🇮🇹 Italy · Places to discover
What to see in Venice ?
22 places curated by Hozy - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
MAP · OVERVIEW
Venice operates according to its own logic: no cars, neighbourhoods that turn their backs to one another with the tides, an economy built on water since the ninth century. The Cannaregio sestiere or the fondamenta of the Giudecca reveal a city that continues to exist outside the tourist circuit, even if that circuit now occupies considerable space.
September and October offer reasonable light and visitor numbers-July turns St Mark's Square into permanent gridlock. Two nights minimum are needed to get below the surface; three allow you to breathe. Arrive by vaporetto from Santa Lucia station, never by private taxi from the Tronchetto. Avoid eating within a hundred metres of the Rialto Bridge: prices double and quality plummets.
Landmarks & heritage (8)
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAScuola Grande di San Rocco
Landmark
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-SADoge's Palace
Landmark
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-SABasilica di San Marco
Landmark
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-SAChurch of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Landmark
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-SARialto Bridge
Landmark
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-SAArsenal of Venice
Landmark
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-SABasilica Santa Maria della Salute
Landmark
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-SASan Zaccaria Church
Landmark
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-SAIsland of Giudecca – South Fondamenta
Viewpoint
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-SACampanile of San Giorgio Maggiore
Viewpoint
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-SAMolino Stucky Hilton Rooftop Terrace
Viewpoint
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-SAFondamenta delle Zattere
Viewpoint
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-SAPunta della Dogana
Viewpoint
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-SARialto Market
Activity
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-SAGallerie dell'Accademia
Activity
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-SAMurano Glass Museum
Activity
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-SASanta Sofia Traghetto Gondola
Activity
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-SALibreria Acqua Alta
Place
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-SACampo Santa Margherita
Place
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-SAVenice Ghetto
Place
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-SASquero di San Trovaso
Place
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.