Venice why go

See what Venice has to offer by booking through Culture Trip — select a stay in a dreamy spa hotel , have a beautiful boutique break or opt for a more local stay. Indulge in fresh local cuisine to satisfy your hunger and explore local attractions with our essential guide. This is an updated version of an article originally written by Ione Wang. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements.

To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK". Sign Up. Travel Guides. Videos Beyond Hollywood Hungerlust Pioneers of love. Things to Do. Mark Nayler. Church, Historical Landmark. Copy link. Map View. More info. Early risers urge you to arrive when morning sunlight bathes millions of tesserae mosaic tiles with an other-worldly glow, and jaws drop to semiprecious-stone floors.

Yet no matter how you look at it, the basilica is a marvel. Two eyes may seem insufficient to absorb years of architecture and sq metres of mosaics — Basilica di San Marco will stretch your sense of wonder. Other cities have government buildings; Venice has the Palazzo Ducale, a monumental propaganda campaign.

To reach the halls of power, you must pass the Scala dei Censori Stairs of the Censors and Sansovino's staircase lined with carat gold, then wait in a Palladio-designed hall facing Tiepolo's Venice Receiving Gifts of the Sea from Neptune. Upstairs is the Piombi attic-prison, where Casanova was confined in until his escape. But Napoleon quite enjoyed Venetian paintings, warehousing them here as booty. During Venice's darkest days of the Black Death, flashes of genius appeared.

Tintoretto's loaded paintbrush streaks across 50 dramatic ceiling scenes inside the Scuola Grande di San Rocco like a lightning bolt, revealing glimmers of hope in the long shadow of the plague that reduced Venice's population by a third.

Downstairs scenes from the story of the Virgin Mary adorn the vast assembly hall, starting with the Annunciation and culminating in a brooding Assumption where angels lift Mary heavenwards amid a turbulent, stormy sky.

Before the curtain rises, the drama has already begun at La Fenice. Wraps shed in lower-tier boxes reveal jewels, while in top loggie balconies , loggione opera critics predict which singers will be in good voice, and which understudies may merit promotions.

But when the overture begins, all voices hush. No one wants to miss a note of performances that could match premieres here by Stravinsky, Rossini, Prokofiev and Britten. When Venice dared the world to show off its modern masterpieces, delegations from Australia to Venezuela accepted the challenge — who turns down an invitation to Venice? Today La Biennale di Venezia is the world's most-prestigious creative showcase, featuring art in odd-numbered years and architecture in even-numbered years , and hosting the Venice Film Festival and performing-arts extravaganzas annually.

You'll need super-chic gumboots, curated by Martina Ranaldo, who gave up life as an academic to kit out Venetians. She also has eco-friendly shoes. Looking for a book to remind you of your trip? You'll find it here at the city's best-loved bookstore since It has a huge English-language section of guides, Venice-set novels and cicchetti cookbooks.

San Marco : Once the political heart of Venice, San Marco is now the most visited of Venice's six sestieri , or districts. Piazza San Marco, or St Mark's Square, is the center; radiating out around it is a rabbit warren of narrow calli streets , taking you to the Rialto Bridge. There are gems here, but this is definitely the tourist trail. San Polo : On the other side of the Rialto from San Marco, this is Venice at its most medieval, with squeezebelly alleyways, sottoporteghi cut-out passageways underneath first-floor houses and timber-framed palazzos.

Although heavily trodden, there are still artisans around, and it has a young feel, thanks to its proximity to university Ca' Foscari. Dorsoduro : Traditionally the artists' area, Dorsoduro — the "hard back" of Venice, forming the lower border of the city center — is less boho than it was, but you'll still find high-end galleries and bijou shops around the Guggenheim Museum.

It's a popular area with students around the vast, bar-lined square, Campo Santa Margherita, and the always-sunny Zattere waterfront is where locals love to stroll. Castello : The biggest sestiere is also the hardest to pin down. Some of the loveliest churches are in Castello — like the marble-clad Santa Maria dei Miracoli — but this is a place for walking, along the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront and around the Arsenale, where the Republic of Venice could knock out a warship in mere days.

