Venice attractions

Back in the 13th century, the Venetian trader Marco Polo journeyed along Asia’s storied Silk Road and recorded tales of his adventures in a travelogue, The Travels of Marco Polo. Today, travelers and adventure-seekers pay tribute to his legacy by stopping by Marco Polo's Home (Casa di Marco Polo)—the site believed to be his family’s former residence. While the surrounding houses cannot be visited, the location is marked with a commemorative plaque.

Peggy Guggenheim was a prolific art collector in the mid-20th century who lived by the motto “Buy a picture a day.” The native New Yorker eventually settled in an 18th-century palazzo in Venice along the Grand Canal. Her namesake museum, housed in her former home, grew from the artworks she amassed, and her ashes are interred in the garden. Today, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of the world’s most acclaimed museums of modern art.

Venice’s former Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto di Venezia) is one of the most fascinating and moving corners of the city. Found in the Cannaregio district of the city, it is the oldest Jewish ghetto in Europe; Jews from across Europe settled in this neighborhood for centuries. With Campo del Ghetto Nuovo at its center, the neighborhood is home to several 16th-century synagogues, the Jewish Museum, a small Holocaust memorial, and kosher restaurants and bakeries.

Burial place of 25 Venetian doges and one of the largest churches in Italy, the Italian Gothic–style Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo is among the most important churches in the city. Known as San Zanipolo to locals, it is home to works by Bellini, Veronese, and two generations of Lombardo sculptors.

Close to the grand canal, Campo San Bartolomeo leads to the east side of the Rialto Bridge. Named after Saint Bartholomew, one of the 12 Apostles, Campo San Bartolomeo is home to a church (also named after Saint Bartholomew) and a bronze statue of the 18th century Venetian comic playwright Carlo Goldoni.

The modest Italian Gothic exterior of Venice’s Frari Church (Basilica dei Frari) belies the wealth of Italian Renaissance masterpieces inside. Titian’sAssumption of the Virgin (1518) altarpiece is especially notable, its innovative emotional figures and bright colors marking the start of Venice’s High Renaissance.

Santa Lucia Station (Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia) is Venice’s main train station and principal transport hub that serves as a gateway to the island city, where many visitors catch their first glimpse of La Serenissima. While its modernist design doesn’t resemble the typical look of Venice, its location in the Cannaregio district means that local highlights are just a vaporetto (water bus) away.

San Polo is one of the oldest of Venice’s six districts, or sestieri, and home to many of the city’s most popular sites including the Rialto Bridge that connects San Polo to the San Marco side of the Grand Canal and the historic Rialto Market, a fascinating slice of Venetian life.

Considered one of the best hidden gems in Venice, the Bovolo Staircase (Scala Contarini del Bovolo) is an intricately designed spiral stairwell that boasts picturesque views over Venetian rooftops and canals. Drawing architecture enthusiasts from around the world, this staircase is part of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, a stunning palace once inhabited by one of the city’s most prominent noble families.

The Dorsodurosestiere (district) is home to some of Venice’s most impressive art collections, churches, and architecture, and the heart of this university neighborhood is lively Campo Santa Margherita. This large public square hosts an outdoor market during the day and is a hub of Venetian nightlife after the sun sets.

Venice is a patchwork of many islands in the Venetian Lagoon (Laguna Veneta), an enclosed bay on the Adriatic Sea that covers 212 square miles (549 square kilometers). After visiting the main Venetian islands, take a boat trip across the shallow lagoon to the outlying islands of Burano, Murano, and Torcello.

Linking the central San Marco and Dorsoduro districts of Venice, the pedestrian Accademia Bridge (Ponte dell’Accademia) is popular with visitors for its Grand Canal views and history. Created in the late 19th century, the structure was originally made from iron, which was replaced in the 1930s with wood reinforced by steel supports.

Shrouded in legends of fairies, magic mirrors, and tears from a king, Lake Misurina (Lago di Misurina) in the eastern Belluno province is a lake that enchants you with stories and scenery. On calm weather days, its waters reflect the Dolomites’ most majestic mountains, including the Three Peaks of Lavaredo (Tre Cime). Its surroundings are launchpads for outdoor activities, enticing hikers, bikers, and winter sports enthusiasts from around the world.

Housing what many consider the finest art collection in Venice, the Accademia Gallery (Gallerie dell’Accademia) showcases Venetian artworks dating from the 14th century to the 18th century. Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is the collection’s most famous—not to mention fragile—work. This popular institution showcases works from many Venetian painters that best capture the spirit of the Floating City, and is a must for art lovers.

