Venice is one of the most unique cities in Italy and holds many free sights and attractions for the tourist. One of the best things to do in Venice is just walk around, strolling along the canals and admiring beautiful squares and buildings. Venice is divided into six sestere or districts. You can pick your favorite neighborhood and take a stroll. Use our sestiere Map to find the location of each district.
Here are suggestions for free places to see in Venice (free as of this writing). Click on each photo to see it larger. You can see more photos in our Venice Photos.
Piazza San Marco
Basilica San Marco by Martha Bakerjian, licensed to About.com
Piazza San Marco or Saint Mark's Square is the main tourist destination in Venice. Around it are important monuments, elegant historic buildings and expensive cafes, some with live music in the evening. You can hear the music for free as you walk around but sitting at a table is very expensive. Take a peek at the famous Caffe Florian, popular since 1720, and visit Basilica San Marco, Saint Mark's Cathedral, an impressive Byzantine style monument.
Rialto Bridge and Rialto Market
Barbara Molini
The picturesque and crowded Rialto Bridge has been the main bridge crossing Venice's Grand Canal since 1591. On the bridge are covered arches and shops and on one side is the Rialto Market, a good place to visit in the morning. This lively food market with lots of little stalls has been in operation for about 1000 years. Go early to see fresh fish being unloaded from the boats. In the Rialto Market area you can see what was probably Venice's first church, San Giacometto, founded in 471 and rebuilt in 1071, about the same time the Rialto Market was built. More about the Rialto Bridge.
Canals and Bridges
Venice Canal by Martha Bakerjian, licensed to About.com
Venice has more than 150 canals ranging from the Grand Canal, the city's main thoroughfare, to tiny canals that are barely accessible to small boats. The canals are lined with old houses, often decked with flowers. Wandering along the streets by the canals is a pleasurable past-time. You're likely to get lost but that's part of the charm of Venice. Find a bridge on a quiet canal and watch the gondolas glide under it or head to the Grand Canal and watch the many boats that ply the waters of Venice. More than 400 bridges cross the many canals. Top Venice Bridges
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute
Santa Maria della Salute Church by Martha Bakerjian, licensed to About.com
San Giorgio dei Greci
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George, San Giorgio dei Greci, is the oldest and possibly historically the most important church of the Orthodox Diaspora. The church, considered to be one of the best Orthodox temples in the world, was constructed by the Greek community in the 16th century. It's found in the Castello district, once the home to a large Greek population. Inside are iconography accented with gold, post-Byzantine mosaics, wood stalls, and a frescoed cupola painted under Tintoretto's supervision. The church also has a leaning bell tower.Jewish Ghetto
Martha Bakerjian
Museum of Music
Martha Bakerjian
Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Venetian Squares
Campo is what a square or piazza is called in Venice. Campo Santa Maria Formosa, in the Castello district, is one of the largest in the city. The campo is surrounded by an interesting collection of palazzi showing Venice's unique architectural styles. Each district has at least one major campo and many churches sit on a campo. The campo often serves as the neighborhood gathering place and is a good spot for people watching.Window Shopping
Barbara Molini
Festivals
Venice Carnevale Picture © 2009 Betsy Malloy Photography. Used by Permission.
