Piazza San Marco

St. Mark's Square is the heart of Venice, and undoubtedly the site of the most popular tourist attractions, including the grand St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace, where the Doge lived during the glorious days of the Venetian Republic. We were lucky to stay only one street away from this area, as our hotel was tucked into one of the alleyways that runs parallel to the square. 

The Basilica is beautiful, even when under extensive renovation. The line at this time of year, in early March, wasn't bad – we waited about 10 minutes to get in. The main part of the building is free but there are some exhibits and a museum that you have to pay a few euros to get into. It’s a nice basilica – but not super memorable, especially since I’ve seen so many in Rome.

Venice was an independent republic for about a millennia. The Doge was the ruler of the republic, and resided in a beautiful palace known as Doge's Palace. Today, it is a popular museum that showcases the history and art of the Venetian Republic. Below is the central courtyard of the palace.



There is a general admission fee to tour the rooms of the palace, but we decided to take a guided tour for a few extra euros, in order to get a behind the scenes look. The main part of the Palace reminded me a bit of the Vatican Museums – lots of preserved rooms with historical importance, focused on the justice and administration of the Republic of Venice. There is impressive artwork, archival features, and you can also tour the prisons across the Bridge of Sighs, where the enemies of the Republic were kept. The regular ticket is 16 euros, which includes the other museums in St. Mark's Square.

We did the Secret Itineraries Tour, 20 euros, which took us behind the scenes into the older prisons, an interrogation room, the roof of the palace, and some of the administrative offices. This was an informative 1.25 hour tour, and I enjoyed learning about the more in-depth history of the Venetian Republic and the Palace from the guide.

On the tour, our small group got to escape from the larger tourist crowds, and see some interesting chambers and displays behind the main rooms of the Palace, like the weapon collection in the attic and even a room that was used for interrogation and torture.

Venice has such a fascinating history and there are so many books and films written about its mysterious and political intrigues. I'm really glad I got to learn about this aspect of the city while I was there. Though expensive, Venice was one of the my favorite places in Europe, and it was such a memorable experience. I hope to go back someday!

Last Stop, Venice!

Venice was the last point of our trip in Italy. Known variously as the City of Water, City of Bridges, and City of Masks, it is composed of 118 small islands, connected by bridges. It’s one of the most gorgeous and unique cities I’ve been in. All transportation is done through the canals – there are no streets at all, just pedestrian walks and bridges that link various parts of the island. Ferries and private gondolas transport people throughout the city.

We were here for three days, just enough time to see the major sites as well as some of the outer islands that are less popular with tourists. There are lots and lots of tourists, especially on San Marco island near the Basilica, San Marco Piazza, and the Rialto Bridge. In this area, lots of restaurants and shops cater towards visitors, and it can get overwhelming trying to navigate small alleyways that are crowded with people.



The further out you go, like to the west, near the shipyards, the more you can see more of the local essence of Venice. Get off the main paths that lead between tourist attractions, and find yourself lost in hidden courtyards, narrow alleyways, and quiet canals.

It’s very easy to get lost wandering the maze of alleyways, as GPS signals are very weak, most streets curve and wind and end suddenly at a canal, and there are no real street signs or numbers. Don't rely on Google Maps here. Soon enough, you will stumble upon a larger street with signs that point you to the major attractions, so rest assured you won’t be lost forever. I pride myself on being quite adept with directions, and yet there were a few times where I was confused and had to refer to a map. 

Though the whole area of the city is made of tiny islands connected by bridges, there are also several larger, more distinct islands, separated by the Grand Canal, a larger stretch of water. As I mentioned, San Marco is the main island for tourists. There are ferries that make scheduled runs among many stops, and they can take you in between islands. 

The ferries aren't cheap (about 7 euros for a one-way pass), but they do beat the price of hiring a private gondola. Some say that riding on a gondola is a quintessential experience in Venice, but I think that viewing the gondoliers singing and rowing, from a bridge, is just as fun!

Besides a few major attractions, the best way to experience Venice is just to walk around and explore the little nooks and crannies. Dining and lodging is quite expensive compared to the rest of Italy, as all supplies are shipped to the islands from mainland. I'll talk a bit more about the specific things we saw and did in a later post.

Many businesses start to close in the evening, around 8 or 9PM. This is not the place to come to for nightlife - you might want to head to Bologna for that! However, there are sunset and night views from the waterfront near the San Marco Piazza.