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Venice, a name I've known since childhood, has always been my dream. How many times have I dreamed of taking a gondola ride and slowly admiring this romantic water city? Some say Venice will soon disappear, but to avoid regrets, I decided to see it before it vanishes.
Before coming here, I heard a lot of bad things about Venice: too many people, the water is smelly and unclean. Fortunately, I did not give up Venice because of these, because, after my actual experience, I really didn’t feel these things. It is really normal to have a lot of people. Every European tourist city is like this. In fact, as long as you avoid visiting Venice when the tour groups are concentrated, you will find that Venice is still the legendary comfortable Venice.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
Venice boasts over 400 bridges, but the most famous is the Rialto Bridge, also known as the Merchant Bridge, leading into the city center. Built entirely of white marble, it is a symbol of Venice. Atop the bridge is a floating pavilion, flanked by over 20 jewelry shops and souvenir stalls. This area is one of Venice's most important commercial districts, serving as Europe's commercial center for 300 years. Shakespeare's famous play, "The Merchant of Venice," is set here.
Recommendation index: ★★★★☆
Towering over Piazza San Marco, this 98.6-meter-tall bell tower, built in the late 15th century, is the focal point of Venice and the spatial composition of the square's architectural complex. From the top, one can admire the entire city, even the Alps in the distance. At every hour, the five bells chime.
There is another story about this bell tower. It was on this bell tower that the great Galileo showed his telescope to the Doge of Venice. At that time, it took a long time to climb the slope to get to the bell tower. Now it is quite convenient to go up the bell tower with an elevator. It can be said to be one of the landmark buildings in Venice. When you arrive in Venice, you must go to the top to take pictures.
It takes about 20 minutes to queue up to climb the Venice Bell Tower to take panoramic views of the church and square. After entering the bell tower, buy a ticket, then continue to follow the queue and take the elevator up to the bell tower. This is a great place to take pictures of St. Mark's Square and a bird's eye view of Venice.
In addition to seeing St. Mark's Square, known as "the most beautiful living room in Europe", you can also get a bird's eye view of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore and Giudecca Island.
Looking out towards Giudecca Island.
From here you can clearly see St. Mark's Basilica, with its onion domes arranged in a regular cross shape, which is a representative work of Byzantine architecture.
The 12 zodiac clock in Piazza San Marco.
Tips:
It is recommended to take photos in the afternoon or dusk
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
The cathedral, imbued with a strong Byzantine style, began construction in the 9th century and expanded in the 11th, taking over 600 years to complete. It features numerous decorative ornaments from the eastern Mediterranean, including the four bronze horses, La Quadriga, above the main entrance, dating from the 2nd-3rd centuries (the originals are housed in the cathedral's Tesoro Treasury), and the Four Tetrarchi (porphyry sculptures depicting the four Roman emperors ruling together), dating from the 3rd-4th centuries, adorning the corners of the walls. These were looted by Venetian troops during the sack of Costantinopoli (Constantinople) during the Fourth Crusade.
The church's facade ripples and waves like ocean waves, its five niched entrances capped by gleaming gold mosaics and embossed stone arches. The lunette mosaic in the leftmost entrance, dating from 1270, depicts the transport of the Blessed Sacrament to the church for burial; the lunette mosaic in the second entrance to the right, created in 1660, recreates the same story. The final doorway is another stolen masterpiece: Greek columns and Moorish arches are topped by a lace screen that may have once been the balcony of a Turkish sultan.
Entering through the main entrance, you'll be greeted by a magnificent triple arch supported by Egyptian purple porphyry columns, adorned with 13th- and 14th-century reliefs of vines, virtue symbols, and astrological symbols. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside the church! We forgot about this and took a photo upon entering the center, but were stopped by the staff. However, due to our carelessness, we still have the only photo of the church interior.
There are many legends about St. Mark's Basilica. The most famous one is that the church is the burial place of St. Mark, a disciple of Jesus. He is a great man. St. Mark is the author of the famous Bible "The Gospel of Mark". He is regarded as the guardian god by the Venetians and his mount is a lion. This is why the emblem of Venice is a huge lion holding the Gospel.
The cruciform cathedral features five onion-shaped domes, modeled after a 12th-century cathedral in Constantinople and adorned with exquisite gold mosaics. Beneath the dome are the San Marco Altar and the Pala d'Oro, an ancient altar inlaid with gold and adorned with over 2,000 precious gemstones. This, in my opinion, is the most essential part of the church, and requires a separate ticket. Since photography is prohibited in the church, I don't have any photos here.
