What to do in Venice? The 17 must-sees!

Venice is not only home to works of the Rinascimento, think again! The Punta della Dogana, a typical Venetian palace, exhibits contemporary art. As its name suggests, it is located in the former customs house of Venice, an international merchant port. The anachronism between the architecture of the palace and the works it hosts is quite striking! As far as contemporary art is concerned, the City of the Doges also hosts the famous Venice Biennale during odd years. It will start this year on May 13. Book here your ticket for the Grassi Palace and the Punta della Dogana!

In the ^16th century, when the region was very anti-Semitic, the Venetian authorities assigned a closed area in which Jews could live and practice their activities: the ghetto. Located on the island of Cannaregio, this ancient microcosm was the financial heart of the city. Today, the Cannaregio is an authentic neighborhood where it is good to stroll. It is also full of very good restaurants!

It is a shame to discover Venice without stopping in one of its museums, all of which are full of paintings by great masters. The Galleria dell'Accademia is the most impressive. Here are exposed the main works of Venetian art from the ^14th to the ^16th century. From Bellini to Veronese to Tintoretto, you will be amazed by these jewels, witnesses of the artistic importance of the City of the Doges. Veronese himself had the support of the Venetians when his Meal at Levi's was condemned by the Inquisition. Come and admire this work, far from being academic! Enter the Galleria dell'Academia without waiting in line by booking here your ticket here!

This mythical opera house that has heard the melodies of the greatest, from Rossini to Prokofiev, was rebuilt in 1996 after a destructive fire. It reopened in 2003 with the motto Com'era e dov'era, (As it was and where it was). If you are lucky enough to attend a performance, take the opportunity to admire the architecture of the building. Outside of show times, tours are also available. Buy here your ticket with audio guide to the La Fenice Opera House!

From the outside, this magnificent palace of Gothic and Renaissance architecture impresses us with its beauty. Inside, it is another feeling that catches up with us: curiosity. Indeed, the Doge's Palace, seat of the Consiglio dei Dieci, the ancient secret service of the Venetian city, was the place of all decisions. It was in its dreaded jails, i Piombi, that Casanova was imprisoned. Today, the Palace is a museum that houses rooms decorated by the greatest painters such as Veronese or Tintoretto. Buy here your ticket to the Doge's Palace!

Around Venice, in the lagoon, there are other small islands that are worth a visit: Giudecca, Burano, Torcello or Murano. The latter is known worldwide for its glass art. You will find them everywhere on the island, their pieces are perfect souvenirs to bring back to France! Murano is also a very pleasant city, divided into five islands crossed by the Canal dei Mariani. You can get there from Venice by vaporetto: the equivalent of the Venetian "metro", on water of course! Discover Burano and Murano by boat by booking here your day trip!

Coming out of the Santa Lucia station, it is the first image of Venice that the visitor has. The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal and is the oldest of them. Built in the ^fourteenth century, it was until the ^nineteenth century, the only connection between the sestieri of San Marco and San Paolo, hence its importance. Today it is crossed by three ramps of stairs and two double rows of souvenir stores. Stroll along the Grand Canal and pass under the Rialto Bridge by buying here your group gondola ride!

It's a cliché, but you can't get away from it! Gondoliers are everywhere in Venice! A local legend says that lovers who kiss under the Bridge of Sighs when the bells of St. Mark's Basilica are ringing will love each other forever. The story of the Bridge of Sighs is much less romantic than that... It was named after the complaints of the prisoners who crossed it to get from their cell to the Doge's Palace. They were admiring Venice for the last time, as a final vision of freedom.

What would Venice be without its Carnival? Cradle of the Commedia dell'Arte, Venice dives back into this mystical and eccentric universe every year. More than disguises, the Venetians wear prestigious pieces during this period. The opening is on the Rio di Cannaregio with a breathtaking show on the water. Then don't miss the "Maria" procession, where you can admire the traditional Venetian costumes and see the young "Maria del Carnevale" elected. The next day is the "Flight of the Angel", which opens the festivities in Piazza San Marco. A colorful program!

Discover also our article: Venice, a romantic getaway at Carnival time!

Emblem of Venice, St. Mark's Basilica dazzles by its breathtaking beauty. The origin of this building goes back to 828 when Venetian merchants had seized the remains of Saint Mark. Venice, a great world power because of its merchandise traffic, did not yet have a monument flamboyant enough to house the relics: this is how the basilica was built. Admire it first from the outside, when the setting sun makes its bronze Byzantine doors shine. Once inside, it is an explosion of gold and color that extends over 4,000^m2. The entrance, decorated with mosaics representing the Old Testament, Genesis and the Exodus, is a true masterpiece. Book here your free tickets for St. Mark's Basilica!

