Grand Canal and other Venice, Italy Things to Do Tips

The Grand Canal or Canal Grande winds through the heart of Venice. It's over 21/2 miles (3 km) long and full of vaporetti, barges, water taxis and gondolas. Bordering the canal are beautiful palazzi, mostly dating from the 14th to the 18th century. You can admire them by taking a gondola ride or more cheaply by taking vaporetto no 1 from front of Santa Lucia railway station. Three beautiful bridges span the canal (Scalzi, the Rialto and Accademia).

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This is where the Byzantine meets the Western art. Basilica di San Marco is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the most important church in Venice. It was built over several centuries, starting in 832. Inside, the basilica is covered in splendid Byzantine mosaics (only illuminated at certain times). There is an entrace fee for the treasury and for Pala d'Oro (the main altarpiece made of gold and precious stones) and to see the four ancient bronze horses kept in the Museo della Basilica (the ones on the balcony are copies). From the balcony one can get a nice view of the Piazza.

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Address: Piazza San Marco

Until the 19th century this was the only bridge between the two sides of the Grand Canal. The bridge as we see it today was built in the 16th century when a competition took place to chose the design of the new bridge to replace an older structure. Michelangelo was among the contenders but the competition was won by Antonio da Ponte. This is one of the centers of activity in Venice and everywhere on the islands there are signs indicating the direction for the Rialto bridge. The bridge is a good place to watch the activity on the Grand Canal at any hour of the day.

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The Doge's Palace was built in the early 9th century as a fortress. It was afterwards rebuilt in the 12th century and modified again in the 14th and 15th century. Its facade as we can see it today is a Gothic masterpiece in pink and white marble. From its early days, the Doge's Palace served as the seat of the government, the Palace of Justice, the prison and the home of the doge. The doge was the elected ruler of the Republic, but its role was rather that of a figurehead. Inside the palace the halls are lavishly decorated with many of the paintings representing the eternal glory of La Serenissima. Many of the works are by Venice's most renowned artists like Veronese and Tintoretto.

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Address: Piazzetta San Marco

Like Venice, Murano is made up of smaller islands connected by bridges. It is known all over the world for its glasswork. The glasswork manufacturing started in the 12th century and in the 15th and 16th centuries Murano was the main glass producer in Europe. This craft continues today and the main attraction of Murano is to watch the glass artisans at work. Many small factories line the Fondamenta dei Vetrai, the street that starts at the Colonna landing stage. We went there on a Saturday and found out that many factories are closed over the weekend. Still we managed to find one that was open and witnessed the glass blowing of a horse. All these factories have a showroom where they sell glass (no obligation to buy, of course). There is also a Glass Museum (Museo Vetraio) that one can visit.
Murano can be reached by vaporetto.

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Burano is another small island of the Venetian lagoon. The same way as Murano is known for its glasswork, Burano is known for its lace. As soon as you leave the vaporetto's landing stage you'll see the vending stalls that sell lace and linen. The island is quite small and densely populated and the houses that line the streets are painted in bright colors which makes the stroll very enjoyable. The main thoroughfare is Via Baldasarre Galuppi which ends into a beautiful piazza. Here you can find the Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto) where you can find out more about this craft.

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