The museum on the second floor displays mosaics from the 13th to 16th centuries. After touring the museum, you can walk up to the balcony for a closer look at the statue of St. Mark and six flying angels. The bronze Pegasus on the balcony is a replica; the original is in the museum. It was originally brought from Constantine and later taken away by Napoleon, but eventually returned to the cathedral.
Tips:
1. Although St. Mark's Basilica is free, you'll need to buy separate tickets to visit different areas once you're inside! Basilica: Free; St. Mark's Museum: 4 euros, 2.5 euros for groups; Cloisters: 2 euros, 1 euro for groups; Golden Altar: 3 euros, 1.5 euros for groups.
2. You can book skip-the-line tickets about a week in advance on the official website: http://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/tickets/skip-the-line-saint-marks-basilica/#choose.
Since the church itself is free, you only need to pay 2 euros per person. Children under 5 are free, but you still need to choose. It is recommended not to choose round numbers such as 15:00 or 15:30, as many tour groups choose to enter at these times.
3. You must check your luggage into the cathedral. You can find it by following the sign in front of the cathedral. It's in the small alley to the left of the cathedral. The guidebook before the trip said it was only free for one hour, but we didn't seem to be charged for more than an hour.
4. Make sure you have your luggage ready, arrive on time at your appointment time, and show the email on your phone to skip the queue and go in directly. The entrance you reserved is on the left side facing the cathedral, and the queue is on the right, so pay attention~~~
Recommendation index: ★★★★☆
The Governor's Palace is also a place not to be missed because there is a painting here that allows you to feel the strongest impact of Western oil paintings, "Paradise". This painting is the largest oil painting in the world, 22 meters long and 7 meters wide, with more than 700 figures. It is extremely grand and occupies the entire east wall of the Grand Council Hall.
Of course, in addition to this painting, there are many halls in the palace, including the Committee Hall (Sala del Collegio), the Waiting Room (Anticollegio), the Four Doors Hall (Sala delle Quattro Porte), the Council Hall (Sala del Senato), the Ten-Man Hall (Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci) and the Grand Conference Hall (Sala del Maggior Consiglio). Each hall is decorated with oil paintings, murals and marble sculptures, making the entire Doge's Palace complex, luxurious, brilliant and dazzling, and it contains many paintings.
The Doge's Palace is flanked by a stone lion statue, the model for the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion. The palace is divided into two floors: the first floor is an open gallery, and the second floor is a sky balcony. The ninth and tenth pillars on the second floor are a darker shade of light red, and the space between them is used to post death sentences.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to go inside and admire the bags this time. I only took photos of the exterior. I’ll go inside and take a look next time I come to Venice!
Tips:
If you like visiting museums, you can buy a Venice Museum Pass (24.5 euros), which is valid for 6 months and allows you to enter most palaces, art galleries and museums in Venice, including the Glass Museum on Murano Island.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
Walking past the Doge's Palace, you'll reach a prime spot for taking photos of the Bridge of Sighs. Don't worry about finding it; you can see crowds of people cramming for photos from a distance. Getting a spot isn't easy, so you'll need to be patient.
The movie "A Little Romance" was filmed here. Standing on the Bridge of Sighs, you can truly feel that one step forward is hell, and one step back is heaven.
Tips:
Legend has it that a kiss between lovers under the Bridge of Sighs will ensure their eternal love. To get to the Bridge of Sighs, you must take a gondola ride.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
The most convenient way to get here is to take pictures of the Bridge of Sighs, follow the path all the way to Riva della Slavonia, take boat No. 2 at S. Zaccaria (MVE) "B", and get to S. Giorgio station in 3 minutes.
On the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is the monastery of the same name dating back to the 10th century. The refectory built by Palladio in the 16th century hung a painting by Paolo Veronese called "Nozze di Cana" (related to the miracle of "turning water into wine" at the wedding feast at Cana described in the Gospel of John in the New Testament), but it was snatched away by Napoleon to the Louvre Museum in Paris in the 18th century.
The characteristic of this church is that it is built on an island, facing the entire Piazza San Marco across the water. The architectural style of the entire church is Palladian. On the walls are outstanding works by Tintoretto: "The Last Supper" and "The Assembly of the Virgin Mary", both paintings were created in 1594. In the Chapel of the Dead, you can see Tintoretto's last work "The Expulsion of the Clergy".
In addition to visiting the interior of the church, climbing the bell tower is also a very important thing to do, and it is not tiring. There is an elevator to the top of the tower, and the ticket price is 6 euros. Once you go up, you can have a clear view of the Venetian lagoon.
St. Mark's Campanile is the perfect spot for panoramic photos of Isola San Giorgio Maggiore. The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is the perfect spot for photos of the Grand Canal, the Doge's Palace, and the architectural complex of Piazza Venezia! From here, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Venice's main island and outlying islands. Watching the sun slowly sink into Venice at dusk is an indescribable romantic beauty. If you have time, come here to admire Venice at dusk; it's a truly memorable experience.
