In Northeastern Italy is a city that is revered for its beauty. Venice is based on 117 small islands separated by canals. The city is famous for using gondolas for transport through the canals and due to its beauty, is considered one of the most romantic spots.One may find many things to do in Venice as it is both a World Heritage Site and a very famous holiday spot.
Venice, “the floating city” is the heart of Italy. It is also the capital of the Veneto region. It was the place where arts and culture that we see today started and where industrialism and modernism also grew. This is perhaps the reason why Venice has always been a rich city with people from all over the world coming to see it. There are plenty of things to do in Venice no matter what the age or interests of the visitor. Known for its romantic ambience, Venice is the favorite spot of newly married couples for their honeymoon or for people wanting to celebrate their anniversaries. From places to churches, museums to amusement parks, cruises to stage shows, freshly Italian food to art galleries, Venice has something for everyone. As it Venice is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi, it is also the place that gave shape to opera and other musical advancements. Since the climate of Venice is temperate it is a great place to visit at all times of the year, no matter what the season may be. It is a haven for all those who are into arts, culture, history and music because there are many things to do in Venice that satisfy their love of such wonders.
When it comes to what are the best things to do in Venice there are too many to count. Some of the must see places include: visiting St. Mark’s Basilica, a Roman Catholic church that is known for its Italo-Byzantine architecture; taking a tour of the Doge’s Palace as it is right next to the Basilica and is considered to be one of the landmarks of Venice; enjoying a gondola ride on the many canals of the city; taking a walk on the St. Mark’s Square or the Piazza San Marco, which was called as the drawing Room of Europe by Napoleon; or catching a show at the Teatro La Fenice. Furthermore, visit the Venice Lagoon, go on a day trip to the Dolomite Mountains, checking out a glass blowing demonstration on the Murano Island and much, much more. There are also many eateries and restaurants that provide delicious food from pasta, to risotto, famous Italian pizza to fresh breads. Tourists and locals also have the option of going to vineries for wine tasting and trying out different kinds of cheeses. There are some of the top best things to do in Venice, Italy.
While visiting Venice, one of the most important places to go to see is Doge’s Palace. The palace is a historic landmark styled in Gothic Architecture. It used to be the main residence of the Doge of Venice with Doge being the title given to the appointed leader of Venice. It was opened as a museum for the general public in 1923 and explains a lot about the history of Venice and its culture.
There are many things to do in Doge’s palace and for a full experience; the secret tour is recommended for people who are interested in knowing about the functioning of the government and the art and culture of Venice at that time. The secret tour has to be booked in advance but has the same price as the regular tour.
The palace has a great courtyard with a spectacular view of the Saint Mark’s Basilica. Other beautiful exterior features of the Palace are access to the lagoon and the Bridge of Sighs. The interior tour includes government offices, prisons also known as itineraries and the Doge’s personal chambers.
With numerous things to do in Doge’s Palace, you’ll learn much about the great city’s history through artifacts, architecture and official documents.
Venice is beautiful. One of the main things that keep the status of Venice as one of the most beautiful cities in the world is the fact that it is still, to this day, a city without cars. The Grand Canal of Venice serves as the main street used for commute.
Visitors can find numerous things to do in the Grand Canal such as taking a Gondola ride through the great water channel and watching the Palazzos that are on the banks of the canal. The beautiful Palazzos were once home to the wealthiest families of Venice, and are filled with artworks from all around Italy. Although now fading in color, they still provide a very vintage and serene look to the whole city.
The Grand Canal has only four bridges over it for people to cross over. Among the many things to do in the Grand Canal, one of the favorites is to stand on these bridges and admire the view of the canal from above. Watching the boats go by underneath, filled with items being transported through town to various vendors, is a memorable experience for visitors from across the globe.
The Piazza San Marco, also known as Saint Mark’s Square, is one of the most prestigious squares in Europe. Most of the places in or around the square are named after Saint Mark, whose famous cathedral and resting place is also situated here.
The square is beautifully decorated and upholds the wealthy and powerful reputation that Venice had in the Renaissance period. The square is decorated with four horses which are a sign of Venice’s pride. The square is full of shops on its outer boundary, catering to locals and tourists. There are also restaurants which have an outside seating arrangement for their customers.
Among the many things to do in Piazza San Marco, some important things to see include the Palazzo Ducale, a palace highlighting a lot of history of Venice, and also the Companile di San Marco, which is a bell tower. Access to the top of the tower is allowed to tourists for a small fee. The clock tower provides a full aerial view of the city of Venice.
Visitors to Venice cannot miss out on all the things to do in Piazza San Marco because this square has a lot of history and during the carnival season, it offers a lot of concerts and other fun activities to indulge in.
Rialto Bridge is one of the four main bridges connecting both sides of the Grand Canal in Venice. For a very long time, the bridge remained the only way to both sides of the canal. Before the bridge was properly constructed, the location of the bridge, being the narrowest point in the Grand Canal, consisted of a number of wooden bridges. It was later decided that due to the heavy number of people using the bridge, a proper structure should be constructed with an archway, allowing boats to pass through easily as well.
There are many things to do in Rialto Bridge as the bridge has three walkways, of which two are on either side of the bridge, and the one in the middle is lined with many shops that sell items such as jewelry, souvenirs, linens and more for the tourists and locals to buy.
The bridge’s creator, Antonio da Ponte, competed against some of the biggest names in architecture such as Michelangelo and Palladio for the contract.
Come pay a visit to Venice and find numerous things to do in Rialto Bridge. Whether you go over it or under, you will be amazed by the engineering of this bridge.
Venice, known for its beauty, has many monuments for tourists to explore. One of the main attractions is Saint Mark’s Basilica. The building is a marvel as it contains traces of architecture from four different time periods. The architectural style of the church includes Renaissance, Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic.
There are many things to do in Saint Mark’s Basilica, some of which include taking a tour of the beautiful monument, and understanding the history of how and why it was built. It is said that the cathedral was built when the body of Saint Mark was smuggled from Alexandria in Egypt to Venice, after a revelation from an Angel who knew he would be buried here, when Venice itself didn’t even exist.
The interior of the church is simply mesmerizing as it contains many mosaic monuments and statues telling different stories. The interior also shows a lot of influence from Byzantine architecture as the roof has many domed structures inside.
Tourists may find a number of things to do in Saint Mark’s Basilica as they to marvel at the amazing engineering, as it is one of the most intricate structures to have been created.
