What to see in Venice on your own if there is only 1 day left? This question is often asked by tourists, going to the only city in Italy, built on the water. After all, I want to see as much as possible, and ordinary guides do not give ideas on how to put all the most interesting into such a tight route. Blogoitaliano will try to correct this misunderstanding, and will offer its own version of a walk through the most romantic city in Italy. Ready? Then let's go!
Helpful advice: If you have only 1 day to Venice, set yourself the city audio guide for the iPhone link that we released in 2019. This is a ready-made audio tour that works even without the Internet, and the built-in GPS navigation makes it easy to navigate and find the most important thing.
You can download an audio guide to your iPhone and try the first 5 points of the route for free, and a full version of an audio tour of 60 points will cost you only $ 6. It is much cheaper than even the most budget excursions.
Morning in Venice
Venice is a city on the water. And the impressions of the city will turn out to be incomplete if you do not plan your own walk around Venice on your day trip to Venice Grand Canal - the main waterway, which divides the city into 2 parts.
The Grand Canal bends with the inverted letter S from the train station of Santa Lucia to the central square of San Marco. Along the Grand Canal there are more than 200 of the most luxurious palazzos, in addition, the best photos are obtained from the water.
Grand Canal - the main "street" in Venice
You can ride along the main "city street" on the local water bus - vaporetto, Blogoitaliano has already written more about them here. Route No. 1 is best suited for such a trip. He walks to the island of Lido, passing along the Grand Canal with many stops. There is no need to go to the very end - it is best to get off at the quays near St. Mark's Square.
A day in Venice
It’s best to start a walk in Venice in 1 day from the main city square - piazza san marco. This square actually served as the birthplace of Venice as a city. After all, it was here, in a small cathedral on a square in the 9th century. from Alexandria brought to the eternal storage of the relics of the Apostle Mark. Later, the cathedral was repeatedly expanded and completed, being a rare example of Byzantine architecture in Western Europe.
Napoleon Bonaparte called St. Mark's Square “Europe’s most luxurious living room”
In addition to the Cathedral of the Apostle Mark, interest in Piazza San Marco is represented by a 99-meter bell tower (Campanile), which offers stunning views of the city. By the way, it was at the top of the campaign in Venice that Galileo Galilei showed his new telescope to the authorities of the republic. This event happened at the beginning of the XVII century.
Later the campaign, like the whole square, became the center of events of the annual Venice Carnival. It is here that the most spectacular descent takes place, called the "Flight of the Angel."
Doge's Palace - one of the main decorations of Piazza San Marco
The authorities of the Venetian Republic appreciated the convenient location of Piazza San Marco and already in the IX century. founded the first government palace on the square - Doge's Palace. The building that we see on the square now belongs to the 16th century. In addition to the government, the palace housed the Senate, Ministries, the Supreme Court and even a prison.
It is better to read more about all the secrets of the Doge’s Palace in a separate article, and even better, try to get on an excursion to the secret premises of the palace, where the fates of many famous personalities of the republic, including Casanova and Giordano Bruno, were decided. Excursions are conducted only three times a day. If you are visiting Venice on your own, it is better to book tickets in advance online.
Other tickets for Venice sights most often preferred by travelers in advance via the Internetto avoid queues at the entrance, we give below:
By the way, the Apostle Mark is not the only saint whose relics can be found in Venice. In the IX century. the relics and father of John the Baptist, St. Zacharias, were also brought here. They are stored in the same name. churches of San Zaccaria on Campo S. Zaccaria, not far from Piazza San Marco. You can get there on the Schiavoni promenade.
The relics of St. Zacharias are stored in the church of the same name in the Castello area
In general, you can talk about churches in Venice for a very long time, and it is almost impossible to go around them, because on a small patch of islands of the Venetian lagoon there are more than 150 of them and each one is a real architectural masterpiece with priceless paintings and frescoes inside.
In addition to the cathedrals described above, there are others that are worth seeing in Venice for 1 day. In the must-see list, be sure to include:
- gothic cathedral of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, also known as San Zanipolo, where the remains of 25 Doges of Venice and other famous personalities of the city rest;
- Church of San Giacomo di Rialto - The oldest church in Venice, founded along with the foundation of the city in 421 and known for its gigantic clock on the facade;
- Cathedral of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Fraripainted by the great masters of the Renaissance - Titian, Vivarini, Alvise, Bellini and others. For Titian, this cathedral became the site of the last refuge, however, as well as for some of the Venetian Doges.
In the Venetian churches you can find many works of the Venetian school of painting and sculpture
Will not be able to ignore and Church of Santa Maria della Salutebuilt in the XVII century. as a tribute to the Virgin for the miraculous deliverance of the city from the plague. This snow-white beauty is perfectly visible from the Grand Canal embankment at Piazza San Marco and other points of the city.
Walking along the narrow, winding streets of Venice on your own, you will cross more than one bridge and bridge. There are more than 400 bridges in Venice, of which only 4 are thrown over the Grand Canal.
The first two shores of the mighty canal connected Rialto Bridge - Another visiting card of Venice. At the dawn of its existence, the bridge was pontoon, which pretty much interfered with the movement of city boats and ships, later it was rebuilt and modified several times.
Finally, in the XVI century. unknown architect Antonio de Ponte proposed the construction of the bridge in the form of an arch. No one believed in the duration of the existence of such a structure, but the Rialto Bridge has since been preserved unchanged to this day.
Now on the bridge you can meet many shops, as well as admire the magnificent panorama of the Grand Canal.
