Venice’s artistic and architectural achievements never fail to impress, but the city’s real pleasure lies in simply wandering amid its narrow, winding alleyways that snake past hidden canals and ancient bridges, discovering treasures around every corner.
Get a piazza the action in St Mark’s Square
Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) is the beating heart of the city and a good place to find your bearings. This is where you’ll find the distinctive Campanile tower, but also look out for the golden-hued Byzantine Basilica, the lavishly decorated Palazzo Ducale and the Museo Civico Correr.
See the Renaissance greats
No stop in Venice would be complete without taking some time to enjoy its artistic heritage. Head to the Accademia, where Lotto, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese all feature heavily. Close by is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, housed in an elegant palazzo on the Grand Canal, displaying an unrivalled collection of surrealist and abstract art that gives you new insight into Italian style.
Many of Venice’s most treasured works of art can be found in its churches. The white Baroque Gesuiti church holds epic paintings by Titian and Tintoretto, while the huge Gothic church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari features some of the city’s most treasured art works, including Titian’s Assumption.
On the edge of town sits the Madonna dell’Orto church, which is filled with Tintoretto’s early work, as well as his tomb, and there are magnificent works by Bellini and Veronese in the Gothic Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
Explore islands by boat
One of the best ways to get around Venice itself is by water taxi, or vaporetto. Jump in one and explore the smaller islands in the lagoon. San Giorgio Maggiore is the site of Palladio’s gleaming white church and Verdi’s open-air theatre. A little further afield and 45 minutes by vaporetto, is Murano, famed for its glass making.
From here, you can continue to the impossibly photogenic island of Burano with its distinctive, brightly coloured fishermen’s houses and famous lace-making museum. Burano is also home to many wonderful seafood restaurants and makes a great stopping point for lunch.
Finally, head for Torcello, site of the Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta, a Byzantine church awash with spectacular mosaics of the Seven Sins and the Last Judgement.
Drive through medieval history
From Marco Polo Airport, it’s easy to drive to many of the Veneto region’s loveliest towns and cities. Closest is Padua, with its historic university and Giotto’s frescoes in the Cappella degli Scrovegni.
Further west sits Vicenza, one of Italy’s richest architectural cities and home to Palladio’s great masterpiece, La Rotonda. Head north from here and you’ll find the fortified and moated medieval city of Treviso. Its slower pace of life and abundance of fine restaurants make it a good choice for lunch in a serene setting.
Relax in the Italian Lakes
Venice Airport is also ideally positioned for exploring the Italian Lakes. The largest, Lake Garda, is lined with historic hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, beautiful villas and villages.
The Roman-built city of Verona, famous as the setting for Romeo and Juliet, is one of the region’s most romantic cities, with the perfectly preserved 2,000-year-old Roman Arena, which hosts the city’s world-renowned outdoor opera season.
Rent a car at Venice Airport and explore the city of canals and beyond, enjoying an alluring northern Italian adventure.
