There are few places more distinctively and recognizably Venetian than the Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark’s Square as it is known in English. Some of the city’s most famous landmarks are located here, and it’s the perfect place to come and wander over the old flagstones in the sunshine, past the enamoured couples and the famous swirling masses of pigeons, and soak up the quintessentially Venetian atmosphere. Putting a Ring on it The eastern end of the square is dominated by St. Mark’s Basilica, a world-renowned masterpiece of Italo-Byzantine architecture whose extravagant exterior has long earned it the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold). Next to the basilica stands its famous campanile, or bell tower. At 98m high, the campanile is the tallest building in Venice, and one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, with its distinctive rusty brown brickwork contrasting strikingly with the prevailing white and cream of its surroundings. Red Right Hand of the Doge South of the basilica, and adjacent to the famous Grand Canal, sits the square’s other major landmark, the doge’s palace. A masterpiece of the Venetian Gothic architectural style, the palace is grand without being overly imposing, and it takes some time to fully take in the extent and intricacy of the carved stonework and delicate arches. On a darker note, you may notice the distinctly reddish tinge of the façade’s 9th and 10th columns, between which a representative of the doge used to appear and announce death sentences to the assembled crowd below.

The Rialto Bridge is a world-renowned symbol of Venice. Connecting the historic districts of San Marco and San Polo, the bridge is one of the city’s most iconic and visited landmarks, and for three hundred years it was the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot. It is now visited by millions of tourists each year, but despite the crowds it remains utterly unmissable. Setting it in StoneThere has been a bridge of one sort or another on this site since the 12th century. However, after various burnings and collapses of these flimsy timber structures, it was finally decided that a more permanent stone bridge should be built. Various designers were considered, including Michelangelo himself, but the job was eventually given to Antonio da Ponte, who completed the work in 1591. At the time, the design was so audacious that many contemporary architects predicted that it would collapse before long. A Cultural IconOver four hundred years later, the bridge is still standing, and the beautiful stone arch continues to dazzle its visitors. Two covered ramps from either bank meet to form a beautiful arched portico in the middle. From here you get a lovely view looking south-west down the Grand Canal towards the Ca' Foscari University. The ramps are lined on both sides by shops which sell the usual souvenirs and knick-knacks, and buskers can usually be heard strumming or singing on either side of the canal.

A natural channel that traces a reverse-S course from San Marco Basilica to Santa Chiara Church and divides the city into two parts.

The attractive Campo Santi Giovanni e Pablo boasts no fewer than three important Venetian attractions, firmly establishing its status as a must-see location for visitors to Venice. Dominating the square on its eastern side is the powerfully built Gothic church for which the campo is named. Consecrated in 1430, it houses the tombs of no fewer than 25 doges, together with other Venetians of note, earning it the nickname “The Pantheon of Venice”. Though its mighty fronting certainly commands attention, the interior is more striking still, with a particularly lovely polyptych altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini. More Than Just a Façade On the northern edge of the square sits the stunning Scuola Grande di San Marco, whose gorgeous façade, one of the finest in Italy, is the combined work of three of the 15th and 16th centuries’ greatest architects. Intricately decorated in gleaming white marble, the façade’s unmistakable Renaissance flavor is given a distinctively Byzantine twist with its abundance of arches and niches, a combination of styles which is typically Venetian. Doge-y DealsStanding proudly at the campo’s centre is a statue of Bartolomeo Colleone atop his horse - Venice’s only equestrian monument. Colleone was a mercenary commander who had fought bravely for the Venetians on many occasions, eventually becoming a rich man. He agreed to bequeath his fortune back to the city on the proviso that a statue of him be erected in St. Mark’s Square. The authorities, cunning to the last and with no intention of erecting a statue to anyone in their main piazza, simply took the money after his death, and placed the statue here instead.

Enter in the serene atmosphere of Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio. The church is one of the most ancient in Venice.

You'll find it at a place where you're almost certain to rub and bend elbows with Venetians eat cicchetti