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Top 10 Attractions in Venice |
From gondola rides along the Grand Canal to marveling at the beautiful mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica, there isn't a place in Europe quite like Venice. There are a ton of attractions and places to visit in Venice Italy to keep you occupied. Below is a list of the top 5 places to visit in Venice:
San Marco District
San Marco district is certainly one of the top 5 places to visit in Venice, and also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Venice. San Marco district is one of the easiest districts in Venice to navigate, and it's also home to some of the best Venice hotels.
If you’re visiting Venice on a short day trip, San Marco district is the first place to head, not only because of the stunning St. Mark’s Basilica (pictured), but also because of the many attractions surrounding the area such as Palazzo Ducale (click here for a list of attractions in San Marco Venice).
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| Video Tour of Venice Top Attractions |
For great views, don't miss the beautiful St. Mark’s Clocktower which offers great vistas of Venice and the Grand Canal..
Islands of Venice
Exploring the islands of Venice is without a doubt one of the most popular things to do and places to visit in Venice, especially if you’re interested in purchasing genuine Venetian goods. (see Things to do in Murano Venice)
There are around ten Venetian islands, though the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello are three of the most popular ones, and worth devoting 2-3 days of your vacation.
The island of Murano (pictured) and the island of Burano are two of our top places to visit in Venice to purchase the fabulous Murano glassware and lace.
If you’re interested on how glass is made, you can visit Murano’s glass museum and tour one of the Murano glass factories to learn about the glass process and glass making techniques.
In Burano, you'll also find a couple of lovely lace museums where you can find great home ware pieces such as Venetian table cloth laces and Burano dress laces.
Cannaregio District
Cannaregio is located on the northern shore of Venice and it’s one of the top historic districts in Venice to visit during your Venice vacation. Two of the top attractions in Cannaregio Venice are the:
- Ca’ d’Oro Palace, which houses a small art museum.
- Oratorio Crociferi, which houses beautiful 16th century paintings and interesting artifacts such as the clothing worn by notables of the day.
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| Top Museums to Visit in Venice |
Cannaregio is also one of the most pleasant places in Venice to enjoy an unspoiled Venetian atmosphere with fewer tourist crowds.
Castello District
Castello district is the largest district in Venice and it’s another great place to visit to explore beautiful churches and fine art such as the fine paintings by Vittore Carpaccio at San Giorgio degli Schiavoni.
One of the top things to do in Castello has to be visiting the interior of Venetian Arsenale (pictured), which is definitely one of the top 5 places to visit in Venice.
The Arsenale used to be an old shipyard in the 1600’s, and today, you can marvel at interesting art exhibitions and old military machinery and machinery used for building ships.
Not far from the Arsenale, you’ll also find the Historic Maritime Museum which is a great place to learn about Venice’s maritime past and check out interesting artifacts like boat cannons, gondolas and a vast collection of model ships.
Santa Croce and San Polo
Both Santa Croce and San Polo districts are located in the heart of Venice and are my other two top 5 places to visit in Venice because of their easy location.
Santa Croce and San Polo are two of the most enjoyable districts in Venice to explore on a walking tour because of the large open spaces, beautiful small squares and charming narrow streets.
There are plenty of outdoor markets on Santa Croce and San Polo where you can admire food stalls, as well as many tourist sights such as the oldest bridge and church in Venice - Rialto Bridge (pictured) and San Giacomo church.
Other places worth checking out in these two districts if you’re interested in art and history are:
- the National History Museum and Moncenigo Palace in Santa Groce to check out interesting costume and artifact displays.
- the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and St. Maria church in San Polo to marvel at beautiful paintings and masterpieces by Tintoretto.
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