Top Ten Things To Do in Venice

Categories Blog, Top Ten, Uncategorized

I absolutely adore Venice! Just the very feel of the place is so romantic and so unique, I could happily get lost amongst the canals. If you do get the chance to visit Venice, here are my top ten things to do whilst your there!

1. St. Mark’s Square and Cathedral

It goes without saying really, if you want to see all the sights in Venice you need to visit the square. From here you can see a great deal of the famous landmarks, from to campanile to the Doge’s Palace and countless museums. You can’t visit Venice without going inside the Cathedral, but make sure you bring a headscarf if you’re a woman and wear modest clothing. Just being in the square surrounded by these magnificent buildings is an experience in itself, as well as being swamped by the millions of pigeons that the square is famous for. Walk towards the canal and you can get a great panoramic view of the little island that is San Giorgio Maggiore and the church that is named the same.

img_1582

2. The Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs

One of my favourite tourist attractions was the Doge’s palace, as the building is so pretty and I just thought it was very interesting in general. Make sure you cross the bridge of sighs when visiting to experience what the prisoners would have seen as they made their way over from the Prison to the interrogation rooms!

IMG_1614

3. Sip a Spritz on the Grand Canal

Drink like a real Venetian and order a spritz, which contains a measure of white wine, an apertif of choice (Campari or Aperol) topped up with soda water. I personally prefer the Aperol Spritz as it is a little bit sweeter! Alternatively, enjoy a glass of prosecco as it is the regional wine! Feeling fancy? Take a trip to Harry’s bar and order a famous bellini.

4. Take a day trip on the Vaporetto

When I visited Venice we decided to escape the hustle and bustle of Venice’s crowded streets and visit Lido which is one of the small surrounding islands. Here, we spent a day relaxing on the beach and unwinding. If the beach isn’t your thing, then you could alternatively visit Burano or Murano, the latter being famous for it’s glass wears and beads, which i’m told are incredibly photogenic!

5. Frari Church

We accidentally found this huge church as it wasn’t directly on our route (just one of the many times that we got lost). It is absolutely huge and simply sat where you would least expect it. It is definitely worth a visit even if you don’t go inside.

6. Go on a Gondola

Before I went to Venice I remember reading some travel blogs that suggested that going on a Gondola is overpriced and a waste of time. Although I agree it’s quite expensive, I genuinely feel like it’s one of those things that you have to do when in Venice. I really enjoyed our gondola ride, snaking through all of the little canals and seeing Venice from a different perspective. To make it cheaper you can go on a gondola with more people as you pay for the boat trip rather than there being a set price per person.

IMG_1538

7. Rialto Bridge

Take a look at one of the most iconic sights in Venice. It is the oldest bridge across the grand canal and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo. Unfortunately when we visited it was under maintenance but we could still see some of it. Sit along the grand canal with it is view and take in the sights. I personally love people watching, especially when everybody is travelling by boat!

Tip: There’s a really good ice-cream shop on the other side of the bridge!

IMG_0181

8. Rialto Market

Situated near the Rialto bridge is the Rialto market, one of the biggest seafood markets in Venice. Immerse yourself in Venetian life and watch the locals buying the freshest fish and seafood or simply peruse among the open air stalls which are all beautifully presented.

9. Try the seafood

Alternatively, make sure you try some seafood whilst in Venice. Pretty much all restaurants will serve seafood as it is such a staple. I had seabass, served whole with polenta on my first day in Venice which was delicious and tasted so fresh!

IMG_0201

10. Just get lost

In order to really experience Venice you just need to let your feet carry you. Although we did bring a map with us, we very often just tried to walk and find out way. Venice itself isn’t that big so really you’re not going to be able to wander very far, and you’ll always end up at the Grand Canal at some point! Honestly, just wandering around and finding little hidden gems is just the best feeling and gives you the chance to snap some unique photos, other than just the main tourist attractions!

blog 5

Have you ever been to Venice? What are your favourite things to do?

blog-signature

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.