What to do in Venice in three days?
If you are planning to spend a weekend among the canals of Venice, here is a convenient three-day itinerary.
Let's start with St Mark's Square, the heart of the city. Amongst beautiful historic buildings, it will enchant you with its charm. Close to the square is the famous Clock Tower. The square takes its name from the basilica that occupies part of it, St Mark's Basilica, built to house the relics of St Mark, from here a visit to the 98.6 metre high St Mark's Bell Tower is a must, it is one of the symbols of Venice.
In the afternoon, head to the Doge's Palace, a masterpiece of Gothic art, divided into several areas. After your visit, relax with the classic city aperitif, the spritz, a popular drink here, which you can enjoy in the Dorsoduro district, an area of university students with many bars. In this area you will also find the 'squeri', now very few left in Venice, are typical shipyards for rowing boats, where both maintenance and the construction of the boats are carried out. It is also possible to visit them, but it is necessary to contact them in good time.
IN ADDITION TO HISTORY, ALSO AREAS UNKNOWN TO TOURISTS
The morning of the second day is dedicated to the Jewish Ghetto. This area has three different synagogues and is architecturally different from all the other districts of the city. After your visit, head to the famous Rialto Market, a large indoor market on the canal with a variety of stalls. This is the perfect place for a food and wine tour. Few people realise that Venice has a gateway. This is located just behind the Rioalto bridge, at number 456, and is a door with an unusual shape. The lower part of the door is much wider than the upper part, because in the past this building was owned by the Confraternity of Boteri (the craftsmen who made wine barrels). This is also reflected in the high reliefs depicting barrels.
In the afternoon, after a short break to recharge your batteries, we recommend crossing the Ponte dell'Accademia, a bridge that leads to the Gallerie dell'Accademia. Here you will find works ranging from the 14th century to the Renaissance, by artists such as Titian, Tintoretto and Longhi. It also contains one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous works: "The Vitruvian Man". To close the second day we invite you to admire one of the rare "wheels of the innocents" still visible in Europe, precisely at Calle della Pietà. It was intended for mothers who would not be able to raise their child and, therefore, were forced to abandon it. The peculiarity of the wheel was the possibility of leaving the child in total anonymity, since once the newborn was placed inside the special cradle and the bells had rung, warning the nuns of a new arrival, the mothers could leave without being recognised.
VENICE, BUT NOT ONLY
You can't leave Venice without first seeing Murano, only 40 minutes away from Venice by vaporetto. As you may have guessed, we recommend you spend the last day in the village dedicated to the history of glassmaking, where you can also watch glass-blowing demonstrations and find real works of art. Back in the afternoon, the only place to visit that is unique in the world is the Libreria Acqua Alta, a bookshop designed to "resist" high water, where the books are laid out on boats and gondolas. Inside there is also a wonderful little courtyard with a staircase made only of stacked books. Walking from the bookshop towards St. Mark's Square you will find the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, which can be accessed by booking online. This spiral staircase is one of Venice's hidden sights and from the top of it you'll enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the city. It is the perfect place to relax before returning from the short, but certainly absorbing and transporting experience that only a city like Venice can offer.