O Venice, the city of lovers, you are the crown of the sublunar world! This is how Venice is sung in Truffaldino from Bergamo. City of love, city of canals, city of magic. As soon as they do not call Venice. The city is located on separate islands connected by four bridges, and partly on the mainland. The first settlements appeared here in the 5th century AD. Much has changed since then.
Now Venice is built up with luxurious palaces with various facades. The city is home to some of the finest museums of art, with collections of the most prominent Italian artists and craftsmen. The first cafe in Europe called “Florian” still operates here. Whatever season you choose to tour Venice, there will always be something to see and do.
➤ Grand Canal
The Grand Canal of Venice is popularly called the “main street of the city.” It stretched for almost 4 kilometers from the station and to the local customs building. At its deepest point, the channel reaches a mark of 5 meters. The maximum width of the “street” – almost 70 meters.
The channel is not of artificial origin, but of natural origin. Once it was a channel between separate islands, on which they began to build the future Venice. While walking along the canal, you will see the most beautiful and luxurious buildings of the city. In addition, you can admire the canal from the height of the bridges, four of which were built in total.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price : free;
- How to get there: The Grand Canal can be reached on foot from the city center by following the signs.
➤ Saint Mark's Square
If the Grand Canal is the main artery of the city, then Piazza San Marco – this is his heart. Now the area is 175 meters long and 82 meters wide. And once, in the 9th century, it was just a small platform in front of the newly completed St. Mark's Cathedral.
In the 12th century, a new tradition was born – to hold the majestic Venice Carnival on this square. The tradition is still alive today.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there:you can quickly walk from the city center or from the train station, and there are also vaporettos from the station to the square every 10-15 minutes.
➤ Saint Mark's Clock Tower
St. The brand is located in the city center near the square of the same name. This is a beautifully preserved example of Renaissance architecture with a strong Italian character, both in global forms and in details.
The clock tower was built at the end of the 15th century, but subsequently it was reconstructed several times. In addition, during one of the reconstructions, the clock mechanism was significantly modified. St. Mark's Tower is now considered part of the Public Fund of the Venice Museums.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free ;
- How to get there: you can get here both on foot and by vaporetto from the station.
➤ Cathedral of Santa Maria della- Salute
The pompous building of the cathedral involuntarily attracts attention. Interestingly, the tradition has survived to this day to celebrate the Festa della Salute every year in November in the building of the cathedral. This holiday is dedicated to getting rid of the plague that almost destroyed the city in the 17th century.
Fortunately, the disease was overcome, in honor of which the government of Venice erected the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Salute. The construction of the cathedral lasted more than half a century. Now it is one of the most ornate and majestic buildings in the city. Particular attention should be paid to the numerous frescoes on the walls and ceiling of the cathedral.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Cost: free;
- How to get there: you can get to the cathedral building by vaporetto or walk from the city center, the cathedral is located near the Doge's Palace.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 6 pm, Sunday opens at 1 pm;
- Price: entrance fee from 2.5 euros;
- How to get there:the most convenient way to get to the cathedral is by vaporetto.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: we recommend that you check the cost of the tour directly before visiting;
- How to get there: the island can be reached by vaporetto via the Giudecca Canal.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 7 pm, on some days the palace is open from 10 am until 18 pm;
- Price: the minimum ticket price is 13 euros;
- How to get there: you can walk here from St Mark's Square
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 6 pm;
- < strong>Cost:We recommend that you check the price of the entrance ticket on the official website of the museum immediately before visiting;
- How to get there: you can quickly walk here from the city center.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free of charge;
- How to get there: You can swim to Valazzo via the Grand Canal.
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 6 pm;
- How to get there: very convenient to the building The theater can be reached by vaporetto on the orange or blue line.
- Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 19 pm, sometimes closes at 5 pm;
- Cost: The price of the tour ticket should be checked before visiting;
- How to get there: you can walk from St. Mark's Square, which is located in the city center.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 19 in the evenings, on Sundays the gallery closes at 2 pm;
- Price: minimum entry price 6 euros;
- How to get there:the Accademia can be conveniently reached by vaporetto.
- Opening hours: from Wednesday to Monday, from 10 am to 6 pm;
- Price: we recommend that you check the cost of the tour before visiting;
- < strong>How to get there: The palace where the collection is located can be reached by vaporetto on the Grand Canal.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price:< /strong>free of charge;
- How to get there: the bridge can be reached quite quickly on foot from the city center, from Saint Mark's Square.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Fee: free;
- How to get there: You can drive to the bridge via the Grand Canal.
- Opening hours: every day from 7 am to 8 pm, the fish market closes at 2 pm;
- Cost: free;
- How to get there: The market can be reached on foot from the Rialto Bridge, which crosses the Grand Canal.