Rialto Bridge - one of the hallmarks of Venice
And right behind the bridge is the noisy and most famous in Venice Rialto Market, which is rightly considered an informal attraction of the city, where the local flavor is fully felt.
In addition to Rialto, it will not be possible to pass by two other famous bridges. The first - Skalzi bridge you will see as soon as you exit the Santa Lucia train station building. Second - Academy Bridge - thrown through the Grand Canal in the area of the most famous art museum in Venice - the Academy Gallery.
In the Gallery of the Academy you can get acquainted with the art of Venice XIII-XVIII centuries.
Speaking of art. When wondering what to see in Venice in 1 day, one should not ignore the numerous art museums of the city. Indeed, here at one time Titian and Tintoretto, Bellini, Carpaccio and many other masters of the Venice School of Painting worked.
The richest collection is collected in the above Academy Gallery. The art of Venice from the 13th to the 18th centuries is presented here. The gallery is very popular with tourists, so when planning a visit it is most appropriate to buy tickets in advance online.
With the life of Venice of the XVIII century. You can meet at the Palazzo Ca'Rezzonico Museum
Another good museum is located in Palazzo Ca 'Rezzonico. Within the walls of the palace you can get acquainted with the art of Venice of the XVIII century. In addition to paintings, Venetian household items are also presented here - luxurious carved furniture, clothes and accessories, sculptures and interior items.
If you arrived in Venice on your own for 1 day, be sure to check out the San Rocco school
And finally, when planning a route in Venice for 1 day, we recommend that you pay attention to the city school. Scuols in medieval Venice were called charitable organizations at churches and monasteries, collecting donations for certain needs.
Altogether, 8 squoles were built in Venice. You will certainly see one of them, the San Marco scuola, next to the Cathedral of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. Another no less famous scuola san rocco located at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
Take time to look inside the San Rocco school. Its walls in the XVI century. were painted by the famous master Jacopo Tintoretto. In its beauty, it can only be compared with the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican.
Evening in Venice
Fairly stumbling along the narrow streets of Venice in 1 day, the evening is best spent in calm and relaxation. Visit the city on the water and not ride a gondola, then do not go here at all. After all, the Venetian gondolas are more than 1000 years old, and the profession of a gondolier is invariably passed from father to son. The most romantic time for such a walk is at sunset.
Walking in Venice on a gondola at sunset will be an unforgettable adventure
We already wrote about gondolas and gondoliers in Venice earlier. You can find gondola moorings in different parts of the city, but for those who want to enjoy the sunset, it is best to take care of finding a boat in advance. In the high season, there can be a lot of people on the pier. Fortunately, this can always be done online. It is enough to choose a convenient pier (preferably near St. Mark's Square) and a convenient time.
Cafe "Florian" - the oldest cafe in Europe
Well, to enjoy the warm Venetian night after a walk, you can go to the famous St. Mark's Square. After all, it is here that the oldest cafe is located not only in Venice, but also in Italy as a whole - cafe "Florian".
Over the years of its existence, the cafe had the most outstanding personalities who once visited the city on the water: Goethe and Byron, Dickens and Casanova, Modigliani, Stravinsky and many others. With the onset of dusk, a live orchestra plays in the Florian Cafe, making the Venetian starry night even more romantic.
Venice Itinerary BlogoItaliano
Of course, there are much more interesting places in Venice than can be described in the format of a short article. As we mentioned above, there are about 400 bridges alone and 150 basil. It is almost impossible to build an optimal plan for visiting the city in 1 day, even if you have a regular guide in your hands.
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Venice was one of the world's major centers of finance and trade. Like London or New York right now. The best craftsmen worked here, and masterpieces of world significance are often stored in the most ordinary-looking churches or buildings.
During the Renaissance, Venice was one of the main world centers
No wonder travelers just miss many important sights. However, even those Venetians who have lived all their lives in the city do not always know why this or that place is remarkable. Which of them can be skipped, and which one - by all means put on the visit map.
For those who want to get the most out of a short trip, in 2017 BlogoItaliano created a very detailed author's itinerary in Venice for 1 day.
Moreover, unlike ordinary guidebooks, where a list of places is simply given, and you yourself need to compose an integral picture of it, everything is done here, as a full day plan so that you take the maximum from a short visit without overpaying for expensive excursions.
There are many places in the city that even the Venetians don’t know about.
Here is what you get inside:
- Ready and carefully thought-out route through Venice, covering 25 of the city's most important attractions. Both the most important and hidden from most eyes
- A route map in Google Maps, as well as labels for the maps.me application on your phone, so that you can download the route map to your smartphone and use without internet
- PDF version of the entire route, which you can print and take on a trip or read directly from your phone / tablet
- Recommendations on applications with high-quality audio tours that can fully replace guides
- A detailed mode of operation of all the attractions on the way, as well as ticket prices, so as not to miss anything
- 6 viewing platforms along the way so you have cool photos
- Little-known “chips” and places that most tourists miss
- Where it is better to have a snack, and where to fully have lunch or dinner a selection of places near the route from local guides
- How to get on free and budget tours in Venice
This route will save you a lot of time and money in one of the most expensive cities in Italy, where only a 24-hour transport pass costs 20 Euros. By the way, in addition to Venice, BlogoItaliano also has routes to other Italy’s most interesting cities - Rome, Florence and Milan. You can see the details and choose routes for yourself on this page.
We also recommend that you sign up for our free course for travelers to Italy with valuable tips and life hacks for your trip.
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