DK Travel : Venice

The uniquely romantic city of Venice was built entirely on water and has managed to survive into the 21st century without cars. Narrow alleyways and canals pass between sumptuous palaces and magnificent churches, colourful neighbourhood markets and quiet backwaters, unchanged for centuries. Few cities possess such an awesome line-up of sights for visitors.

For guided tours around Venice (see Guided Tours)

Giovanna Zanella

A must for all serious shoppers – zany handmade shoes and hats in a fabulous range of incredible designs.
Giovanni Bellini

With his father Jacopo and brother Gentile, Giovanni (1430–1516) made Venice one of the greatest centres of Renaissance art. His trademarks are radiant Madonnas and serene St Peters.
Giovanni Casanova

This marvellous romantic figure (1725–98) was variously a diplomat, scholar, trainee priest, adventurer, gambler, notary’s clerk, violinist, womanizer, exile, millionaire, writer and spy. Casanova was imprisoned in the Doge’s Palace (see Doge’s Palace) on charges of being a magician, from where he effected an infamously daring escape.
Giudecca

An S-shaped slice of land facing the sun-blessed Zattere, this residential garden island was first known as “Spina longa” for its fishbone form. It was renamed either after an early Jewish community, or the giudicati (radical aristocrats) exiled here. Renaissance artist Michelangelo spent three peaceful years here in voluntary exile from 1529. Much later it became an important industrial zone with shipbuilding and the immense Molino Stucky flour mill (see Molino Stucky). Usually quiet and neighbourly, it comes to life with a vengeance for the mid-July Redentore festivities (see Festa del Redentore).
Glassmaking Demonstrations

Magic moments are guaranteed as children are transfixed by skilful craftsmen blowing blobs of molten glass into fine vases, or moulding coloured rods into myriad animal shapes. Small workshops are dotted all over Venice, while Murano has more large-scale furnaces – demonstrations are free, on the condition you stroll through the showroom afterwards (see Murano).
Glassware

Impress your guests back home with a genuine Murano chandelier or perhaps a millefiori paperweight.
Golf

The well-reputed 18-hole course at the Alberoni is on the south of the Lido.
Gondola Traghetto Point

Madonna statue perched on a pole in the Grand Canal.
Gondolier’s Shrine

A 1583 Madonna greets boats approaching the bridge.
Gourmet Food

For something authentically Italian but intrinsically Venetian, try extra virgin olive oil flavoured with chilli peppers, bottled red chicory paste or pasta in the shape of gondolas and masks.