Venice feels like it shouldn’t exist. Beautiful floating palaces of stone surrounded by a network of canals. Here are some of the best things to do in Venice for your first visit!
Venice is one of the most popular Italian cities for tourists, even with all the other beautiful & historic places there are in Italy.
But there’s a good reason. The City of Water is celebrated because of its unusual circumstances, sitting on 100+ small islands connected by over 400 bridges.
There are basically no roads, transportation is accomplished via boats on a confusing network of canals. It’s truly unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before!
There are many quirky, unique, unusual, and secret spots to discover in Venice.
I traveled here with Anna for the famous Carnevale di Venezia in February, a crazy annual festival of costumes and masks. We had an awesome time!
Because most travelers visiting Italy stop by the city for a few days, I wanted to recommend some fun and unusual things to do in Venice during your trip
Italy Travel Restrictions 2021
Italy is currently allowing travelers to visit, including American tourists. Americans must arrive on a government-approved “Covid-tested” flight. This means that every single passenger confirms they’ve tested negative for the virus at least 48 hours before departure AND at the airport’s own Covid testing facility before takeoff, and again on arrival.
On May 5th, prime minister Mario Draghi announced plans to open the border to other visitors in time for the summer, but no confirmed details yet.
Many hotels, attractions, and private tours are open with new health & safety protocols in place, and you still have to follow certain guidelines.
1. Explore Saint Mark’s Square
St. Mark the Evangelist is Venice’s patron saint. Signs of this connection can be found throughout the city, with an excellent example being St. Mark’s Square.
Also called Piazza San Marco, it is Venice’s main public square, basically the social heart of the city. There are a bunch of famous landmarks here, like the Clock Tower, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doges’ Palace, and the Winged Lion of Venice.
St. Mark’s is also home to many public events that have been held here for centuries. You’ll find TONS of friendly pigeons, although keep in mind that feeding them has been banned.
Cafes line the North end, so it’s a nice place to sit with an Aperol spritz or hot chocolate and people watch. Visit around sunrise to enjoy it peacefully before the large tour groups show up.
2. Libreria Acqua Alta Book Store
Perhaps unsurprisingly, flooding is a frequent problem for a city built on water. So various Venetian institutions have come up with unique responses to the problem.
A cool book store called Libreria Acqua Alta placed its books and magazines in bathtubs, waterproof containers, and even a full-sized gondola! It makes for a very unique and very whimsical setting.
This Venice book store has become an Instagram hotspot, with quirky little “backdrops” for photos around the store. Keep an eye out for some adopted stray cats who roam the shelves too.
3. The Bridge Of Sighs
The Bridge Of Sighs is a unique enclosed bridge of white limestone spanning the Rio di Palazzo in Venice. There’s an interesting story behind the name.
It once led to a notorious Venetian prison, the beautiful view through its stone “bars” was a convict’s last sight of Venice before losing their freedom… and often their life. Hence the “sighs” as they passed.
These days tourists can walk through the bridge itself on a tour of Doges’ Palace, or more frequently, line up for photos outside with it in the background. You can also book a gondola ride that passes under it.
Locals often lie and tell tourists that it’s named after the “sigh” of couples sailing under it, falling in love due to the magic of Venice. The reality is a bit darker!
4. The Grand Canal (Canale Grande)
Venice was once the capital of a maritime empire, and a center of commerce and culture during Europe’s Renaissance period. The Grand Canal is the most important channel running through the city.
It’s also the largest and forms a recognizable “reverse S” through Venice when the city is viewed from above. Some of the most spectacular buildings in Venice line The Grand Canal!
Many of these buildings can only be accessed by boat. So you’ll find boats of all sorts heading up and down the canal in a fascinating form of organized chaos.
You’ll see plenty of traditional wooden gondolas, the large public Vaperetto water taxis, fancy private water taxis, small locally-owned motorboats, police boats, and my personal favorite, the garbage collection boats!
5. Ponte Di Rialto Bridge
There are four large bridges that span the Grand Canal. The original of them all was Rialto Bridge, which started out as a pontoon bridge in the 12th century but has since been rebuilt into what you see today.
The current bridge was built in the late 16th century, at a time when critics claimed that it would soon fall into ruin. But more than four centuries later, the Rialto Bridge still stands in splendid defiance.
The Rialto is Venice’s most popular bridge, with a great view of the city from the top. It gets a bit crowded, especially in the middle of the day during the summer!
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DATE PUBLISHED: May 21, 2021
SOURCE: expertvagabond.com
PHOTOCREDIT: expertvagabond.com