University of Venice

About Venice, Guide and Top Tourist Attractions
(Venice, Italy)




The city of Venice has a distinct and unique structure. It is made up of 117 small islands, with around 150 canals connected by over 400 bridges. Its area measures around 458 km / 285 miles, with a population of roughly 63,000 people. Although the city looks small, it is actually quite extensive.

What to do in Venice


The first thing visitors should do upon arriving in Venice is tour the city on foot. The city is small enough to easily walk and roam around. Most parts of Venice are beautiful and breathtaking even if you get lost in the alleys and squares. There really are many places in the city to look at and explore.

Visitors should not forget to ride a gondola while in Venice because it is one of the main attractions offered by the city. It is fairly expensive to take a 30- to 60-minute ride on a gondola, but the experience of going around the city in one is worth it.

The coasts of Venice are also popular with tourists, especially the Venetian coast that faces out to the open sea. This is located in Italy's Settentrione regions in the north. Visitors should also not miss going to the city's theatres, cinemas, bars and pubs to get a taste of its nightlife. The more popular discos can be found in Mestre, Jesolo and in the city centre.


Tourist Attractions


Venice's Canal Grande is a stretch of water usually referred to as 'the most beautiful street in the city'. Walking along the trail of this historic canal is a wonderful way to see the elegant structures in the city. It can be a particularly memorable experience at night because the city's architecture is reflected in the water.

Piazza San Marco is perhaps one of the world's most famous tourist magnets and it is here that the powerful Venetian Empire was ruled from the Doges' Palace. There are several attractions on this busy square, including the Basilica San Marco and Campanile (bell tower) - which can be climbed for good views of the city.

With so many canals, there are obviously going to be some famous bridges. The closest to Piazza San Marco is the diminutive Bridge of Sighs, attached to the Doges' Palace and a famous place for lovers to snatch kiss aboard a romantic gondola as they pass beneath it. The Rialto Bridge is the most famous to cross the Grand Canal and this ancient thoroughfare contains several tiny shops along its flank. The Accademia bridge is further down the canal, near the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and looks far more impressive, made entirely of wood.

Chiesa dei Frari in San Polo, Venice is an enormous and elegant church made with fine details in plain brickwork. Known as the 'Frari', the original church was established between 1250 and 1338, and a much larger building was built in the middle of the 15th century. The church's interior is vast and striking, housing many valuable pieces of artwork including masterpieces of Giovanni Bellini, Titian and Giovanni Bellini.

Visitors can easily spot the Scuola Grande di San Rocco building because of its distinct large, white marble columns on the façade. Its interior has been luxuriously ornamented by Tintoretto. It contains more than 50 paintings and art pieces.

The Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo was formerly known as the Campo delle Maravege. Imposing sculptures, statues and the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, which was established by the Dominicans in the mid-1200s, can be found in this square.

Santa Maria della Salute is a popular Venetian landmark, dominating the view of the famous Canal Grande. It features a unique octagonal-shaped church called the Ciesa di Santa Maria della Salute, designed by Longhena. The church has a large, white dome constructed in the grand and elegant Baroque architectural style.









Venice University

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