Venice: what to see in 1 day

San Marco Square is reached comfortably in the morning: the square most famous of the city, defined by Napoleon the salon of Europe, is dominated by the Basilica of San Marco, with its Byzantine cupolas and gilt mosaics visible already from the façade.

Next stands the Doge's Palace, seat of Venetian Republic power for centuries, connected to the prisons by the celebrated Bridge of Sighs, so called for the sighs of the condemned who passed through it.

Climbing the Campanile of San Marco, nearly one hundred meters tall, dominates the entire square and the lagoon, with views reaching the farthest islands on clear days.

For lunch, the bácari around Rialto offer the cicchetti, the typical Venetian morsels accompanied by a glass of wine.

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal, where the homonymous market is still active in the same location for centuries.

A vaporetto along the Grand Canal, the main waterway crossing the city flanked by Gothic and Renaissance palaces, offers instead a different way of seeing Venice, from the water.

The Cannaregio district, less touristy and crossed by more tranquil canals, offers for dinner an alternative quieter than San Marco's crowds.

St. Mark's Square, Doge's Palace, and the Bell Tower already give a clear idea of the heart of Venetian power, while the afternoon choice between Rialto and the Grand Canal adds the commercial or aquatic side.

The islands of Murano and Burano, with their glass and colorful house traditions, and a real gondola ride remain chapters for a second trip. Seeing St. Mark's Basilica reflected in the high water of St. Mark's Square is perhaps Venice's sharpest memory.