🇮🇹 Italy · Places to discover
What to see in Venice ?
22 places curated by Hozy - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities. Click to discover each address in detail.
Venise fonctionne selon une logique propre : pas de voitures, des quartiers qui se tournent le dos selon les marées, une économie bâtie sur l'eau depuis le IXe siècle. Le sestiere de Cannaregio ou les fondamenta de la Giudecca révèlent une ville qui continue d'exister en dehors du circuit touristique, même si ce circuit occupe désormais une part considérable de l'espace.
Septembre et octobre offrent une lumière et une fréquentation raisonnables - juillet transforme la place Saint-Marc en embouteillage permanent. Deux nuits minimum sont nécessaires pour dépasser la surface ; trois permettent de respirer. On arrive en vaporetto depuis la gare de Santa Lucia, jamais en taxi privé depuis le Tronchetto. Évitez de manger à moins de cent mètres du Pont du Rialto : les prix doublent et la qualité chute.
Landmarks & heritage (8)
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SALandmark
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
A hidden treasure containing Tintoretto's cycle of paintings, often overshadowed by major museums. A local will tell you it's the Venetian Sistine Chapel – essential viewing.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Doge's Palace
Former seat of power of the Venetian Republic, connected to the prisons by the Bridge of Sighs. The chambers of the Council of Ten and the Great Council Hall are among Europe's most impressive.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Basilica di San Marco
Masterpiece of Byzantine architecture with its gilded mosaics and bronze horses. Arrive early in the morning to avoid queues and watch the light play across the domes.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
A small Renaissance church entirely clad in coloured marble, tucked into a canal in the Cannaregio district. Nicknamed the 'jewel box' by Venetians themselves.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Rialto Bridge
The oldest stone bridge across the Grand Canal, still animated by merchants as in the 16th century. Cross it early morning to see it without crowds and admire the canal from its arcades.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Arsenal of Venice
The former industrial heart of Venetian naval power, now partially open during the Biennale. The marble lions at the entrance and decommissioned shipyards exude a unique atmosphere.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute
A Baroque church built as an ex-voto after the plague of 1630, dominating the entrance to the Grand Canal. Its silhouette is the very image of Venice seen from the Piazzetta.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
San Zaccaria Church
A magnificent Renaissance façade concealing a masterpiece by Giovanni Bellini in the left apse. Less visited than Saint Mark's despite its exceptional artistic quality.
Nature & parks (1)
Viewpoints (5)
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Island of Giudecca – South Fondamenta
The south bank of Giudecca offers an unobstructed view of the lagoon and Venice from the other side, free from tourists. Venetians live here, private gardens descend to the water.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore
The campanile on the island of San Giorgio offers the best panoramic view of Venice, less crowded than St Mark's. The vaporetto crossing from Riva degli Schiavoni takes two minutes.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Molino Stucky Hilton Rooftop Terrace
The rooftop terrace of the former neo-Gothic mill converted into a hotel offers the most hidden 360° panorama over Venice and the lagoon. Accessible at the rooftop bar without the need to stay at the hotel.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Fondamenta delle Zattere
Long, sunny promenade along the Giudecca Canal, on the south side of Dorsoduro. Venetians come here to sunbathe and eat ice cream facing the island of Giudecca.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Punta della Dogana
Former maritime customs house converted into a contemporary art museum by François Pinault, at the tip of Dorsoduro. The sunset from this point over the Grand Canal is one of the most beautiful in the city.
Activities (4)
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAActivity
Rialto Market
Venice's oldest food market, where restaurateurs have sourced supplies every morning since the 11th century. Arrive before 9am to see the fishmongers selling fish caught from the lagoon overnight.
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAActivity
Gallerie dell'Accademia
The museum that traces eight centuries of Venetian painting, from Bellini to Tiepolo via Tintoretto and Veronese. Less daunting than the Louvre but equally rich artistically.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAActivity
Murano Glass Museum
Located in a 17th-century palazzo on the island of Murano, this museum traces the thousand-year history of Venetian glass. Attend a glass-blowing demonstration at a neighbouring foundry to complete your visit.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SAActivity
Santa Sofia Traghetto Gondola
Traghetto gondola crossing in Cannaregio, used by Venetians to cross the Grand Canal for a few cents. An authentic experience, standing in the boat like a local resident.
More to discover (4)
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAPlace
Libreria Acqua Alta
Iconic bookshop in the Castello where books are stored in gondolas, bathtubs and small boats to protect them from acqua alta. A cat sleeps on a staircase made of bound books.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SAPlace
Campo Santa Margherita
The most lively square in Venice outside Piazza San Marco, the heart of Dorsoduro's student quarter. Bars, local groceries, children playing – this is where the pulse of real Venice beats.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAPlace
Venice Ghetto
The world's first Jewish ghetto, created in 1516, with tall, narrow buildings built out of necessity due to space constraints. The Jewish museum and 16th-century synagogues bear witness to a millennia-old history often overlooked.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SAPlace
Squero di San Trovaso
One of the two last active gondola shipyards in Venice, visible from the opposite fondamenta. Gondolas are built and repaired here using techniques passed down since the Middle Ages.