Location: San Marco
Top Things to do in San Marco
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The 10 Best Sights & Landmarks in San Marco, Veneto
With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco.
Restaurants in Venice
1. The Gritti Epicurean School
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 87 reviews
An exceptional Venetian experience to discover recipes and seasonal products from the Venetian lagoon and savour the culinary creations of Executive Chef Daniele Turco. This indigenous culinary journey features demonstration classes, visits to the markets, themed courses and sustainable ingredients. Visit the website for detailed course information and culinary packages.
Reviewed By ElviredeR
Our stay in Venice in these very singular times will remain memorable for obvious reasons, but also particularly thanks to wonderful moments we shared with Franco in his immaculate kitchen!! Of all the off the beaten tracks activities we made, this was definitely one of our favourites!! When looking for the perfect ingredients at the traditional and very Venetian Rialto market, Franco was very generous and shared with us some very useful tips during his selection. During the cooking class he was incredibly enthusiastic leaving no detail out of his explanations and transmitting his passion in a very simple yet highly sophisticated manner. We definitely look forward to repeating this experience with our whole family next time we are in Venice!! Meanwhile we cannot wait to try to replicate his recipes at home hoping the magic of Venice will be revived!
2. Centro Storico di Venezia
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,219 reviews
Reviewed By L9034OAcarlosb - Lisbon, Portugal
Find your own path through that maze of bridges, canals, alleys and monuments which makes the heart of the Centro Storico. Leave your luggage at the hotel, and hit the streets. You won`t regret a single second. Enjoy.
3. Piazza San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36,943 reviews
It is said that Napoleon called San Marco "the drawing room of Europe." And it is a breathtakingly beautiful place. But the square has long been a lure for massive numbers of pigeons, drawn by the massive numbers of tourists who readily feed them. While the tourists happily post for photos amid the flock, there are concerns that the birds' presence--and what they leave behind--will damage the centuries old architecture and art work.
Reviewed By usctrojantravelgirl - Los Angeles, United States
I’ve visited St. Mark’s Square many times but truly enjoyed this visit. While the piazza was crowded and even flooded during high tide, the waters quickly diminished, the weather was beautiful and there are enough opportunities to get the perfect photos!
4. Scala Contarini del Bovolo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,510 reviews
The tallest spiral staircase of Venice is a perfect synthesis of different architecture styles (Renaissance, Gothic and Venetian-Byzantine). It was commissioned by Pietro Contarini in late 1400 as a decorative element of the adjacent family's Palazzo. Even today there are several hypotheses about the authorship of the manufacturer. The monument can be considered a unique architectural jewel in the lagoon, the new Renaissance expression that was establishing in the city. The Scala is connected to the palace by three floors lodges. At the top there is the Belvedere with a wonderful view of Venice, from here you can see the domes and the Campanile di San Marco, the Basilica di Santi Giovanni e Paolo, and even the Teatro la Fenice.
Reviewed By JuneJaundoo - Brighton, United Kingdom
Well, this is a little bit off the beaten track, and well worth going to see. Once a private residence many years ago, it's now been restored and is open to the public. Its €7pp to climb the stairs and admire the view. This will become a main tourist stop in a few years. Its amazing to think it was once a private house, and that it's there tucked away down tiny streets, hidden from view, it makes you wonder just what lies behind some of the dull doors of Venice!
5. Ponte dei Sospiri
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,050 reviews
This historic bridge connects the Doge's Palace with its prisons and was named for the condemned prisoners who crossed it to meet their executioners.
Reviewed By Erfurt - Jupiter, United States
The Bridge of Sighs is world renown, it is packed with tourists coming and going, there is a lot of pushing and chaffing going on, everyone wants to take a photo of this scene, and the once who take " selfies " really jam up this beautiful sight best seen from the bridge where this photo was taken..The Bridge of Sighs is made from white limestone passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. A MUST see...
6. Torre dell'Orologio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,216 reviews
This 14th-century clock stands on the north side of St. Mark's Square,and is known by its large clock face displaying the hours of the day, phases of the moon and movement of the sun through the signs of the Zodiac.
Reviewed By massimoswitz - Opfikon, Switzerland
Beautiful clock tower in front of the basilica of San Marco that every hour you hear the Moors ringing the bells.
7. Doge's Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26,297 reviews
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the building and its sculptural decoration date from various periods. The interior, with works by artists such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, A.Vittoria and Tiepolo, includes vast council chambers, superbly decorated residential apartments, and austere prison cells. Along the facades of the Palace run loggias that overlook St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon. The combined entrance ticket to the St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana.
Reviewed By I5778HMtrevors - Kidderminster, United Kingdom
As part of a tour through viator including Basillica. Doges Palace is superb with beautiful Paintings everywhere Did tour including dungeons so walked over Bridge of Sighs All amazing Suggest earliest Guided tour available to beat the crowds
8. Basilica di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28,574 reviews
Blending the architectural styles of East and West, Venice's magnificent basilica was consecrated in 832 AD as an ecclesiastical building to house the remains of St. Mark.
Reviewed By 627brendand
We visited this beautiful church and were blown away by the opulent gold mosaic artwork and beautiful sculptures and architecture. It was a personal goal to visit San Marco and the square so it was for us a dream come true. The disappointing thing was the general level of dishonesty around Venice by business people. To buy anything was a complete rip off, even a coffee and croissant was extortionate. You had to always check your change as we were deliberately short changes several times and my wife was also pick pocketed in Milan the very hour we arrived in Italy. So be careful with your money and I wouldn’t eat or buy any food in tourist areas. Also when we arrived at the train station in Venice the square was under about 12 inches of water. People were everywhere selling waterproof waders to put your feet in. 20 Euro later ...These promptly leaked and we were soaked anyway after 5 minutes of use. This was dishonesty on an industrial scale. Also no one told us that if you simply waited about an hour the tide would recede and you could walk around on dry ground. This basic information was simply not available to tourists. My advice would be, go for the beauty and amazing art and be very careful, as there is unfortunately a rip off culture everywhere.
9. Campanile di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,064 reviews
Originally built as a lighthouse to assist navigation in the lagoon, visitors can be whisked by elevator to the top of St. Mark's Campanile or bell tower to savor incredible views of Venice, the lagoon and the Alps in the distance.
Reviewed By chicago90Phoenix
If you love priceless views including the multiple domed roof of St. Marks Church, this is the place to be. You will appreciate the beauty and how special and unique Venice is when you have this birds eye view perspective of this empire.
10. San Giorgio Maggiore
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,903 reviews
Reviewed By tg22wa - Seattle, United States
Visit this beautiful church designed by Palladio, the adjoining monastery (owned by the Cini Foundation*). Take the elevator to the top off the church bellower to see Venice, the island grounds and Giudecca from a wonderful distance. The Cini foundations offers regular tours of the former monastery buildings and grounds. You cannot just visit on your own. The tours seem to be about every hour but check ahead to coordinate this visit with the church and belltower visit. You can easily take Vaporetto 2 from several different points including from St. Mark's pier. The grounds include an incredible maze of boxwood created in 2012. Of special note to art lovers: 1. the refrectory of this monastery was the original home of Veronase's Wedding Feast of Cana in the Louvre. It was taken by Napoleon in the early 1800s and never returned. The Cini Foundation has replaced the original with a beautiful digital copy to give a sense of where this huge artwork belongs . . . 2. One of Tintoretto's last paintings, an innovative Last Supper, is located to the right of the main alter. Created for THIS space, the painting is orientated to be seen from the side. Read about both paintings before you go.
