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Gondolas and Church of San Giorgio Maggiore
Venice
Engineers love Venice — a completely man-made environment rising from the sea, with no visible means of support. Romantics revel in its atmosphere of elegant decay, seeing the peeling plaster and seaweed-covered stairs as a metaphor for beauty in decline. And first-time visitors are often stirred deeply by this watery fantasy world unlike anything they've experienced before. Built on a hundred islands with wealth from trade and plunder from the East, its exotic-looking palaces are laced together by sun-speckled canals. By day, Venice is a collection of museums and churches, packed with great art. At night, when the hordes of day-trippers have gone, another Venice appears. Dance across a floodlit square. Glide in a gondola through quiet canals while music echoes across the water. Pretend it's Carnevale time, don a mask — or just a fresh shirt — and become someone else for a night.
At a Glance
▲▲▲ St. Mark's Square Venice's grand main square.
▲▲▲ St. Mark's Basilica Cathedral with mosaics, saint's bones, treasury, museum, and viewpoint of square.
▲▲▲ Doge's Palace Art-splashed palace of former rulers, with prison accessible through Bridge of Sighs.
▲▲▲ Rialto Bridge Distinctive bridge spanning the Grand Canal, with a market nearby.
▲▲▲ Frari Church Franciscan church featuring Renaissance masters.
▲▲ Correr Museum Venetian history and art.
▲▲ Accademia Venice's top art museum.
▲▲ Peggy Guggenheim Collection Popular display of 20th-century art.
▲▲ Ca' Rezzonico Posh Grand Canal palazzo with 18th-century Venetian art.
▲ Scuola San Rocco "Tintoretto's Sistine Chapel."
▲ Campanile Dramatic bell tower on St. Mark's Square with elevator to the top.
▲ Bridge of Sighs Famous enclosed bridge, part of Doge's Palace, near St. Mark's Square.
▲ La Salute Church Striking church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
▲ Jewish Ghetto Historical residential community for Venice's Jewish community, with tourable synagogues.
▲ Punta della Dogana Museum of contemporary art.
▲ Ca' Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art Fine museum in a canalside palazzo.
▲ Fondaco dei Tedeschi View Terrace Rooftop terrace atop luxury mall, with views over the Grand Canal.
▲ Scuola Dalmata di SS Giorgio e Trifone Exquisite Renaissance meeting house.
▲ Via Garibaldi Walkable residential area with welcoming restaurants, parks, and shops.
Church of San Zaccaria Final resting place of St. Zechariah, plus a Bellini altarpiece and an eerie crypt.
Nearby Islands
▲ Burano Sleepy island known for lacemaking and a lace museum.
▲ San Giorgio Maggiore Island facing St. Mark's Square, featuring dreamy church and fine views back on Venice.
▲ Murano Island famous for glass factories and an illuminating Glass Museum.
▲ Torcello Near-deserted island with old church, bell tower, and museum.
Plan
Photos
Watch
- A Boat Tour of Venice’s Lagoon (clip)
- Carnival in Venice (clip)
- Italy’s Verona, Padova, and Ravenna (episode)
- Travel Talks: Mediterranean Cruise Ports
- Travel Talks: Venice, Florence & Rome
- Travel Talks: Venice & the Veneto
- Venice and Its Lagoon (episode)
- Venice: City of Dreams (episode)
- Venice’s Romantic Gondolas (clip)
Read
- Barefoot in Venice
- Bring Home a Bit of Venetian History
- Carnival: Europe’s Wild Rites of Spring
- Child’s Play in Europe
- Crawling Through Venice’s Cicchetti Pubs
- Despite Changes, Venice Still Charms
- Impressions of Italy
- Is Venice Sinking?
- Once the Sun Goes Down, Venice Shines
- The Gondolas of Venice
- Venetian Day Trips: Gems of the Veneto
Venice
Listen
- Art in Italy (47:09)
- Art Outside the Museums (30:10)
- A Tavola in Italy (7:53)
- Avoiding Crowds in Venice (11:58)
- Carnival in Venice (10:12)
- Italy's Decadent Desserts (23:02)
- Laurence Bergreen's Casanova (18:44)
- Opera 101 for Travelers (18:23)
- Salvatore Settis' "If Venice Dies" (17:57)
- The Joy of Pasta (11:45)
- Venice: Avoiding the Crowds (28:59)
- Venice: City of Seduction (11:23)
Venice Audio Tours
- Frari Church Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - St. Mark's Basilica Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - St. Mark's Square Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - The Grand Canal Cruise
Listen or Download | Download map