Things to Do in Venice: Canals, Art & Islands Beyond St. Mark's

Venice is one of those cities where the main tourist sights and the genuine experience diverge sharply. The area around St. Mark’s Square is among the most crowded places in Europe in peak season. Ten minutes’ walk in any direction takes you into a Venice that is emptier, more local, and in many respects more interesting.

The essential sights

St. Mark’s Basilica — Byzantine-Venetian architecture at its most exuberant, covered in 8,000 square metres of gold mosaic. Free entry to the basilica itself (registration at veniceinsider.com recommended; queue is long without it). The Pala d’Oro (altarpiece, €5) and the treasury are worth the extra entry.

Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) — The administrative heart of the Venetian Republic for 700 years. The ceremonial halls are extraordinary for their scale and their paintings (Tintoretto’s Paradise, the largest oil painting in the world). The Secret Itineraries tour goes behind the scenes.

Gallerie dell’Accademia — The definitive collection of Venetian painting, from Byzantine icons through Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Bellini. Less famous than the Uffizi but genuinely outstanding.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection — Modern and contemporary art in Peggy Guggenheim’s former palazzo on the Grand Canal. Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Pollock, Magritte. One of the best modern art museums in Europe.

Escaping the crowds

Dorsoduro — The southern district is where Venetians actually live. The Campo Santa Margherita is the social centre — university students, local bars, a daily vegetable market. Walk along the Zattere (southern waterfront) for views to the Giudecca island.

Cannaregio — The northern sestiere. The Jewish Ghetto (the original, where the word comes from) and the Ca’ d’Oro palace. Far fewer tourists than San Marco.

Evening walks — The main tourist crowds leave Venice on the evening ferries. After 7pm in June through August, the streets around Rialto and Dorsoduro are much quieter. The city at night is beautiful.

The islands

Murano — 15 minutes north by vaporetto. The island has produced Venetian glass for 700 years. The glass museum is good; the factory tours are free but expect a hard sales pitch. The Basilica of Santa Maria e Donato (12th century) is worth the trip independently of the glass.

Burano — 40 minutes north. Brightly painted fishermen’s houses reflected in canals. Famous for lace-making. Good for lunch; less interesting for more than a few hours.

Torcello — The oldest settled island in the lagoon (5th century). Almost no permanent residents. The cathedral contains 12th-century Byzantine mosaics that are among the finest in Italy.