
The beautiful flagship store of the Merchant of Venice perfume company is located–where else–in the heart of Venice! Step inside the original Merchant of Venice shop. Mark (the four on top of the exterior of the basilica today are replicas, but the originals on the second floor’s interior) are all incredible. It’s hard to say what the best part of visiting the second floor is–the views of Piazza San Marco from above, the chance to admire the basilica’s famous mosaics from a closer angle, and the chance to see the original Horses of St. Mark’s Basilica make the climb, giving you an opportunity to enjoy the basilica without crowds. However, if you’re looking to see a unique and somewhat secret Venice spot (secret from most tourists, anyway), there’s no doubt that this unusual, active cemetery is unlike anything else you’ll see in the city.
#Heart of darkness ps1 hidden gems code#
The island is a beautiful, sacred place, and visitors are expected to conduct themselves with respect (and subscribe to the same dress code you would in any Italian church: covered shoulders, no cleavage, etc.). Located a short vaporetto ride away from the hustle and bustle of central Venice, San Michele Island is certainly one of the most unique things to see in Venice, as the entire island acts as a cemetery. Situated directly across the lagoon from Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, the small island of San Giorgio Maggiore (and in particular, its bell tower) is home to one of the most unique Venice viewpoints.įrom here, you can admire the crowds of Piazza San Marco and the traffic of the waterways from a blissfully peaceful distance while exploring a beautiful and downright tiny island in the Venetian Lagoon. Get beautiful views of Venice off the beaten path at San Giorgio Maggiore. Originally, many of the footbridges in Venice were the same way, but over the centuries, safety features have been added to Venice’s bridges–with one notable exception. Located deep into Cannaregio, the Ponte de Chiodo is the last bridge of its kind left it Venice: it still has no parapets! Visits can only be completed by guided tour and must be booked in advance. Mark’s Clocktower will show you a fascinating, secret side to this gorgeous building. The bridge does have rails today, but it’s still worth stopping by when looking for hidden gems in Venice!Įssentially hidden in plain sight, the interior tour of St. The fights were large public events, and while they took place on several bridges around the city, the most famous location is the Ponte dei Pugni (aka Bridge of Fists) in Dorsoduro. In the 1600s, rival Venetian clans had a peculiar tradition: a couple of times each year, members of neighboring clans would have fist fights on bridges without rails, with the intention of knocking each other into the canal below.

The effort spent finding the tower is also a delight in and of itself and will take you off the beaten path and through some of Venice’s more deserted side streets. The view from the Scala Contarini del Bovolo is, to be perfectly honest, not the best view in Venice–but it is lovely, and the fairytale-worthy tower itself is well worth seeing. Seek out fairytale views at Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Lido Beach generally boasts incredibly calm, shallow water, perfect for families or those who just want to enjoy a laid-back day with the sun and sea. The most famous landmark in Torcello is its Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta–don’t miss the stunning views of Burano from the top of the bell tower!įor a city literally surrounded by water, surprisingly few travelers consider visiting the beach in Venice–but over at Venice Lido, located a mere 10-20 minutes by vaporetto from central Venice, you absolutely can! Technically still inhabited, Torcello was once home to over 20,000 residents, but today, only around a dozen remain. While the word is out about the outlying Venetian islands of Murano and Burano, far fewer visitors make the trek to Torcello, a small island located in the northern part of the Venetian Lagoon. The Leaning Tower of Pisa may be the most famous leaning tower in Italy, but the country has plenty more to offer–including at least 3 leaning towers in Venice (not even counting the one in Burano!).Īs you’re wandering through the streets looking for hidden gems in Venice, be sure to keep an eye out for these three leaning bell towers: Santo Stefano, San Giorgio dei Greci, and San Pietro di Castello (we’ve marked the locations of each of them on the map linked toward the bottom of this Venice blog post). 17 Beautiful Places in Venice Off the Beaten Path Go searching for Venice’s leaning towers. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Some links in this post may be affiliate links.