- Opening hours:the cafe is open every day from 9 am to midnight;
- Price: prices should be checked before visiting, a kettle of tea will cost you about 8 euros;
- How to get there: the cafe can be reached quickly and comfortably on foot from the city center.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: The island can be comfortably reached by vaporetto.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price: free;< /li>
- How to get there: we recommend taking a vaporetto to get to the island.
- Opening hours: every day from 9 am to 5 pm , the ticket office is open until 16:30;
- Price: entrance ticket costs from 5 euros;
- How to get there:the Arsenal building can be reached by vaporetto.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Price : free;
- How to get there: the bridge can be reached on foot from Santa Lucia Station.
- Opening hours: Check the official website for the dates of the event ;
- Price: free;
- How to get there: the festival takes place in the heart of the city.
- Opening hours: every day from 8 am to 7 pm;
- < strong>Cost: free;
- How to get there: you can walk here from St. Mark's Square.
- Opening hours: check opening hours before visiting;
- Price: free;
- How to get there : The church can be reached by vaporetto on the Grand Canal.
- Opening hours: around the clock;
- Cost: free of charge;
- How to get there: the bell tower can be reached on foot from St. Mark's Square.
< /ul>
➤ Cathedral of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari was built at the end of the 14th century by the Franciscan friars. The land where the cathedral now stands was donated by a monk, the Doge of Venice. The building is decorated with numerous decorative elements and white statues. Compositionally, the cathedral is divided into three parts by columns.
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is considered the most monumental cathedral in all of Venice. Near the church building there are always a lot of photographers who, for little money, take high-quality photographs of tourists against the backdrop of the cathedral.
➤ Island of San Giorgio Maggiore
A relatively small island served as a home for the inhabitants of the Roman Empire. On its territory there were several residential buildings and huge plantations of grapes and cypresses. Therefore, in ancient records, San Giorgio Maggiore was often called the “cypress island”.
Later, in the 10th century, a Benedict monastery was erected in these territories, which survived many upheavals, including the strongest earthquake in the 13th century. The buildings of the monastery have survived to this day. Many have been partially reconstructed. Now the island is open for tourists.
➤ Doge's Palace
One of the key attractions of Venice is located in the heart of the city. The building was built in the Gothic style. This is a reconstruction, unfortunately, the original building was damaged many times in fires. Thus, several eras intertwined in the architecture of the palace.
Now the Doge's Palace houses an art museum, which houses paintings by various authors, mostly of Italian origin. Once the building served as a meeting place for the government of Venice. In addition, here were the private chambers of the Doge, the chief ruler of the city.
➤ Ca Rezzonico
Ca Rezzonico – This is an art museum that contains works created by masters of the 18th century. Here you can see a variety of categories of exhibits: from paintings to porcelain vases, from clothing items to carved furniture.
The museum was created by one of the most powerful families in Venice – born Rezzonico. One of the representatives of the family was even elected pope and took the name of Clement XIII. The museum is located in one of the Venetian palaces, which belonged to the Rezzonico family.
< h2>➤ Palazzo Santa Sofia
Palazzo Santa Sofia also has a second name – Golden house. This magnificent monument of Gothic architecture overlooks the Grand Canal. Particularly interesting are the techniques used in the decoration of the building.
The facade is lined with marble tiles of different colors and decorated with elements covered with gold leaf. Unfortunately, now the facade looks a little different, because the gilding has worn off over time. But this does not make the palazzo less majestic and impressive.
➤ Teatro La Fenice
La Fenice is translated into Russian as “phoenix”. The building was built in the 18th century as a replacement for one of the best theaters, San Benedetto, which was destroyed by fire. The interior of La Fenice is inspired by the design of Milan's La Scala Theatre. The outer part of the theater is decorated with statues and columns.
The official symbol of La Fenice – a golden bird depicted on a blue background. La Fenice was also damaged in a fire at one time, but the building was restored by local residents. And in the first years of the 21st century, Phoenix rose again and reopened its doors to the public.
< li>Price: The price of a theater ticket depends on the chosen place and the specific event, a sightseeing ticket costs 10 euros;
➤ Correr Municipal Museum
Correra – it is one of the largest art museums in the city. Most of the exposition is dedicated to the history of Venice itself and the Venetian Republic.
The first collection of the museum was collected in the 19th century by Theodor Correra, after whom the institution is named. Initially, the museum was located in the palace of the same name, but the ever-growing collection became so large that it was necessary to move it to a new building.
➤ Academy Gallery
The Accademia Gallery is proud of its unique collection, which includes extremely interesting works by Venetian artists who lived from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Here are paintings by Bellini, Veronese and Titian. A visit to the gallery can be combined with a vaporetto ride, during which you will have the opportunity to admire the luxurious facades of Venetian houses.
➤ The Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The museum with the Peggy Guggenheim collection is housed in the Venier dei Leon Palace. There are both permanent and temporary exhibitions here. The museum presents exhibits of artists and sculptors working in the style of futurism, expressionism, surrealism, cubism and so on. More than 300 paintings by various authors are also stored and displayed here on a permanent basis.
