Things to do in Venice

Venice is a city of islands in a shallow lagoon, built on timber piles driven into clay. The historic centre has no cars. Things to do in Venice are walked or taken by boat.

Six districts

Fewer than 48,000 people live in the historic centre, split into six sestieri. Addresses are numbered by district, not street. Castello's numbers reach almost 7,000.

• San Marco. The basilica, begun in 1063 and lined with over 8,000 square metres of mosaic, beside the Doge's Palace.
• Castello. The Arsenal, once the Republic's shipyard, and the Biennale gardens.
• Cannaregio. The Ghetto, set up in 1516, which gave English the word.
• San Polo and Santa Croce. The Rialto market, Titian's Assumption in the Frari, and Piazzale Roma, where the roads end.
• Dorsoduro. The Accademia, Ca' Rezzonico, the Guggenheim collection and the Zattere promenade.

On the water

The Grand Canal runs 3.8 km, past more than 170 buildings, mostly palaces seen properly only from a boat. Four bridges cross it. The Rialto, finished in 1591, was the only one until the nineteenth century.

Murano has been the glass island since 1291, when the Republic moved the furnaces there. Burano, known for lace and painted houses, is about 45 minutes from Fondamente Nove by public boat. The cathedral on Torcello was founded in 639.

What people book

Tours in Venice lean on San Marco: guided entry to the basilica and the Doge's Palace, often together. Murano and Burano fill a half day by boat. Next come glass-blowing, bacari wine-bar tours and a Vivaldi concert.

• Verona and Lake Garda. A private day trip from Venice by car.
• Florence, Trieste, Ravenna, Milan. One-way transfers, some with a two-hour stop.

Practical

• Weather. July and August afternoons average 28C, with the hottest days near 33C. January sits near 7C by day and 0C at night. May and September run 22 to 24C.
• High water. From October to March, tides above about 80 cm flood St Mark's Square first. The MOSE barriers close the lagoon only for the bigger ones.
• Access fee. On set spring and summer days, day visitors to the old city pay 5 euros if booked four days ahead, 10 later. Overnight guests register free. Murano and Burano are exempt.
• The basilica. Entry is by booked time slot only, and shoulders and knees must be covered.
• Getting around. Line 1 of the water bus stops at every Grand Canal landing. A 24-hour pass beats single tickets from the third ride.
• Gondolas. The city fixes the fare per boat: 90 euros for 30 minutes by day, 110 after 7 pm.