is €4. Well worth it as it is the tallest tower in Venice with stunning views.
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St Marks Basilica is another one not to miss although yet again you could be in a queue to get in. When visiting churches in Italy they have strict rules about shoulders being covered and mean should not wear shorts. You will need to check in a backpack if you using one as they wont let you in with one. It is a stunning interior and well worth a visit which is free. You can pay a little more to climb up to the balcony and look out over the square where the bronze horses from Constantinople are placed. There is also the Pala D-oro (gold alter screen) which is inset with hundreds of precious stones and quite worth the time to see.
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If you are visiting in high season I highly recommend that you get beat the queue tickets for the Basilica and Campanile so that you are fast tracked into them. It will save precious sight seeing time ! Just Google 'fast track tickets' for whichever place you want to see.
The Doges Palace, Bridge of Sighs and Prison
The Doges Palace is another must if you have never been before, but do allow a couple of hours as there is so much to see here.
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Again in the high season it can be very busy with long queues forming. Fast track tickets again will see you through the turnstiles quickly.
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The palace is full of wonderful rooms, art and other treasures. It was the home of the 'council of twelve' and the Doge himself. This effectively was their 'House of Commons' from where Venice was ruled. It is very opulent and does tell the story of a a once very rich city in all respects with its gold staircase, frescos and Titian paintings. When you are finished wandering the many and vast rooms, you cross the Bridge of Sighs, so called as this was the last view of the St Marks basin that the prisoners would see before crossing into the prison.
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You then reach the prison and very rudimentary cells where they were kept. One can imagine what it would have been like down there, and its claim to fame is that Casanova was incarcarated here and managed to escape over the rooftops!
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On exiting the prison if you need refreshment the is a small cafe on your way out, which is quite nice as every so often you can watch the Gondolas gliding past the door!
The Naval Museum
The Museo Storico Navale is about all things ship, and as you would expect being a watery city it has a long naval defense history.
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The Naval History museum is a great museum located in the Castello Distict in Venice. The museum is split across 2 locations, a 4 story building which houses the main artefacts of the collection including model ships, uniforms and equipment whilst the Padiglione delle Navi which houses the large ships from the gondolas of the Doges through to small navy ships.
Ponte Rialto
Rialto Bridge was the city's first bridge over the Grand Canal connecting the highest points on the Venice islands settlement.
The first bridge was built in 1180 and the current solid marble one was built in 1588-92.
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The bridge is an elegant arch with steps and shops, a mass of water traffic passing underneath, and huge numbers of tourists and locals heading across it.
Today, Rialto Bridge is one of the most photographed images in Venice and a major stop on the tourist trail.
Rialto Bridge is located about the mid-point of the Grand Canal connecting the main arrival point for visitors at St Lucia Railway Station and Piazzale Roma where the bus station and car parks are located with St Mark's Square being the main visitor destination.
In the immediate area of Rialto Bridge, on the southern bank is the main Venice market, the fish market being especially popular with visitors and worth a wander around. The fresh fish is amazing and many restaurants buy their fish from here.
Apart from the market there are lots of shops, restaurants and bars, a major area for visitors just to hang out. After St Mark's Square it's one of the most popular areas for visitors to take gondola rides.
Cannareggio
The district of Cannareggio is the old Jewish quarter and ghetto where the Jewish people were segregated in the past. As you enter the area over the ponte Guglie you can still see where the gates were hinged.
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This is a really peaceful and almost rural area with a large main square and holocaust memorial, surrounded by houses several stories high. In fact they are the only buildings in Venice with 5 or 6 storeys, built to house the thousands who were living there in 1516. Also it was home to Titian and Tintoretto.
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The Jewish Museum of Venice is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 1 to May 31 and until 7 p.m. from June 1 to Sept. 30. Hourly guided tours of the synagogues (in Italian and English) start at 10:30 ( museum admission is €4; museum and synagogue tour is €10). The museum also offers tours of the Jewish cemetery on the Lido, with advance booking. Closed Saturdays and Jewish holidays. For more information, museoebraico.it/english/museo.html.
Santa Maria Della Salute
The Basilica was built in gratitude by the people of Venice when their answered prayers to Saint Mary delivered Venice from the horrendous plague that killed a third of its population. The Basilica literally means The Basilica of Saint Mary of Good Health. It is located in the Dorsoduro Barrio and is a beautiful walk to a less frequented side of the Canal. Once a year on the anniversary of the saving of Venice a platform is built right across the end of the Grand Canal so that worshipers can easily access the Basilica.
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It is an impressive building with a huge dome and just as impressive inside as out. Entrance is free.
Libreria Aqua Alta
The Libreria Aqua Alta is a quirky bookshop which long ago gave up fighting the continual war against the water and now houses all its books in boats or bathtubs. There is even a flight of stairs made out of books which you can climb! Certainly something to be sought out even if you aren't into books!
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It can be found on Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa
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