10 Things To Do in VENICE This Weekend and For Free
Venice Travel Guide, You need a guide about what Things To Do in VENICE This Weekend ? and do it for free ? this Guide, will show you The 10 best things to do in Venice.
In This Post we will answer the most questions about Things To Do in VENICE such as :
What should I do in Venice Italy?
What is Venice Italy known for?
Is Venice Italy worth visiting?
What is the best month to go to Venice?
Venetian Ghetto is a Jewish part of Venice dating back to the year 1516, which makes it the first Jewish ghetto in Europe.
In fact, according to one theory, the word ghetto derives from the Venetian Ghetto. Visit the impressive square full of history, including Banco Rosso, believed to be the first pawn shop in the world, and where supposedly the term “to be in the red numbers” derives from.
You can also visit the Jewish Museum with guided synagogue tours.
9: Grand Canal
Grand Canal or Canal Grande is a 2.4-mile-long water avenue or in other words, the main water road in Venice, featuring numerous palaces, luxury hotels, and four bridges, including the famous Rialto Bridge which actually feels more like a street because of all the shops located on the bridge.
Most of the beautiful palazzos on Canal Grande were built between the 13th and 18th century by the wealthy Venetian families to demonstrate their affluence.
Palazzo Dario, Ca’ d’Oro, and Barbaro are just some of such amazing buildings.
Grand Canal is also home to museums, churches, a fish market, as well as the renowned Casino of Venice.
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8: St. Mark’s Square
Piazza San Marco or St. Mark’s Square in English is the main square and the actual center of Venice, built between the 9th and 12th century AD in front of the impressive Basilica di San Marco, nicknamed the Church of gold, a status symbol of Venetian power and influence in the world.
Fixed to a corner of the façade of Basilica di San Marco, you can find a famous sculpture called The Portrait of Four Tetrarchs from around 300 AD, which was stolen by the Venetians from Constantinople in the 13th century.
The square is also home to the famous Campanile, a bell tower of Basilica di San Marco.
The tower features the highest observation deck in Venice, where you can see the city from above as Galileo Galilei did in 1609 when he used the Campanile as an observatory and demonstrated his telescope to the Doge of Venice.
Just a few steps across the square you will find the clock tower, of course, featuring a big clock as well as the lion of St Mark, a symbol of the Venetian Republic. St Mark Square is also one of the main locations of the famous Carnival of Venice.
You can discover many other impressive and unique squares in Venice such as
Campo San Stin, Campo San Boldo, Campo San Trovaso, and others.
So even if you get lost in Venice, you won’t feel bad because there is a new amazing street or square just around the corner.
7: Doge’s Palace
Also located on the St Mark square, stands another important Venice landmark, the center of centuries-long power and influence of Venice – the Doge’s Palace. It was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the leader of the Venetian Republic.
Doges ruled Venice between early 8th and late 18th century and the construction of the Doge’s Palace as we know it today began in the 14th century.
The palace consists of the Doge’s apartment, institutional, and judicial offices. You can visit the Doge’s Palace, which is now a museum, and experience a rich history of this former superpower.
Don’t miss the Bridge of Sighs, connecting Doge’s palace interrogation rooms to the New Prison. The bridge supposedly got its name because the prisoners would sigh at the beautiful Venice one last time before being taken to their prison cells.
6: Crypt at San Zaccaria church
San Zaccaria church, located close to the St Mark square houses a very special attraction. In the basement, you will find a crypt where many of the doges of Venice were buried. But because of the water from surrounding canals, the crypt floor is always flooded, which is a common phenomenon in the buildings of Venice. You can enter the crypt at certain times of day when the church is open, and the ticket will only cost you 1.5 EUR.
Of course, Venice is home to many other amazing churches like the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute with an amazing view of Venice, or San Francesco della Vigna with an adjacent monastery built on a former vineyard, another great hidden gem to discover in Venice.
5: Venetian Arsenal
Venice was a naval superpower and in order to build ships throughout history, Venice created what is believed to be one of the largest industrial enterprises in the world before the industrial revolution. The Arsenal di Venezia was a vast complex of shipyards, armories, and other buildings, many of which still exist today.
The production of galleys in Arsenal was unlike any other production process of its time While major part of the Venetian Arsenal is closed for public, if you attend private events, or the famous Biennale of Venice, you will be able to see most of Arsenal since the Biennale takes place also in the abandoned Arsenal pavilions. You can still visit the impressive exterior wall and walk along the canal that connects Arsenal with the lagoon.
4: Museums and art galleries
Venice is home to amazing museums and art galleries. Located next to Arsenal you can find the Naval History Museum and ships pavilion and see some of the ships that were built here during the Venetian golden era. Don’t miss Galleria dell’Accademia, Museo Civico Correr, Ca’ Rezzonico, Venice Glass Museum in Murano, etc.
Famous galleries include Punta della Dogana, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, or Giudecca 795 Art Gallery.
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3: Bridges
Did you know that Venice is situated on 118 small islands connected by over 400 bridges? Bridges became an important part of the city’s infrastructure, as well as amazing pieces of architecture. Apart from the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs that we already mentioned, Venice is home to many exceptional bridges with amazing history such as:
Ponte dei Pugni or Bridge of Fists celebrating centuries-old Venetian tradition of fist fights between Venetian clans. The losers would eventually fall into the canal below the bridge. The foot markings indicate where each part of the clan would have to stand during the fight.
Ponte Chiodo or Nail Bridge, an ancient bridge without rails, a much more modern Ponte dell’Accademia bridge, crossing the Grand Canal, Ponte del Paradiso, and many others.
2: Gondola and Vaporetto
Venice would not be Venice without gondolas, an iconic rowing boat constructed specifically for use in the Venetian lagoon. You can find gondolas in most parts of Venice, and to truly experience the ancient Venetian canals, a ride on a gondola is a one-of-a-kind romantic experience. However, gondola rides can be very expensive, from 80 to over 100 EUR for 40 minutes. You can also take a guided motorboat tour.
However, a cheaper alternative is buying a ticket for Venice public water transportation called Vaporetto. This way you will still be able to experience some of the main canals and attractions from water, which can also be an exciting experience.
1: SURROUNDING ISLANDS
Venice is located in the Venetian Lagoon, consisting of over 100 additional islands, some of which can be easily reached by Vaporetto.
Most important islands include Murano, famous for glass blowing factories of the world-famous Venetian or Murano glass. You can visit one of many glass factories and for a couple of Euros, you can even experience live glass blowing and glass making.
The island of Burano, located further away, is known for incredible colorful façades and beautiful lace products and can be a very exciting addition to your trip to Venice.
Other interesting islands include a quiet Torcello island, San Michele, home to impressive Venetian cemetery, or Sant’Erasmo island, also called the garden of Venice.
Do you have a favorite place in Venice? Or have you been to one of the places we presented in this Guide? Share it in the comments below.
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