Venice, Italy (Sightseeing)

We spent four days and three nights in Venice during September of 2011 as part of our two week trip in Italy. This post will detail the sights we saw within Venice. We also spent time at some of the nearby islands within the lagoon but that part of the trip will be covered in another entry.

This post is probably one of the most photo-heavy that I have ever completed, so be forewarned! Venice was by far the most photogenic place I have visited to date; I took over 1000 photos in the short time we visited!

My favorite building on the Grand Canal.

Sightseeing:
Venice lived up to all of my expectations and then some. For years, I had read so many favorable and not-so favorable opinions of the city. I wasn't sure what to think prior to my visit but I had a feeling that most of those whom had a negative perception of the city were probably individuals who didn't venture far from St. Mark's Square or the Rialto Bridge. My assumptions ended up being correct; the area from St. Mark's Square up to the Rialto Bridge is regularly clogged with visitors. However, most other places in Venice are peaceful and calm. Just wander a few streets off of one of the above mentioned sites and you will feel as though you are in a different world. Additionally, while Venice in the daytime can be hot, crowded, and uncomfortable, Venice at night is a completely different story. Venice is overrun with day-trippers from the many cruise ships that dock each day. Come evening, these people are back on the ship and the streets of Venice are able to breath again. It is during this time that Venice comes alive. Wandering the empty side streets and small bridges at night is an incredible experience. It's truly a shame and makes me very sad that the majority of visitors to Venice see so little of the city.

Your trip and experiences in Venice will be exactly what you make out of them; minimal effort and exploration will likely provide you with results you are unsatisfied with. However, taking the time to spend more than one day in the city and exploring each of its wonderful and diverse neighborhoods and outer islands will give you an appreciation for the city that will leave you yearning to return. Although we had a generous four days in the city, I could have easily added an extra day or two and not run out of things to do or see.

Grand Canal:
For those of you arriving in Venice via train, the station is conveniently placed directly on the Grand Canal. Visitors have the option of reaching their hotel using a vaporetto or the more expensive option of a private water taxi. We opted for the cheaper vaporetto option, buying our three day pass directly outside of the train station. From here, we boarded one of the vaporetto boats and rode for about 40 minutes until reaching our stop. Riding through the Grand Canal was the best introduction to Venice we could have ever asked for. Having never visited the city, we were both mesmerized by the beauty and varied color of the architecture. The canal is the city's show-off, lined with countless gorgeous palaces and buildings, many of which are in meticulous condition and have been converted into hotels. I loved the energy on the Grand Canal; within our range of view we could see multiple vaporetto boats, water taxis, gondolas, boats owned by locals, and boats transporting goods. There was so much going on at one time that it was nearly overwhelming as I couldn't capture even a small fraction of it on my camera. Even if your arrival into Venice isn't by train, make sure at some point during your stay to take a long ride down the Grand Canal.

Be aware that the vaporetto boats are not just used by tourists; many locals use the boats as a form of transportation so be considerate and aware of your movement so not to get in their way as I did a few times while photographing the passing scenery. Oops!

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

A vaporetto on the Grand Canal.

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Water taxi on the Grand Canal.

Grand Canal

Gondola stop on the Grand Canal.

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge.

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

My favorite building on the Grand Canal.

The Church of Santa Maria della Salute, at the mouth of the Grand Canal.

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco):
Venice's beautiful main square is surrounded by many of the most famous sights in the city: St. Mark's Basilica, the Campanile bell tower, Doge's Palace, and the Correr Museum. It is also often overrun with tourists and pigeons. During the evening hours small cafes line the perimeter of the square and vie for your attention as they each offer their own small orchestras.

While walking through the square, I immediately noticed the many wooden platforms that were stacked on top of one another and eventually learned that these platforms are used as walkways throughout the city whenever it floods. I cannot imagine how horrible it would be for so many tourists to have to try and walk on these narrow platforms and was thankful we were visiting during sunny September instead of the rainy winter.

Shyawn appreciating St. Mark's Square for the first time.

Pigeons and tourists in St Mark's Square.

Pigeons and tourists in St Mark's Square.

Wooden platforms that are used during times of flooding in Venice as a walkway.

Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square.

Detail from the clock Tower in St. Mark's Square.

Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square.

Campanile di San Marco:
Venice's main bell tower is located within St. Mark's Square and was rebuilt in 1902 after the original crumbled to the ground about 1000 years after it was first built. We took an elevator to the very top and were rewarded with an incredible view of Venice and its surrounding islands.

Venice's Campanile.

Venice's Campanile.

Venice's Campanile.

Looking up at Venice's Campanile.

Small statue at the base of Venice's Campanile.

A view of Venice's Campanile.

A view of Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

The view from Venice's Campanile.

St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco):
This colorful Byzantine church was built in the 11th century and is connected to the Doge's Palace in St. Mark's Square. The interior of the church is very beautiful with much of it being covered in Byzantine mosaics. For those that think all churches look the same, you might want to rethink visiting this church. It's very unique and definitely merits a visit.

