Venice, floating on its calm lagoon with its labyrinth of canals, bridges and narrow streets, is a captivating city. The highlight of any European vacation, visitors flock in their thousands to see the blend of Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance architecture for which Venice is renowned. Splendid palaces (palazzi) and numerous churches are filled with Renaissance art in the form of frescoes, sculptures, paintings and mosaics. Works of art by Leonardo da Vinci, Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Canaletto adorn the walls of galleries, St Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) and the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), both of which are in St Mark's Square.
This famous 'piazza' is also home to the renowned café, The Florian, whose guest list over the centuries has included Lord Byron, Goethe, and Wagner. Advocates of Ernest Hemingway should visit nearby Harry's Bar. During carnival, hundreds of masked dancers in sensational costumes dance against the magical backdrop of the Piazza San Marco.
Gondolas, traghetti (ferry buses) and vaporetti (water buses) are the means of transportation around this car-free city and the Grand Canal, the main thoroughfare, buzzes with activity throughout the day. Walking tours are a popular means of seeing the city and the Sestieri (six main districts) of Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce and San Marco are all easily accessible by foot. Isola della Giudecca and the Lido are a short distance away, by boat.
A quieter Venice lies across the Accademia Bridge, where the Galleria dell' Accademia has a fine collection of works by the Venetian masters and the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery holds one of the world's most comprehensive modern art collections with works by Picasso, Braque, Moore and Magritte. Even more peaceful is a boat ride to the adjacent islands of Murano and Burano, renowned throughout the world for lace and hand-blown Murano glass, both of which make excellent gifts with which to return home.