➤ Bridge of Sighs
Bridge of Sighs – it is an example of an architectural monument in the Baroque style. The carved design seems very light thanks to the harmoniously thought-out shape and numerous decorations. The white color of the bridge emphasizes the greenness of the water and the blue color of the sky, which adds even more airiness to the bridge.
The Bridge of Sighs appeared at the beginning of the 17th century. Its length is almost 11 meters. It is located between two houses: the Doge's Palace and the building of the New Prison. Hence the word “sighs” in the name of the bridge. The prisoners sighed as they were escorted across the bridge from the courthouse to the prison.
➤ Rialto Bridge< /h2>
The Rialto Bridge was the first structure to connect the two banks of the Grand Canal. It is located in the narrowest part of the canal and consists of more than 10,000 piles. Like many buildings in Venice, the bridge was badly damaged by fires. In the XIV century, the building burned down completely, but was rebuilt.
This is one of the most favorite places for tourists. By 2020, more than 20 various souvenir shops were built near the bridge, where you can find gifts for every taste.
➤ Market Rialto
The Rialto Market is loved by both locals and numerous tourists who flock to the oldest bridge over the Grand Canal – the Rialto Bridge. The market is divided into two parts: one sells seafood, and the other – vegetables and fruits.
The freshest products are sold here at affordable prices, so there are always a lot of people in the market. Numerous souvenir and antique shops are located nearby. Shoppers will find something to please themselves.
➤ Cafe Florian
Cafe Florian this is the oldest surviving cafe in all of Europe, which was opened at the beginning of the 18th century. The most famous representatives of mankind dined within these walls: Casanova, Rousseau, Lord Byron and even Brodsky. Prices in cafes are relatively high, in this sense, “Florian” closer to the restaurant.
➤ Murano Island
Murano glass is widely known all over the world. For many centuries, the best masters of their craft have been brought up here. Until the 13th century, glass was produced directly on the territory of Venice, but then it was forced out of the city to the island of Murano.
This was dictated by elementary security measures. Most of the Venetian buildings were built of wood, so fires often broke out in the city, starting from glass workshops.
➤ Island Burano
The colorful island of Burano – favorite subject for images on postcards. If the island of Murano is famous for its master glaziers, then Burano – masters in the creation of lace. Venetian craftsmen created and mastered the most complex technologies for the production of lace, becoming famous all over the world.
Walking around the island will certainly give you a good mood. Low-rise houses are painted in different colors: lemon yellow, rich brick red, deep blue. Against the blue sky, they look almost like toys.
➤ Venetian Arsenal
Arsenal in Venice – this is a whole complex of buildings, including a forge, a shipyard, an armory and various workshops. During the tour, you will be told how ships were repaired in Venice, what each of the buildings was intended for and what it is famous for.
The Arsenal has two active entrances: one from the sea side and the other from the land side. During military conflicts, this place was the concentration of the power of Venice and a key point where they created new and more advanced weapons.
➤ Constitution Bridge
Constitution Bridge – one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal. This one was the most recent built at the end of the 20th century. Its design contrasts markedly with the oldest bridge in the city, reflecting the difference of centuries.
The curved arch of the bridge gradually expands towards the middle, reaching a mark of 9 meters. The length of the structure is more than 80 meters. This is one of the favorite places for walking among both tourists and locals.
➤ Carnival of Venice< /h2>
Carnival – this is the oldest tradition of Venice, which glorified the city all over the world. The quintessence of bright images, fun and a sense of intoxicating holiday. During the days of the festival, it seems that the rest of the world ceases to exist. The carnival is worth visiting at least once in your life on an author's tour to see with your own eyes how a fairy tale comes true.
➤ Marchian Library
The Marchian Library, or, as it is also called, the Library of St. Mark, – the largest library in Venice. It stores unique copies of books created at the very beginning of the era of printing.
The total collection of old documents is more than 30,000 manuscripts and books, among which, for example, are rare anatomy volumes with detailed illustrations. The library is divided into departments, each of which works according to its own schedule.
➤ Church of San Simeon Piccolo
The full name of the Church of San Simeon Piccolo sounds like the church of st. Simone and Jude, but she is rarely spoken of using that name. The building of the church was built at the beginning of the 18th century in the neoclassical style. What catches the eye is the interesting proportions of the main part of the building and the huge elongated dome. This feature is often mentioned in Venetian jokes.
➤ St. Mark's Campanile
The Campanile was built in the 8th century AD on the site of a towers. Gradually, it was rebuilt and modified, until by the 16th century it became the way we see it today.
The current bell tower – it is a reconstruction of a tower that collapsed in the 20th century. Interestingly, this collapse was predictable, because just a few days before this event, a noticeable crack appeared on the building. Everyone had time to prepare for the collapse, so not a single resident of the city was injured.