Topped by impressive domes and spires, the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua is the city’s most important church, attracting pilgrims from around the world. Its architecture blends Romanesque, Byzantine, and Gothic styles, with domes that echo St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Inside, visitors can explore richly decorated chapels, view sacred relics, and visit the Tomb of St. Anthony, while also exploring the collection of beautiful artwork.

Sitting high above one of Venice’s most famous squares, the 15th-century St. Mark’s Clock Tower has marked the time in the city for over 500 years. Its blue-and-gold dial and bronze bell-striking Moors statues make it a popular photo spot, but there’s more to discover. Climb the narrow staircase past the intricate clock mechanism to reach the rooftop terrace, where you can see panoramic city views.

Don’t be fooled by the understated exterior of Venice’s Madonna dell’Orto Church (Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto). A collection of masterpieces by Tintoretto, one of the Floating City’s most important Renaissance painters, hangs inside this 14th-century church. Tintoretto lived near the church in the mid-1500s and was buried here in 1594.

Bordered to the north by the Grand Canal and to the south by the Giudecca Canal, this southern sestriere is a historic one, home to a cluster of art-filled churches, bridges, and palazzi—not to mention the island of Giudecca. Dorsoduro’s vibe is both young and touristic, in part due to the students who attend the Ca’Foscari University and visitors attracted by Dorsoduro’s cultural clout. The Gallerie d’Accademica and Peggy Guggenheim Museum are among its draws.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco Tintoretto, one of Venice’s most important Renaissance artists, left his mark on a number of the city’s churches, as well as palaces of the confraternity known as the Great Schools (Scuole Grandi). The 15th-century Scuola Grande di San Rocco is one of these, home to some of the artist’s best-known works along with paintings by Titian.

Long connected to monastic orders and once home to a leper colony, the tiny, diamond-shaped island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni is most famous for its Armenian Catholic monastery. Home to monks of the Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro is a center for Armenian culture and boasts one of the world’s largest collections of Armenian manuscripts. Around the monastery, rose gardens offer views of the nearby Lido island.

Steps away from Piazza San Marco is one of Venice's most artistically dazzling churches, San Zaccaria. Looking out over the serene Campo San Zaccaria Square, this bonafide hidden gem with a striking 15th-century layer-cake façade has a museum’s worth of art and a striking underground crypt all worth a visit.

When floating down Venice’s Grand Canal, the Ca' d'Oro—so named for the gold-leaf details that once adorned its Gothic-style exterior—is sure to catch your eye. This 15th-century Venetian masterpiece, also known as Palazzo Santa Sofia, is home to a lavish collection of art and furnishings, and offers gorgeous canal views.

Of all the sumptuous palaces lining Venice’s Grand Canal, Ca’ Rezzonico is arguably the most magnificent. An outstanding example of Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and décor, this palace and its museum offer a glimpse into the extravagances of 18th-century Venice.

With its multi-colored marble façade and striking round windows, the small-yet-beautiful Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli) is one of the most important examples of early Renaissance architecture in Venice. It’s also a highlight of the historic Cannaregio neighborhood along the Miracoli Canal.

Santa Croce is one of Venice’s six central districts (sestieri). Home to a number of sumptuous palaces and museums, important churches, and Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio— one of the city’s prettiest squares—it is also where Venice’s busy Piazzale Roma bus station and vaporetto (water bus) hub is located.

Brenta del Riviera is an ancient waterway that connects the Italian cities of Padua and Venice and is lined with the opulent second homes of Venice’s noble families—a perfect spot far enough away to enjoy a countryside atmosphere but close enough to return quickly to Venice.

Built in the late 15th century on the site of a 7th-century church, the Church of Santa Maria Formosa (Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa) showcases Italian Renaissance architecture. The church is famed for its double façade, domed white marble roof, and bell tower. As for the name, legend says Saint Magnus saw a vision of a shapely (in Latinformosa) Mary, telling him to build a church.

Campo San Luca is a bustling square in the heart of Venice. Located midway between the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square, Campo San Luca’s central location makes it a popular meeting spot for locals and visitors alike, and a constant stream of visitors makes it a lively spot for people-watching.

Once home to the Mocenigo family of Venice, the Mocenigo Palace (Palazzo Mocenigo) is now a museum dedicated to 17th- and 18th-century fashion and aristocratic Venetian life. Located just south of the Grand Canal in the Santa Croce district, the beautifully furnished palazzo offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the lives of Venetian nobility.

Built in the 11th century for Doge Vitale Falier, the Church of San Vidal (Chiesa di San Vidal) is now less about religion and more about culture. Visitors can attend evening classical concerts performed by the Interpreti Veneziani ensemble, while admiring the church’s historic artwork. There are several pieces by the Venetian Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio, including his esteemed St. Vitale on Horseback and Saints.