Venice, a city of romance has more than just romantic spots; the numerous tourist places to visit in Venice include the grand canal which is the lifeline of the city, world famous Basilicas, churches and art galleries. This city is most frequented by honeymooners, but also people who are interested in knowing about renaissance period forts, art forms that hold a lot of history and people who want to get a taste of a unique vacation.

Can’t decide where to go on your trip? Browse through some of the most visited places in the floating city of Venice to get an idea.

Swaying through the center of Venice in a huge reverse S curve is the Grand Canal or the Canale Grande is the main seaway to move around Venice. This canal connects Rialto Bridge, Paizza San Marco and the arrival place of the railway station and the bridge from the mainland of Italy. In the past anyone who was considered wealthy and influential in Venice, had an address in Grand Canal; palaces of rich folks opened up into the Canal. The openings of these grand palaces can be seen by taking a trip on a vaporetto and riding along the Grand Canal. The view from the boat on this canal is absolutely exquisite; with palaces on one side and bridges on the other, a boat ride through this world famous canal is a must do in Venice.

The Rialto Bridge was once the only bridge across the Grand Canal and this bridge marks the spot of this beautiful island’s first settlement known as Rivus Altus. This bridge was built in the 15th century and supports two roads on both side and a double set of shops. It is a great place to enjoy the beauty of Venice as you can always see different kinds of boats passing through on the calm water. The Rialto Bridge is iconic to the city and is an important crossing point of the Canal, which is a popular tourist spot and stays quite busy most of the times.

One of the world’s most renowned and definitely Venice’s most revered church is the St. Mark’s Basilica or the Basilica Di San Marco. The architecture of this Basilica and the intricate detailed art etched on the walls are noteworthy. The gold painting on the doorway of the structure only hints visitors of the beautiful gold mosaics inside the Basilica. 4,240 square meters of gold mosaic walls cover the dome of this giant structure. The numerous rich decorated altars and the marble inlay on the floor is an absolutely stunning piece of art work.

Located on the banks of the Grand Canal is an absolutely stunning palace known as Doge’s Palace. In the past, it used to be the Palace of Justice, seat of the government and the official residence of Doge; a leader of Venice in the early days. The fine Gothic architecture and the Venetian décor inside the palace will leave you awstruck. The grandiosity of the Doge’s Palace and the lavish decoration inside and outside the palace is what makes it one of the most popular attractions in Venice. You can see the work of famous and great artists of Venice like Tintoretto, which are world renowned.

Simply known as the Salute, the Santa Maria Della Salute is a Roman Catholic Church located in Punta della Dogana. This church is one of the oldest and the important one in the city and holds a lot of religious significance in Venice. The inside of the Basilica is octagonal and has small chapels on every side of the building. The interiors of the church are simple but you will find a lot of art work made by Titian and Tintoretto. This Basilica was established to commemorate the end of the terrible plague that had engulfed the city; every year the Venetians celebrate Festa della Madonna della Salute that recognizes and celebrates the freeing of Venice from the plague.

A short water taxi ride from Venice will take you to the beautiful island of Murano, which is far from the hustle and bustle of a tourist region. Home to Venice’s glass workers, Murano has several glass museums and factories where you can watch artists working in their own environment. The Massega Glass Shop exhibits a lot of glass products for tourists to buy. Murano is also brimming with quaint little sidewalk cafes and fascinating shops that sell miscellaneous things. If Venice starts to get crowded for you, you can always hop on a vaporetto and go to the island of Murano.  

An 11 km long sandbar in Venice known as Lido Di Venezia, separates the Adriatic Sea from the Venetian lagoon and was the first beach resort in Europe. This grand resort which was once a getaway for the Venetian rulers is now open to the public as a resort so that they can experience a royal vacation as well. The north end of the island has public beaches, right next to the church of San Nicolo. You can tour Lido by hiring a bicycle or simply walking through the beautiful region will let you explore palaces, villas, bridges and some narrow quaint streets. You can even think of just relaxing by the beach and enjoying the warm sand.

Peggy Guggenheim was an heiress who collected magnificent art in the 20th century. Her vast canal side home has a stockpile of futuristic, abstract and surreal expressionist art work that was collection from over 200 artists. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection comprises of art made by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. The collection includes art forms from lesser known artists as she believed in her own convictions and collected work from inspired folk art. This museum that exhibits modern as well as ancient art has a sculpture garden that features work done by Alberto Giacometti and Anish Kapoor. This is also the final resting place of Peggy Guggenheim.