Main Attractions of Venice

Here is an overview of the main sights worth seeing in Venice.

Every tourist dreams of visiting La Serenissima, Italy's unique city on the water. "The Most Serene" was the formal name of the Venetian Republic. Majestic architecture with exquisite Gothic palaces, lively labyrinths of mysterious narrow streets, canals with gondolas – all of this creates an extraordinary ensemble of mesmerizing beauty and charm. Once you have experienced the magical atmosphere of Venice, you will want to come back again and again. Some visitors fall so deeply in love with the local character that they decide to move here for good.  

Venice – What Makes the City Special

Fairy-tale Venice is one of the most breathtaking and romantic corners of Europe. It is the birthplace of the Italian traveler Marco Polo, the composer and virtuoso violinist Vivaldi, and the legendary seducer Casanova. 

What makes the city on the water unique is that there are no cars. People travel between the islands by vaporetto, a water bus that is the main means of public transport in the lagoon, and around the city by motoscafo, traghetto or gondola. Gondolas, the symbol of romantic Venice, are often called "boats of love".  

Venice stands on 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon, separated by 180 canals and thousands of smaller waterways and linked by the 209 bridges of the sestieri. 

Thanks to its location on the Adriatic Sea, Venice is both one of Italy's largest ports and a seaside resort.

Main Sights of Venice  

Venice is regarded as a cultural, historical and national treasure of Italy. The entire city is an open-air museum. Its main monuments and sights are located in the districts of Dorsoduro, Castello, Cannaregio, Santa Croce, San Polo and San Marco. Among the other islands of the Venetian Lagoon, Burano, Torcello, San Francesco del Deserto and Murano are especially worth a visit.

The Venetian atmosphere captivates at first sight with the grandeur and opulent splendor of its historic buildings. Most of the city's architectural and cultural monuments were created between the 12th and 16th centuries. If your time in the capital of the Veneto region is limited, a quick tour of the highlights will do. But if time allows, it is better to see all the places that deserve visitors' attention.

Interesting Routes and Main Sights in Venice That Every Tourist Will Love: 

• Riva degli Schiavoni, the waterfront promenade that begins around the corner from the Doge's Palace and Palazzo Dandolo, at the ancient Ponte della Paglia (Bridge of Straw) made of Istrian stone over the Rio di Palazzo canal. Its viewpoint offers a view of the magnificent lagoon, the white Bridge of Sighs and a row of graceful Venetian bridges – Canonica, Cappello and Consorzi. Strolling along the Riva degli Schiavoni, you can admire the imposing equestrian monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy.
• The famous church of Santa Maria della Pietà, where the great Venetian composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi served as choirmaster. 
• The church of San Giovanni in Bragora, where the future famous maestro Vivaldi was baptized as an infant. 
• The single-arched stone Ponte del Vin over the Wine Canal, where wine merchants' boats used to moor. 
• Palazzo delle Prigioni – the former "Palace of the Prisons" now serves as a concert venue, although the historic interiors of the old dungeon still recall the legendary escape of the adventurer Casanova from the Venetian prison. 
• Piazzetta San Marco – a small square with two mighty columns between the Campanile of St. Mark's Basilica and the Grand Canal, adjoining the waterfront where the Biblioteca Marciana stands.
• The main Piazza San Marco with its Clock Tower, where St. Mark's Basilica with its massive silvery domes stands out in the architectural ensemble. The Procuratie buildings and the Napoleonic Wing stretch along its southern and northern sides. Next to the towering Campanile (bell tower), about 100 meters high, stands the Loggetta, a small triumphal arch of white and pink marble. 
• The white-stone Patriarchal Palace – the official residence of the Patriarchate of Venice, located just behind the Basilica and the Clock Tower and facing Piazzetta dei Leoncini. 
• The Mercerie – a district of old shopping streets stretching from St. Mark's Square to the Rialto Bridge. 
• Palazzo Vitturi in Venetian-Byzantine Gothic style – a palace hotel with pointed arched windows on Campo Santa Maria Formosa.
• Fondaco dei Tedeschi palace on the Grand Canal.
• Campo Santa Margherita in the Dorsoduro district.
• The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, housed in the small Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, with its priceless collection of world art.
• The Gallerie dell'Accademia – a true treasure house of works of art from the 14th to the 18th century, representing the golden heritage of Venetian painting.  

Where to Eat in Venice

You can take a break from sightseeing at Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie, a restaurant with an authentic atmosphere founded back in 1608. For a heartier meal, try the family-run Osteria Ai Carmini Di Biasotto Daniele. To taste incredibly delicious Italian desserts and gelato, visitors head to Gelateria Grom. At the wine bars Al Mercà and Estro you can sample excellent Italian wines. 

Churches of Venice

It is worth setting aside a separate day, or even several, for a pilgrimage to the city's religious architectural monuments – the many active churches, of which Venice has a great number: 

• Santa Maria Formosa. 
• San Zulian.
• Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
• San Canciano.
• San Giovanni Grisostomo.
• San Bartolomeo.
• San Salvador.
• San Giacomo di Rialto.
• Sant'Aponal.
• San Polo.
• San Rocco.
• San Barnaba. 
• San Pantalon.
• Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
• Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.  

The beautiful views of La Serenissima are best admired from the water. The magnificent Venetian palazzos were even built with their facades facing the canals. Knowing the most fascinating routes in Venice will help make your trip richer, flawless – simply perfetto!