14 things to see and do in Venice

Venice is unique, and the experience amazing. For the first visit, there are some places and activities not to be missed. However, it is not necessary to follow a restricted guide. The city is ideal to just wander around and spontaneously find out all the monuments.

1. Grand Canal

When arriving, the first impact leaves us insane. It is absolutely unreal to have only water channels in front of you. No cars, no traffic, no roads. So, of course, the best way to move around is on foot or on a boat, like navigating in the Grand Canal in a Vaporetto. Look for what you do all the way, from one end to the other, and let yourself be taken with your hair in the wind. For me, the Grand Canal is the most sumptuous avenue in the world. It Is flanked by Grand Palazzos, formerly belonging to large Venetian families, who let us foresee a little of the grandeur and richness that Venice has ever known during its history.

2. Gondola Ride

The gondolas are all over the place, and the tourists love them. Led by a “romantic” gondolier, almost always dress traditionally, this is an experience not to m missed, mainly because it is the best way to get to know the city through its waterways. Its format is perfectly adapted to sail through the canals of Venice, even the narrowest. They have been part of the history of the city since the 11th century and at that time were so highly decorated that in the 16th century it was obligatory to use the black to standardise.

3. Palazzos

Venice is the city of the Palazzos. They are scattered throughout the city, and they are witnesses of a wealthy and powerful time of Venice. Through the Grand Canal, we can see the most imposing palaces like the Palazzo Sagredo, the Palace Fat, the  Palace Hair Malipiero, the  Palace Gritti-Pisani and the majestic Ca  d’oro, an exuberant palace with an exquisite and ornate façade.

 4. Piazza San Marco

This Square is the heart of Venice. Here are the most important monuments of the city –  the St. Mark’s Basilica, the Campanile, the Ducale Palace and Dell’orologio Tower. The square is surrounded by luxurious cafes with live music, spaces of elegance and beauty, with orchestras and tenors,  present every day filling the square with the most fantastic music.  Napoleon described this square as “the most elegant reception room  in Europe.”

5. Basilica Di San Marco

It is one of the grandest and breathtaking monuments in the city. With an oriental inspiration, the Basilica has splendour details as the Horses of San Marcos, the façade mosaics, the statue of St. Mark and the Angels at the top of the Central arch, the pavement mosaic inside, the tiles inside the Dome and the entrance arches. Details and pieces that make this church a real treasure of mankind.

6. Dodge’s Palace

The Palace Ducale was the official residence of the Venetian rulers, the Doges. It Is a gothic masterpiece made of pink marble,  made from a unique piece. A closer look shows a sculpture symbolising Noah’s Drunkenness (in on one of the corners), the Giants Staircase, with statues of Mars and Neptune that symbolise the power of Venice, and the Torture Chamber where the interrogations of the prisoners took place.

7. Clock Tower

Difficult to go unnoticed, the Tower Dell Orologio is known for the fabulous decoration of the watch dial, in blue and gold, representing Zodiac and the moon phases. The clock is always at the right time and beats the hours punctually, a task carried out by two bronze figures.

8.Campanille

Although the Tower Dell’orologio Awakening the attention of those who pass through, who steals all the protagonism in the heights is clearly the Campanile. A symbol of the city and the square has the best view of Venice. In addition to the sight of the whole town, on a sunny day and clear skies, it is also possible To spot the Alps.

9. The Bridge of Sighs

Was like this when we visited the city, so it was a little disappointment. It Is one of the points of interest in the black history that closes, an end of the passage for the prisoners who went to the court and that they were going to sigh already knowing the sentence that awaited them. That’s what it’s called today.

10. Saint Mary Of Health

This Majestic Baroque Church is sustained by more than 1 million wooden pillars and was built to thank the salvation of the city of Pestilence. It is an excellent place of observation of the city, from another point of view, beyond the Grand Canal.

11. Academia’s Gallery

Currently one of the most important museums in Venice, before Scuolla Of Caritá, an Academy Includes the most extensive collection of Venetian painting in the world.

12. Rialto Bridge

One of the best places to stay and enjoy the hustle and bust in Venice. The view is lovely, and it is exciting to observe the movement of boats up and down (which make impossible routes to beat each other) and is one of the most photogenic places in the city.

13. The Rialto Market

I’ve talked about this Market But, and at the risk of repeating myself, it is worth passing through here, see the colours, textures, smells, crafts, life and local people.

14. The Streets

Walking through the narrow streets that will give the squares wide and luminous, we lose ourselves by this and that street, wandering through streets so tight that we can touch, with open arms, on the walls of houses on both sides of the road. Discover thousands of bridges, corners and feel the atmosphere of the city, eat in the small pizzerias located in the squares, drink a cappuccino Or eat a gelato. Everything is possible through these streets full of personality and character.