Wow! and other Venice, Italy Things to Do Tips

Cruising the Grand Canal was one of my favourite things to do in Venice. The best way for this is taking vaporetto 1, it's the most slowest one, so you get a lot of time to take in the beautiful architecture of the palaces. The vaporetto rides from Piazzale Roma to the Lido and has a lot of stops in between. If the weather is fine, try to sit outside. You have to take the ride several times during your stay: early in the morning, during the day and in the evening, it seems like life on the Grand Canal changes every minute. Not to be missed!!

Leave a Comment

I can't repeat it enough, but Venice is so much more than St Mark's Square! Of course, you need to see that if you're in Venice, just don't limit yourself to that area.
My favourite area was Castello. In and around the Via Garibaldi, it is so quiet and you see harldy any tourists. Laundry drying outside, elder people taking a rest on one of the benches, ... : this is my kind of Venice!

Leave a Comment

Gondolas all over Venice of course. And if you're really interested in them, you can have a look at Campo San Trovaso. This is the square where they still repair gondolas. Some wooden houses and a wooden square, nothing special, but I loved this cosy little square and when walking on the Zattere, I saw some person busy repairing the famous gondolas.

Leave a Comment

This was one of the highlights of my Venice visit! Built in the first half of the 16th century, the Guildhall of San Rocco is the home of an extraordinary collection of paintings from Tintoretto. On the ground floor you can see his paintings of the New Testament. The upper floor and the ceiling are dedicated to scenes from the Old Testament.
Even if you're not into paintings that much, you should still see this, the wealth of this building is truly amazing!
There are free mirrors available to walk through the halls to admire the beautiful painted ceiling!

Leave a Comment

Another highlight of my visit! Cruising along the Grand Canal several times, I started to wonder about how these palaces look from the inside. So I decided to visit one: the Ca' Rezzonico. Inside this beautiful building, I could easily imagine the "grandeur" of the 18th century Venice. On the first floor for example, you'll find eleven rooms containing paintings, sculptures, frescoed ceilings and collections of eighteenth-century furnishings.
A ticket costs 6,50 euro and is absolutely worth the price!

Leave a Comment

A great fruit and vegetable market on one side, and a very smelly fishmarket just next to it: Don't miss this very lively 'act' close to the Rialto bridge. Every morning until noon, marchands sell their stuff to the locals and tourists.

Leave a Comment

Together with San Marco, THE tourist spot of Venice. Lots of tourist shops inside and around the bridge and needless to say that everything is very expensive around here. But the bridge is worth to check out of course. It was built between 1588 and 1591. The Ponte di Rialto remained the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot until the Accademia Bridge was built in 1854.
The bridge has three walkways: two along the outer balustrades, and a wider central walkway leading between two rows of small shops that sell jewelry, linens, Murano glass, and other items for the tourist trade.

Leave a Comment

Now that we're into bridges, how about another famous one? The Bridge of Sighs or Ponti dei Sospiri. It was said that it received its name in the 17th century, because the prisoners who passed through it on their way to the prison cells on the other side would most likely see the beautiful sight of the lagoon and the island of S.Giorgio and freedom for the last time.
The bridge can best be seen when walking from the Doge's Palace to the Riva degli Schiavoni. You can't miss it: during the peak season, hundreds of tourists are standing on the bridge in front of it to take pictures.

Leave a Comment

Beautifully decorated, winding staircase, hidden away in a backyard. Through the arcades and on top, you have a nice view over the Venetian roofs.( a bit expensive however, 3 euro) The building has Renaissance and Byzantine influences and was built in the 15th century.

I don't know why, but the majority of tourists don't seem to come here, so the peace and calm add to the fact that you really can't miss this little jewel.

Leave a Comment

Address: Corte Contarini del Bovolo, San Marco
Directions: From Campo Manin follow yellow arrows down Calle della Mandola

Well, you'll end up there anyway, so I might as well write a few lines about it.
Of course, the Piazza San Marco is beautiful, it houses the Doge Palace, the San Marco Basilica and the Bell Tower (see next tips). It is surrounded by beautiful arches and the thousands of pigeons certainly add to the particular atmosphere of the place. About the pigeons, just that you know: it is not, I repeat, not, an obligation to feed them! A nice thing to do for children, but for an adult, really? :-)
The Piazza San Marco is not only invaded by pigeons, but also by lots and lots of tourists. If you can't stand the crowd, come early in the morning or in the late evening when the must-see places are closed.
Did I think that San Marco was beautiful? Yes!
Did I enjoy being there during daytime? No!

Leave a Comment