The entrance line into the church tends to be very long, no matter what time of day it is. We learned that if you check your bag for free at the nearby Ateneo San Basso you will receive a claim tag in return. This lovely tag will enable you to enter in a special line that bypasses the main line in entirety. Timesavers like this will make your trip run much more smoothly and make things less stressful.

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Basilica

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Beautiful detailed tile floor inside of St. Mark's Basilica.

Beautiful detailed tile floor inside of St. Mark's Basilica.

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Beautiful detailed tile floor inside of St. Mark's Basilica.

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale):
This lavish and massive building, located next to St. Mark's Cathedral on St. Mark's Square, housed the Venetian government and was the official residence of its ruling duke (doge) for hundreds of years. I thouroughly enjoyed walking through its richly decorated rooms, especially the Hall of the Grand Council (Sala del Maggior Consiglio) which was one of the largest and most ornately decorated rooms I had ever seen. We also had an opportunity to walk over the Bridge of Sighs (the exterior was covered in scaffolding) to the prisions, which were dark and mysterious but fun to explore. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed within the walls of the palace.

Exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Exterior of the Doge's Palace.

Courtyard of the Doge's Palace.

Courtyard of the Doge's Palace.

Giant's Staircase inside the courtyard of the Doge's Palace.

Giant's Staircase inside the courtyard of the Doge's Palace.

Doge's Palace.

Correr Museum:
This civic museum, located at the far end of St. Mark's Square provides information on the history of Venice and its art. Unfortunately, the museum was not as interesting or exciting as I hoped it would be. However, I did find some of its ancient maps of Venice fascinating and we both enjoyed the 16th century National Library of St. Mark's (Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana). As with the Doge's Palace, no photography was allowed inside the museum or the library.

Entrance to the Correr Museum.

Interior of the National Library of St. Mark's (Courtesy of www.giuseppeborsoi.it)

Rialto Bridge:
One of the world's most famous bridges, and an icon of Venice, this large bridge spans the length of the Grand Canal. No matter what time of day or night it is, the bridge is covered with hundreds of visitors. In fact, when we first walked across the bridge in the early evening hours, we had a difficult time moving as it was so clogged with people.

Rialto Bridge

Rialto Bridge

Rialto Bridge

View from the Rialto Bridge.

Rialto Fish Market:
This bustling market is best visited in the morning hours after the fishermen have off-loaded their fresh catch. We stopped by during the late morning and many of the stalls were already packing up.

Exterior of the Rialto Fish Market.

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Rialto Fish Market

Frari Church (Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari):
This Franciscan church is located within the less-visited San Polo District. Building of the church completed in the mid-15th century. The church is well-known for its artwork by the three Renaissance masters: Donatello, Titian, and Giovanni Bellini. While I found the church to be very large, airy, and expansive, it wasn't added to my personal must see sights of Venice. Additionally, no photography was allowed within the church but I did manage to sneak one photo!

Exterior of the Frari Church.

Exterior of the Frari Church.

Exterior of the Frari Church.

Exterior of the Frari Church.

Interior of the Frari Church.

Scuola San Rocco (Scuola Grande di San Rocco):
This massive meeting hall, located across from the Frari Church, features 50 large paintings completed by Tinoretto. The building was dedicated in honor of the saint San Rocco (patron saint of those afflicated by the plague). Members of Scuola San Rocco commissioned Tinoretto to decorate the walls and ceilings of the building which occurred between 1564 to 1587. The paintings are so large and grand that mirrors are available to visitors so that they can enjoy the artwork without killing their necks! Photography was not allowed here, but I snuck in one picture on my way up the stairs to the Sala Grande Superiore.

Exterior of Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

Staircase leading up to the Sala Grande Superiore in Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

Ca' Rezzonico (Museum of 18th Century Venice):
This lavish 18th century palace, located on the Grand Canal, showcases the typical life of the wealthy Venetian people during the 1700's and features a large collection of Venetian art and furniture from that time period. Although I very much enjoyed touring the sumpstious rooms of the palace (where photograph was not allowed), I found the 18th century gondola sitting on display in the courtyard to be the most fascinating. The gondola had a small covered sitting room placed on the middle of the boat which had charcoal heater inside to keep the passengers toasty warm.

Exterior of Ca' Rezzonico.

Exterior of Ca' Rezzonico.

The courtyard of Ca' Rezzonico and its 18th century gondola.

The courtyard of Ca' Rezzonico and its 18th century gondola.

The Grand Staircase of Ca' Rezzonico.

The Grand Staircase of Ca' Rezzonico.

The Grand Staircase of Ca' Rezzonico.

View of the Grand Canal from Ca' Rezzonico.

Gondola Ride:
No visit to Venice is complete without partaking in one of its famous (and expensive) gondola rides. For those of you on a budget, keep in mind that the price of the gondola fare goes up significantly after 19:00. We decided to choose the cheapest option of cruising through the San Marco neighborhood and on the Grand Canal for 40 minutes, which cost us 80 Euro. Gondola stops are placed throughout the city and are easy to find. Our stop had a list posted next to the entrance line with the different routes and prices available. As we boarded the gondola we learned that people can bring a bottle of wine to drink, which would have been nice to know in advance. Overpriced or not, taking your own private gondola ride through the canals of Venice is a traditional must-do activity. In hindsight, we wish we would have sprung for one of the longer and more expensive routes as the 40 minutes went by so quickly.