Palazzo Grassi faces Ca' Rezzonico on the left bank of the Canal Grande. It is one of the last buildings in Venice on this canal. It was built by Giorgio Massari between 1748 and 1766. French businessman François Pinault bought the palace to turn it into a modern art center for his collection of over 2,000 works, after the failure to establish such a center on the Ile Seguin in Boulogne-Billancourt. The Pinault collection covers a wide panorama of modern and contemporary art with pieces from pop art, arte povera, minimalism, abstraction... Palazzo Grassi now shares its important collection between Campo San Samuele and Punta della Dogana, the latest acquisition of the French entrepreneur. Would you like to discover the works of art and architecture of this unique place? Take advantage of our partner's rates and book your entrance below!

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Burano is an island in its own right, with its own characteristics: its brightly colored houses (sky blue, red, light green...), its typical pastries (bussolà and Esse, dry cakes in the shape of an "O" or an "S") and its bell tower of the church of San Martino, leaning about 1.80 m. Although a large part of Burano's inhabitants work in Venice or in the glass factories of Murano, the island still maintains its own activity linked to fishing, but above all to the craft of lace and embroidery. This tradition, which dates back to the ^15th century, made the small island of Burano known throughout the world. Burano is also interesting for its religious buildings.

The Lido is a thin strip of sand, like its neighbor Pellestrina, separating the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. At each end of the island, sea and lagoon meet. Populated by fishermen until the ^{mid-nineteenth} century, the Lido became in the ^nineteenth century a luxury seaside resort appreciated by aristocrats and wealthy families from all over Europe. This is evidenced by the prestigious Grand Hotel des Bains, which is the centerpiece of Luchino Visconti's film Death in Venice. The Venice International Film Festival, the Mostra, was founded in 1932 on the Lido. This led to the construction in 1936 of the no less famous Palazzo del Cinema, which has since seen the greatest figures of the seventh art pass through during a Festival that can be the occasion for a Venetian escapade between myths and cinema . Moreover, the beauty of the island's sandy beaches was praised in their time by Goethe, Shelley, Byron, Musset and Gautier.

With its sublime interior decoration, this palace dedicated to the ^eighteenth century reflects the decadent splendor of Venice during the Age of Enlightenment. In the Ca'Rezzonico, the monumental staircase leads to the first floor where you can admire a sumptuous ballroom decorated with frescoes, trompe l'oeil and sculpted furniture. Then there is a series of rooms, salons and boudoirs, including three rooms decorated with frescoes by Gianbattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo. There is also a picture gallery with the Venetian school, including Guardi, Canaletto, Pietro Longhi and other frescoes by Tiepolo. On the top floor there is an ^18th century pharmacy and a puppet theater.

15. Rialto market

Colors, quality of products and spectacle on the markets of the Pescheria (fish market) and the Erberia (fruits and vegetables) where the inhabitants of the city crowd 6 days a week. The Rialto market has existed since the early days of Venice. The neo-Gothic hall is one of the busiest fish markets in Italy. On one wall, the stone stele displays the prices of the different catches according to their weight and length. Meanwhile, other merchants display their produce and attract customers in a cheerful and voluble way.

The Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, which was originally intended to be four stories high but is now only one (Venetians call it il palazzo Nonfinito, "the unfinished palace"), is located near the Accademia and houses the art collections of the famous American heiress Peggy Guggenheim. She bought it in 1949 and lived there until her death in 1979. She installed her collection of the greatest painters of the ^twentieth century, offering a unique perspective on modern art. An uncle of Mrs. Guggenheim's created the foundation after her death. The Venice Museum is perhaps the most complete and best laid out of the Guggenheim series.

Would you like to admire the modern art of Picasso, Pollock and Dalí? We recommend that you to reserve your ticket here to avoid the wait to avoid waiting at the entrance of the museum!

A visit to the Ca' d'Oro, a superb example of Venetian Gothic, begins with a vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal. This is the best way to admire its façade in detail. Finely chiseled, it is adorned with ogival windows with delicate decorations. Built in 1420, on the order of a wealthy Venetian patrician, Marino Contarini, the Ca'd'Oro was famous in Venice for its facade covered with a patina of gold leaves (hence its name). It was Baron Giorgio Franchetti, the last owner of the building, who, in 1916, donated his incredible collection of works of art to the Italian state. Furniture, paintings, medals, tapestries and sculptures are waiting to be discovered.

A trip down the Grand Canal aboard a vaporetto is a must-do upon arrival in the Serenissima. It is truly an emblematic place where you can see the most beautiful palaces of the City of the Doge.