Santa Croce : For the vast majority of visitors, Santa Croce is their first sight. But step away from the Piazzale Roma bus stops or the cruise terminal and one of the city's most laid back areas is on the doorstep. This is one of the most residential areas still, and the quiet canals are worth a wander. This top end of the Grand Canal is less prestigious, but, because of that, more real. Cannaregio : What was once an industrial area is now perhaps the loveliest sestiere, with wider canals, bigger pavements to lay seating on, and magnificent palazzos.

Cannaregio has long been known for its artisans; today, the Fondamenta della Misericordia is the locals' favorite bar strip, while the Fondamente Nove waterfront, on the north of the lagoon, offers spectacular views of the Dolomites, as well as ferry boats to the islands.

Giudecca and the islands: Life goes on as it always has on the islands, which give a different glimpse of lagoon life. Giudecca, the croissant—shaped island opposite Dorsoduro, has some of the best views in the city, while the Lido is one great, miles-long beach. In the north, past the cemetery island of San Michele, is Murano, known worldwide for its master glassblowers.

Half an hour beyond it, into the north lagoon is the fishing island Burano, known for its multicolored houses, and Torcello, where two ancient basilicas mark where Venice began. Spring is the classic time to visit Venice, before the summer crowds and heat hit. Summer can be sweltering — although average temperatures are in the low-to-mid 80s, the humidity, which pushes 80 percent, makes everything much stickier. Winter temperatures rarely hit freezing, though the high humidity, fog, and strong winds can make the city feel colder than other snowier cities.

Vaporetto schedules, routes iOs Android. Tide Venice : Tide levels and times iOs Android. Cocai Express : Restaurant delivery iOs Android. Sunrise seen from Ponte dell'Accademia in Venice. July 06, Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Time Zone. Central European Standard Time. Best Time to Go.

Things to Know. Language: Italian. I don't speak Italian: Non parlo Italiano. I would like…: Vorrei…. How much is…: Quanto costa…:. How do you get to…: Per andare a…:. Capital City: Rome. How to Get Around. Car service: Hotels can arrange transfers, usually with water taxis.

Best Hotels. Related Items Guestroom bed with tea at Hotel Flora. Credit: Courtesy of Hotel Flora. Hotel Flora. Istituto Canossiano San Trovaso. Deluxe suite interior at Sina Centurion Palace. Credit: Courtesy of Sina Centurion Palace. Centurion Palace. Palazzo Stern. Ca' di Dio. Hotel Santa Chiara. Cima Rosa. Best Restaurants. Credit: Courtesy of Risorante Quadri.

Trattoria Al Gatto Nero. La Zucca. Antica Sacrestia. El Refolo. Giazzo, , Venezia VE, Italy Phone: No phone Website A classic modern joint for cicchetti Venetian bar snacks , the restaurant pairs great local wines with the best Italian ingredients, stuffing sandwiches and tiny bread rolls with everything from zucchini and cavolo nero frittata to grilled eggplant and capocollo.

Ae Bricoe. Address: Fondamenta dei Ormesini, , Venezia VE, Italy Phone: No phone Website Venetian tramezzini — sandwiches stuffed to the gills — are legendary, and this tiny bar on Cannaregio's popular drinking strip, run by siblings Federica, Stefania, and Davide Michielan, is the best place to try them.

Locanda Cipriani. Osteria Ae Botti. Ristorante Riviera. Osteria Da Moro. Ai Garzoti. Harry's Dolci. Things to Do. Related Items. Grand Canal. Piazza San Marco. The winged lion of St Mark is the symbol of the city of Venice.

Palazzo Ducale. San Giorgio Maggiore. Address: Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore Admire the Tintorettos in the vast church below, then take the elevator to the top of the belltower on this island monastery.

Querini Stampalia Museum. Burano and Torcello. Northern Lagoon of Venice. Teatro La Fenice. Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Buy a Chorus Pass. Website Venice's churches are living museums, with masterpieces usually in situ.

Walk the Giudecca. Gondola ride.