The best way to discover Venice is simply to walk the streets, cross the bridges and hang out in the many public piazzas. It’s obviously useful to have a map, but we found it most rewarding just to wander around and take the paths we thought would be most interesting. The more ‘off the beaten track’ you go, the more rewarded you will be. So much of Venice hasn’t changed in centuries and there’s so much to see and enjoy. Don’t worry about getting lost – that’s part of the fun! Venice island isn’t huge, so you know that you are never far from getting back to a busy tourist area. Some of our fondest memories though are of the small areas we found with no tourists in sight.
There are many unusual buildings and interesting features you should look out for on a walk around Venice island. Here are some of our favourites…
Scala Contarni del Bovlo – A fascinating spiral staircase near Campo Manin which is nice to look at, but also provides a interesting view of the Venice roof tops when you climb up it.
Campo Santa Margherita – A friendly Venetian square surrounded by bars and cafes where children play and you can sit back with an ice cream an watch the world go by.
Rialto Markets – Near to the Rialto Bridge, the food markets are vibrant and packed with fresh produce.
Also look out for things like old water pumps (many of the squares have them) and washing! Most houses dry their clothes on washing lines which are strung from one window to another, often across a street.
This map shows Rialto Bridge, but you can move it around to see the streets of Venice for yourself:
MORE ON THE STREETS OF VENICE
More Things To Do In Venice – From our Tours & Activities pages
Venice Highlights Tour – ‘Skip The Line’ and speed up your visit
Hotels in Venice – Great rates from Hotels.com
Venice Guide Books – Amazon