Venice Top Tourists Attractions

Venice, capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a marshy lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. Its stone palaces seemingly rise out of the water. There are no cars or roadways, just canals and boats. The Grand Canal snakes through the city, which is filled with innumerable narrow, mazelike alleys and small squares.
The major Tourists Spots in Venice are as under.
St. Mark’s Square or Piazza San Marco is Venice’s principal and largest square with major government buildings that are central to the functioning of Venice. It is full of history and surrounded by great architecture and offers major sightseeing for tourists. The centerpiece of the piazza is the magnificent St Mark’s Basilica Church, built in Venetian-Byzantine style, a mixture of western and eastern styles. Due to its opulence it is called also the “Church of Gold”. Further, there is the city’s most recognizable landmark, the bell tower which stands 98.6 meters tall (323 ft).
There is a beautiful gothic structure overlooking the Venetian lagoon – Doge’s Palace. The two columns, St. Mark Column and St. Teodoro Column have long served as the official gateway to Venice.
Besides all the above mentioned architectural giants there are also the humble pigeons that abound St. Mark’s Square. These birds surround the tourists and fearlessly perch themselves on tourists’ shoulders, hands, arms and make for great photo shots.

Venice’s Canal Grande (Grand Canal) – also known by Venetians as Canalazzo – is the major water-traffic corridor snaking through the city in an S shape from Saint Mark Basin to Santa Lucia rail station. It is an ancient waterway lined with buildings built from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries by wealthy Venetian families. Today, they are a tourist’s delight. The Palazzo Santa Sofia or the Ca’ d’Oro, is one of the most elegant buildings on the Grand Canal. It is called the house of Gold and is the most photographed building by tourists. You can explore these magnificent old structures-buildings, hidden piazzas and grand churches- along the Grand Canal by a water bus, water taxi or take the romantic Gondola ride! In fact, a visit to Venice is incomplete without the Gondola Ride. The gondola ride is an opportunity to leave the crowds behind and explore the enchanting city along the Grand Canal or its quieter side canal. You can hire these ancient vessels for sightseeing purposes or for an intimate romantic outing. A lot of couples chose this ride to get engaged too. There are several types of rides that you can choose from. The one that was particularly interesting was the evening tour off the beaten track to discover the real Venice. If you think Venice is romantic in the day time, just wait until you experience it at night! As dusk fades into night, glide smoothly along the canal while your guide will serenade from behind and tell you stories about Venetian life in the olden days, scandalous stories of the aristocrats in these very streets!

On the first Sunday of September, every year, throngs of tourists arrive to watch the Regata Storica. Boat races are hosted which has been a practice since the fourteenth century, which is followed by a spectacular boat parade, led by a sumptuously decorated boat, called the Serenissima.
Venice’s legendary Bridge of Sighs is a must see for anybody visiting the city. It is known as one of the finest examples of bridge architecture in the world. The bridge was built in the beginning of the seventeenth century to connect the Old Prison and the Doge’s Palace. There is a popular story that any couple who kisses under the Bridge of Sighs during sunset on a gondola ride will enjoy Eternal Love! This romantic view was created by the Poet Lord Byron with his writings: “I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and prison on each hand”.
Don’t forget to notice the mascarons – sculptures depicting sad or angry faces – as you cross under the bridge.

Probably the most visited and most photographed bridge in Venice, is the Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) For nearly three hundred years, it was the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot.

Santa Moria della Salute is Venice’s most iconic structure which was built in the 17th century in honor of Virgin Mary after a plague had killed one third of the population of the city. It is a top tourist attraction.