Tips:
The bells in the bell tower chime every half hour, and the sound is deafening.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
There are fewer people going to the Rialto Bridge in the morning, which is much more comfortable than during the day.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
Recommendation index: ★★★★☆
It is said that the owner here was originally a gondola driver. After retiring, he opened this shipwreck bookstore. The books in the store are placed randomly, which is very tasteful and makes people feel relaxed and unrestrained.
This is what attracts me most! Occasionally, I see a gondola passing by, and it feels so comfortable to sit on this chair and read a book~~~
In addition to books, the postcards and small souvenirs here are also very nice!
Recommendation index: ★★★★☆
Isola delle Viale is an island in the lagoon of Venice, Italy. Although nominally an island, it is actually an archipelago, connected by bridges, forming a single island. Located approximately 1.6 kilometers north of Venice itself, Isola del Viale is renowned for its production of colorful Murano glassware.
There are many interesting shops on the island, but glass products are not cheap. You can watch the entire process of Venetian glass making, and there is also a glass museum for sightseeing. The whole island can be visited in about an hour.
There are several bus stops on the island, because the bus boat circles the entire island. MURANO COLONNA (get off here to see the glass factory and restaurant Glass Island Shop) MURANO FARO (take the No. 12 boat here to the Colorful Island) MURANO MUSEO (the Glass Museum and the location of the Glass Island Church) MURANO SERENELLA MURANO DA MULA MURANO NAVAGERO MURANO VENIER Here is the Glass Island bus map:
Tips:
It is recommended to take a boat to Murano Colonna and then walk to Murano Faro so that you can enjoy the scenery of the island. To get to the Colorful Island, you take a boat in Faro.
This is the landmark of Glass Island: the blue glass statue. Please see the map below for the specific location:
Recommendation index: ★★★★☆
To get to Burano, you can take the ACTV No. 12 water bus from Faro Station on Murano. After leaving Murano, you will find that the sea here is very different from the one you see in Venice. This is the "Venice Lagoon Area" (Laguna di Venezia/Laguna Veneta).
The Venetian Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an inland lake formed by the gradual enclosing of the original bay by sandbars. The islands within the lagoon include Venezia (Venice), Murano, and Burano. Also within the lagoon are Chioggia and Lido di Venezia (where the annual Venice Film Festival is held).
Color Island is a small island located in the Adriatic Sea, northeast of Venice. It takes about an hour to reach it from the main island by bus, and about 40 minutes from the Glass Island. It is quite crowded. It floats in a warm sea and has plenty of sunshine.
The shopping attraction of Colorful Island is lace products. As soon as you get off the bus, you can see a variety of boutique lace shops. There is also a museum dedicated to lace on the island, the Museo del Merletto.
This is my second top travel photography spot in Italy! It's easy to create great photos! Pick a sunny day and bring your wedding dress or couple's outfits to create your own unique look here!
Here you can just walk around, take some photos, or choose a restaurant or coffee shop to enjoy a lazy afternoon tea. Personally, I prefer Burano to Murano~~~
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
Generally, gondolas follow designated routes. If you choose to change the route, an additional fee will be charged.
Looking at Google, you will pass through a series of arcade buildings on the west side of St. Mark's Square and pass the Water City Shopping Street. From here you will walk all the way to the San Moise Church and Via ⅩⅩⅡ Marzo (March 22nd Street).
Many famous brands of leather goods and fashion apparel such as Gucci, Prada, LV, Chanel, Miu Miu, etc. can be found here.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
We recommend visiting this area at dusk, as it's the perfect spot to photograph the Grand Canal at sunset. The Accademia Bridge is named after the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. The original Accademia Bridge was made of iron, but was replaced by the current wooden bridge due to its heavy weight. However, due to its flimsy structure, a tripod is not suitable for photographing the canal here.
The beautiful Grand Canal and the Church of Our Lady of Health are also a good place for Jay Chou to take a gondola ride and film his music video for "Stealing Love".
After taking pictures of the sunset, return to St. Mark's Basilica and continue taking night photos.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
There are several cafés near Piazza San Marco, the most famous of which is Caffe Florian, which opened in 1720. Its luxurious décor has attracted many literati and scholars, including the British novelist Dickens. The open-air seating at Grancaffe Quadri across the street even features live band performances in the evenings, adding a touch of romance to Venice's nights.
Tips:
There are three major cafes on St. Mark's Square in Venice: Florian, Quadri and Chioggia. Among them, Florian has the longest history, founded in 1720. Goethe, Byron, Rousseau and Balzac are all frequent visitors here.