Cruising our way through the canals of Venice on a gondola.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

View of the Grand Canal from our gondola ride.

The end of our gondola ride (too bad we aren't in focus!).

Bar and Walking Tour with Alessandro Schezzini:
Since neither one of us had ever visited Venice, I wanted to sign up for a guided walking tour through some of its lesser-known neighborhoods. While researching the different companies available, I came across a recommendation in Rick Steves Italy for Alessandro Schezzini. Alessandro is not a licensed Italian guide and so is unable to take visitors into any of the sights, however, since he is a local Venetian he has a knowledge of the city and all of its intracasees that I doubt any other tour guide would be able to match. In addition to his two hour "offbeat" walking tour, we also signed up for his two hour "bar tour." The meeting point for the walking tour was atop the Rialto Bridge and from there he took our small group through the San Polo and Santa Croce neighborhoods, far off the beaten path from the usual Venice that most visitors see. He provided us with so much commentary and history about the city that it was difficult to absorb it all. After the walking tour, we went back up to the Rialto Bridge where we met a few other people whom joined us for the bar tour. Alessandro took us into multiple local bars (bacari) that serve traditional cicchetti snacks with wine. While we obviously could have done this on our own, having a local take us around to three of his favorite bacari was much less intimidating than it would have been had we done it on our own. I would highly recommend both of these tours to any first time visitors of the city who want to stray away and explore the less touristy areas of Venice.

Below I have included a few dozen photos from the four hours we spent touring Venice with Alessandro.

Small square just off of the Rialto Bridge.

San Giacomo di Rialto, one of the oldest churches in Venice.

Detail from the clock face on San Giacomo di Rialto, one of the oldest churches in Venice.

San Polo neighborhood of Venice.

This is how garbage is collected in Venice.

Lightpost in Venice.

Venetian architecture.

Walking along the Grand Canal during our tour with Alessandro.

Canals of Venice.

Apparently even palm trees can grow in Venice?

Local Venetians do their best to create small garden spaces on their tiny island.

Alessandro Schezzini leading the way on our walking tour in Venice.

Beautiful building in Venice.

Even the local cats like to enjoy the views in Venice!

Venetian kitty-cat.

Venice

Street art installation in Venice.

Street art installation in Venice.

Street art installation in Venice.

View of the Grand Canal from our walking tour.

San Stae Church, in the Santa Croce neighborhood of Venice.

Venetian balcony.

Venetian lamp post along the Grand Canal.

Venice

Charming square in the San Polo neighborhood Venice.

Building in the San Polo neighborhood of Venice.

Venice

Alessandro and a side street in Venice.

Venetian canal.

Venetian canal.

Gondola ride on a quiet Venetian canal.

Gondola ride on a quiet Venetian canal.

Campo San Polo.

Traditional Venetian cookies called Esse (the letter S represents the shape of the island of Venice).

Church of Sant'Aponal in the San Polo neighborhood (sadly closed since 1984).

Alessandro pouring wine for us at Ostaria Ai Storti.

Cheese samples at Ostaria Ai Storti.

Cicchitti at Ostaria Ai Storti.

Deep fried calamari cicchetti at Cantina Do Spade.

Alessandro passing around some cicchetti at Cantina Do Spade.

Sights and scenes from around Venice:
Venice is a wonderful city to just simply wander through and explore. We completed several of the walking tours listed in Rick Steves Venice book, which introduced us to neighborhoods and sights we probably never would have seen on our own. Below are dozens of photos that were taken as we walked through Venice's beautiful streets, squares, and bridges.

Venetian gondelier.

Venice

Venetian gondelier.

Venetian canal.

Venice

Walking through Venice.

Venice

Near St. Mark's Square.

Near St. Mark's Square.

Near St. Mark's Square.

Near St. Mark's Square.

Gondelier near St. Mark's Square.

Gondelier near St. Mark's Square.

Near St. Mark's Square.

Beautiful Venetian architecture.

Gran Teatro la Fenice in Campo San Fantin.

Ateneo Veneto in Campo San Fantin.

Church of San Moise.

Side street in Venice.

Venetian canal.

Venetian canal.

Venice

Canal next to Campo Manin.

Canal next to Campo Manin.

Campo Manin

Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo.

Quaint square in Venice.

View of a canal in Venice.

Canal view in Venice.

Venice

Small square in Venice.

Canal view from across the Frari Church.

Canal view from across the Frari Church.

Venice

A canal in Venice.

A canal in Venice.

Venetian canal.

Church of San Barnaba.

Venetian canal.

Beautiful Venice.

Venice

Reflections in Venice.

Venice

Colorful Venice.

Looking down towards the Grand Canal.

Campo San Vidal.

Venice

Church of Santa Maria Zobenigo.

Venice at dusk.

Venice at dusk.

Venice at dusk.

Exploring the quiet backstreets of Venice.

Walking along the Grand Canal at night.

Campo San Vidal at night.