A city of: canali, flouting palaces and campaniles, with renowned glass/lace ateliers and cultural events. Home of historians, opera singers and craftsmen; related to icons such as Marco Polo, Tintoretto and Antonio Vivaldi. The longest repubblica in history; the first international financial center of the world; and where the first festival de cinema got held — Venice has a lot to offer.

Venice is known for its: seafood, canali with gondolas and crafts shops plus its gothic palaces, renaissance campaniles and Murano glass fornaci. It’s historical but relevant, rustic yet beautiful, overcrowded and exclusive at the same time. Within the art world it plays a huge role in the academia and handcrafts spheres; and outside of it, it’s important in the tourism, film and opera worlds. Many iconic artist, architects, composers, intellectuals and cultural events have emerged from this city. Think of: Giovani Bellini, Canaletto, Antonio Contin, Andrea Palladio, Tomaso Albinoni, Antonio Vivaldi, Giocomo Casanova, Marco Polo, the Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival. There’s a lot to check out but if you only have a limited amount of time I would make sure to: visit 1 historic palace, eat cicchettis by the Riva Degli Schiavoni, drink a caffè in Piazza San Marco, relax in a classical church, attend a concert at Teatro La Fenice, walk around the Castello district, go on a gondola ride and take a picture in front of the St Mark’s Campanile and/or Ponte di Rialto. If you have more time you should try to: take a boat ride to Burano, attend the Venice Biennale, shop around Cannaregio, sunbathe in Lido, and visit one of the 24 Palladian Villas around the Veneto.

Here are some recommendations of places to visit. The whole city of Venice is an UNESCO site, so enjoy all the hidden corners; but really close you have more sites: the 24 Palladian Villas of the Veneto and the town of Padua with its 4 XIV Century Fresco Cycles (including Giotto’s at Scrovegni Chapel). The city has 10 ‘Michelin restaurants’, so try to make a reservation to one of them. My top 5 museums are: Basilica di San Marco for Byzantine art; Scuola di San Rocco for Renaissance art (Tintoretto); The Dodge Palace for Gothic architecture plus Baroque art; The Museo Correr/Biblioteca Marciana for antiquities and royal rooms; and Ca’ Pesaro for contemporary art. My favorite ateliers/galeries are: Venini, Barovier & Toso, Ca’ Macana, Akka Projects and Contini Galleria d’Arte. For luxury shopping go to Calle Larga XXII Marzo or the department store at Fondaco Dei Tedeschi; for glass ateliers go to Murano; for lace ateliers go to Burano; for the typical brands go to the Nave de Vero shopping mall; and for cheaper goods Calle dei Saoneri-Campbell dei Meloni. Some venues to check out are Teatro La Fenice for theater and classical music; Teatro San Cassiano for opera; Candlelight by fever for alternative classical music, and Multisala Rossini for a movie.

Here are 7 daily tours to explore Venice: