10 best things to do in Venice

Venice is one of the most beautiful and well-known cities all over the world. It’s a magical place to visit, full of history and art. Once there you’ll be enchanted by its artistic beauties and wonderful landscapes. For this reason, the Venetian lagoon is a heritage for all humanity and is well protected by Unesco. If you are planning a visit to Italy I recommend that you visit Venice also. At least once in your lifetime! 
If you don’t know what to do or what to see, here you will find the 10 best things to do in Venice.

1. Visit Venice among the Canal Grande

Venice by Blende12 – Pixabay

The best way to understand this wonderful city is to admire it with different eyes. A way to do so is to visit it on a boat trip among the Canal Grande. Here you’ll have the opportunity to admire many palaces and pieces of art. In the past, Venetian families built palaces that we can admire today and which still bear their name.
I recommend you see the buildings: Palazzo Loredan, Palazzo Fortuny, Palazzo Moceny, and Palazzo Cavalli – Franchetti. Without forgetting the theatre of Palazzo Grassi and Palazzo Balbi overlooking the Grand Canal.

2. Admire Piazza San Marco

Venice by blende12 da Pixabay

This is the only “square” you will find in Venice. All the other large parts of the city are called “campi”. In the large square, you will find the infamous Basilica and the homonymous bell tower that overlooks it. Once there you will find many bars and clubs where you can stop and taste the good coffee that all Italians consider too expensive. In the past, tournaments, parades, parades and celebrations of all kinds were held in this area. Without forgetting the fights between bulls!

3. The bridges of Venice

Bridge by Michelle Raponi da Pixabay

Venice is crossed by canals that can be admired by gondolas.
In order to cross the canals, 436 bridges were built to help the population.
The highest bridge in Venice is the Rialto Bridge. Together with the Scalzi bridge, the Accademia and the Constitution bridge, they overlook the Grand Canal.
The Bridge of Sighs, on the other hand, was built in Baroque style and was built in the 17th century by order of Doge Grimani. This wonderful bridge connects the Palazzo Ducale with the Nuove Prisons. It’s called in this way because criminals used to sigh during the passage from the palazzo Ducale to the prison after their condemnation.

4. The Carnival of Venice

Carnival by Madeinitaly da Pixabay

5. Visit Burano and Murano 

Burano by di Pfüderi da Pixabay

Once in Venice, you need to grab a passage by boat to visit Murano and Burano. Murano is a wonderful place. Rises on top of 7 main islands and many canals and bridges that connect all the parts of the islands. In 1239 Venetian artists gave birth to the “Murano glass art”. All the glass masters of Venice were forced to live in this part of Venice to avoid fires in the city.   The Italian art of glass has been preserved over time, but the glass maters could not leave the island due to a  law established in the past.  Once you arrive here you can admire the glass masters at work in the creation of decorative objects that you can buy in all the tiny shops in the town. During your walk, you’ll find shops that sell jewellery, home decors, and lampshades all made in glass.

Burano instead is a small, vibrant and coloured village also located in the Venice lagoon.
This area stands out from the rest of Venice because of the colourful houses that make it cheerful.
But it is known above all for the artisans who work and create the traditional “Burano lace”.
In addition to visiting the workshops in Burano, you can admire the only square in the village and the church of San Martino, the only church on the island of Burano.
Its bell tower in particular. Due to the collapse of its bases resting on stilts, the bell tower is hanging strangely.
Inside you can admire the Crucifixion by Tiepolo dating back to 1725.

If you love taking pictures then this is the right place for you. You’ll fall in love with the colours of the houses that shine through the green water of the lagoon!

6.  Admire a wonderful Castle

Palaces by Tonda Tran da Pixabay

The largest district in Venice is the Sestriere Castello.
It is the only neighbourhood in the city that does not overlook the Grand Canal and is one of the greenest areas of Venice.
Here you can admire the Arsenale and the Venice Biennale.
If you are looking for masks for the Carnival, along Via Garibaldi you will find several workshops of artisans who make and personalise them.
Once here must visit the island of San Pietro with its Cathedral and the Campo di Santa Maria Formosa.

7. The Vineyard of Venissa

Venice by Beautytreff da Pixabay

Tenuta Venissa is located on the island of Mazzorbo easily reachable by boat.
Here you will admire the “Vigna Murata”, two hectares of the cultivated area surrounded by medieval walls.
The place is very suggestive, you can admire the fourteenth-century bell tower of the Church of San Michele Arcangelo dating back to the eleventh century. Here you can taste good wine and good food!

8. Visit Campo Santa Margherita

Venice by Ingeborg Gärtner-Grein da Pixabay

If you love nightlife and having fun then Campo Santa Margherita is the right place for you.
The area is full of clubs where young people gather to have fun and sip drinks outdoors. In the north of the area, you will find the deconsecrated church of Santa Margherita.  The church was then closed and used as a warehouse. Later was used as a storage space for marble.  Today it houses the “Santa Margherita” auditorium of the Ca ‘Foscari University.

9. Visit the original Acqua Alta Bookshop

View by Jo Wiggijo da Pixabay

This “no longer secret” place in the past was known to few. With the advent of social networks, word has spread and it has become a place to visit for everyone.
The library is very particular. The books are placed inside gondolas and bathtubs to protect them in case of high water.
Outside you will find the scenic staircase made of books!
Absolutely not to be missed! Here you will find books about Venice and some rare “chicche”!

10. Thake a walk at the squero of San Trovaso

Gondole by cocoparisienne – Pixabay

The “squero” is a traditional district of Venice that you absolutely must see.
In this area, the Venetian boats, the traditional gondolas, are built.
The “squero” di San Trovaso is the oldest of all. Its main building is totally different from all the buildings that surround it.
It was made of wood, in fact it looks like a log cabin.
The builders in fact came from Cadore, where the wood to build the gondolas was produced.