Venice, Italy: The must-see sights of Venice

Whether you take a guided walking tour or venture out on your own through the city's labyrinth of cobblestone streets and ancient, narrow passageways, you're sure to fall in love with all it has to offer.

Top sights & activities

* St. Mark's Cathedral (a medieval cathedral in St. Mark's Square -- with Byzantine domes, covered inside with vast expanses of sparkling mosaics, made of gold, bronze, and a great variety of stones)

* Doge's Palace (from which the powerful Venetian Republic was ruled during its last four centuries). Make sure to see the Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners were led to the dungeon.

* Yes, a ride in a gondola may be considered a very touristy thing to do, but who cares! A trip to Venice is not complete without one (even if you just take the "water taxi" to cross the Grand Canal).
Gondolas were the primary form of transportation in Venice from the 12th century until the late 19th century when Venetians discovered power boats. An average ride is 40 minutes (clock it by your watch as the timepieces in Venice can run fast, if you get my drift). Unfortunately, some Venetians try to take advantage of tourists, so agree upon the price and trip length (and write it down) before you step in the boat.

Art & museums

* Have a thing for art? Then a visit to the Frari Church in the San Polo district is a must, as it houses masterpieces by Titian and Bellini.

* The Accademia Gallery has a wonderful collection, featuring Venetian art by Titian, Tintoretto, Bellini, and Carpaccio.

* Also not to be missed is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which features avant-garde art from the early and mid-20th century, all housed in Ms. Guggenheim's former residence - Palazzo Venier dei Leoni - on the Grand Canal.

Can't travel in February for Carnivale? Then pick a month, any month (though you may want to avoid the summer months, as everyone and their mother is in Venice then). There's always plenty to do and see in this splendid, floating city on the sea.

Getting to Venice can be filled with fun or fraught with angst; you decide. There are few direct flights from the U.S. to Venice. You'll probably need to fly to Rome or Milan, and then catch a short connecting flight to Venice (they leave fairly often).

Once in the Venice airport, head down to the baggage claim area and outside to the boats where you'll find ticket booths for the last leg of the trip. Prices range from 10 EU to 100 EU depending on the speed of the boat and number of passengers.

The least expensive boat is about a one-hour ride, and as long as the weather is good, it's quite enjoyable. So pack light-your goal should be one suitcase on wheels-as you'll have to lug it from the plane to a small boat to your hotel. If it was easy, everyone would be here! (Sometimes in the summer, you might swear everybody is!)

If cost and crowds are more important considerations than convenience, then consider booking a hotel on Venice Lido as opposed to the main island. It's less crowded, the restaurants aren't as expensive, the hotels more spacious, and the people much more gracious.

Island hopping is fast, easy, and cheap via the vaporetti (ferry boats), so you won't feel "out of the loop" on the Lido. There are even several beaches (Lidos) on the island, though you'll hardly have time to just lounge about.

Speaking of islands, side trips to Murano (famous for its Venetian glass), Burano (handmade lace), and Torcello (home to the oldest Venetian monument, the Cattedrale di Torcello-Santa Maria Assunta-whose foundation dates from the 7th century), are a great way to spend a few hours.

Guided tours (3-4 hours) are operated by a number of companies with docks on Riva degli Schiavoni and Piazetta San Marco (all interchangeable). But you can also visit the islands on your own using the vaporetti and thus avoid the boring tours and hard sells (especially on Murano). Vaporetti lines 12, 13, 14, 41, and 42 make the trip to Murano from Fondamente Nove (on the north side of Castello), and line 12 continues on to Burano and Torcello.

Find more tips at
Your trip to Italy: Planning your trip to Venice, Italy
Everything you need: Travel clothes and accessories

Carnevale - Lorraine DarConte
St. Marks + Gondolas - fedegrafo (morguefile)