{"id":16957,"date":"2023-04-11T11:15:16","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T10:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?p=16957"},"modified":"2023-06-26T15:56:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T14:56:03","slug":"what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Grand Canal, Venice: Rialto Bridge, Palaces, Museums, &#038; More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a city built on the sea, the most important street isn\u2019t a street at all, it\u2019s a Canal. The Grand Canal in Venice is the city\u2019s main artery, a two-mile, s-shaped curve of water lined with some of Venice\u2019s most important buildings and jam packed with private boats, <em>vaporetto<\/em>, and barges. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The palaces, museums and warehouses that line the Grand Canal were once the abodes of some of Venice\u2019s most prominent mercantile families and trading corporations.<\/span><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16958\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Walks_Venice_AD_120623_IMG_0261.jpg\" alt=\"Grand Canal, Venice\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Venice\u2019s empire of commerce is a thing of the past, the Grand Canal is still the focal point of people and goods coming into and out of the city. Standing on the banks today, take in the fantastic, relentless ebb and flow of city life as you watch the world float by.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Buildings_along_the_Grand_Canal_The_Cas_Palazzos_and_Fondacos\" >Buildings along the Grand Canal: The Ca\u2019s, Palazzos, and Fondacos\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Fondaco_dei_Turchi\" >Fondaco dei Turchi<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Palazzo_Venier_dei_Leoni\" >Palazzo Venier dei Leoni<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Ca_dOro\" >Ca&#8217; d&#8217;Oro<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Rialto_Bridge\" >Rialto Bridge<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Tips_For_Seeing_the_Grand_Canal_in_Venice\" >Tips For Seeing the Grand Canal in Venice<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Opening_Times\" >Opening Times<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Tickets\" >Tickets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#Rules_for_the_Grand_Canal\" >Rules for the Grand Canal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/what-to-see-along-the-grand-canal-venice\/#The_best_time_to_visit_the_Grand_Canal\" >The best time to visit the Grand Canal<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Buildings_along_the_Grand_Canal_The_Cas_Palazzos_and_Fondacos\"><\/span><strong>Buildings along the Grand Canal: The Ca\u2019s, Palazzos, and Fondacos\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Built between the 13th and 18th centuries, the buildings along the Grand Canal in Venice were the property of the most prominent families and merchant guilds in the city. Because they sat along the city\u2019s main thoroughfair they were also conspicuous displays of wealth. If you have a keen eye, you can detect the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/venetian-palazzo-architecture-venice-italy\">different styles represented by various facades<\/a> like the classic Renaissance lines of Sansovino\u2019s palaces, or the intricate details of the Baroque Palazzo Balbi.<\/span><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16962\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/VeniceVIPBoat-20-blog.jpg\" alt=\"Buildings lining the Grand Canal in Venice\" \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fondaco_dei_Turchi\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fondaco dei Turchi<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most unique sites is the Fondaco dei Turchi, a building that used to be home to the Byzantine Turks who established and maintained the trade routes between Istanbul and Venice. Its facade drips with the embellishments of the Veneto Byzantine style which began with Venice\u2019s sacking of Constantinople of evolved with the trading relationships they later established with the Ottoman Empire who conquered Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Insider&#8217;s Tip:<\/strong> Curious to see inside the Fondaco dei Turchi? You can go inside the building by visiting <a href=\"https:\/\/msn.visitmuve.it\/en\/the-museum\/library\/library-and-collections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natural History Museum Library<\/a>, which is housed within its storied walls.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Palazzo_Venier_dei_Leoni\"><\/span>Palazzo Venier dei Leoni<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Another stunning building is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guggenheim-venice.it\/en\/the-museum\/palazzo-venier-dei-leoni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Palazzo Venier dei Leoni<\/a>, also known as Palazzo Venier. This unfinished palace dates to the 18th-century and has plenty of lore behind the name Leoni, or &#8220;lions.&#8221; According to local legend, a lion was once kept in the palace garden! The building\u00a0is now home to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a modern art museum and one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/top-museums-in-venice\">best museums in Venice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17594\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17594\" class=\"wp-image-17594 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6290378753_df014789a1_Pegg_Guggenheim-venice.jpg\" alt=\"Peggy Guggenheim Collection in venice with gondola and modern art out front\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17594\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Close your eyes and imagine a lion roaming the gardens in Palazzo Venier. Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mamsy\/6290378753\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bookfinch<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ca_dOro\"><\/span>Ca&#8217; d&#8217;Oro<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another jaw-dropper is the Gothic splendor of the facade of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cadoro.org\/?lang=es\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ca\u2019 d\u2019Oro<\/a>. Originally a family home for the Contarini family, it is one of the elegant and embellished facades on the Canal, as well as one of the oldest. It\u2019s name translates to the \u201cgolden house\u201d because it was originally adorned with gold on the outside, though today the gilding has been lost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17805\" style=\"width: 1510px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17805\" class=\"wp-image-17805 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1cjr0hetbn0-1.jpg\" alt=\"white concrete building near body of water during daytime\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1cjr0hetbn0-1.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1cjr0hetbn0-1-768x614.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17805\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ca&#8217; d&#8217;Oro&#8217;s stunning fa\u00e7ade. Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/es\/fotos\/1cJr0HETbN0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommao Wang.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rialto_Bridge\"><\/span><strong>Rialto Bridge<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There has been some form of bridge spanning Venice\u2019s Grand Canal near the Rialto Market since 1181. They haven\u2019t always been the most, ahem, sturdy structures. After various wood bridges collapsed and burned, Venice\u2019s government decided in 1551 to build a stone bridge that would hopefully prove a bit more durable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone from Sansovino to Michelangelo was considered for the spot of lead architect, but eventually the bridge design that won the day belonged to a relatively unknown architect named Antonio Da Ponte. The difference between his design and his competitors\u2019 was that their bridges all contained multiple arches in the classical style, whereas Da Ponte\u2019s daring single arch was so unorthodox, some thought it would later collapse.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16961\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16961\" class=\"wp-image-16961 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/VeniceVIPBoat-16-blog.jpg\" alt=\"Rialto Bridge \" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16961\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Let yourself be astonished by the variety of bridges as you cruise along Venice&#8217;s Grand Canal.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the only bridge over the Grand Canal for some 300 years and still one of only four, it has withstood the test of time admirably. Crossing the bridge today is an action that unified both local and visitors alike as it is still probably the most important non-watery thoroughfare in the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_For_Seeing_the_Grand_Canal_in_Venice\"><\/span><strong>Tips For Seeing the Grand Canal in Venice<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Opening_Times\"><\/span>Opening Times<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/rome-attractions-piazza-navona\">Piazza Navona<\/a> or the Champse Elys\u00e9e, Venice\u2019s Grand Canal never closes and is rarely quiet. You can see it any time you like just as long as you can find your way through Venice\u2019s labyrinth and out to the banks of its largest waterway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tickets\"><\/span>Tickets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t need tickets to see the Grand Canal but you do if you want to take a boat on it. Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.veneziaunica.it\/en\/e-commerce\/services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Official Tourism website of the City of Venice<\/a> for the different ticket options. Gondolas rides often stick more to the smaller canals in Venice, where they don\u2019t have to fights the currents that sweep the Grand Canal. Most of the boats in the Grand Canal are water taxis, called <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vaporetto<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, pleasure barges, or tour boats. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vaporetto<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be hailed at any certified stand but any sort of cruise or guided tour should be booked in advance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16959\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16959\" class=\"wp-image-16959 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Walks_Venice_SW_170810_IMG_2435.jpg\" alt=\"Gondola on the Grand Canal, Venice\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Grand Canal Venice, is a must-see for any visitor in The Floating City.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rules_for_the_Grand_Canal\"><\/span><strong>Rules for the Grand Canal<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to swim across the Canal. Not only will the aforementioned currents likely take you for quite a ride, the water is notoriously dirty and there is a lot of boat traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_best_time_to_visit_the_Grand_Canal\"><\/span><strong>The best time to visit the Grand Canal<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sunrise and sunset offer the most classic and romantic views of the Grand Canal. Unsurprisingly, sunset tends to be a more popular time for visitors, meaning you can forget about any pictures from the Rialto bridge that aren\u2019t filled with fellow visitors. If you can get out of bed, the early morning is actually a very peaceful time in Venice and it\u2019s also the best time to contemplate the calm waters of the Grand Canal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Update notice: This post was updated on April 11, 2023.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>We run the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/venice-tours\/venice-gondola-and-walking-tour\/\">Welcome to Venice Walking Tour and Gondola Ride<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/venice-tours\/venice-boat-tour\/\">Venice Boat Tour\u00a0with Grand Canal and Tower Climb<\/a>\u00a0that take you to must-see sites and hidden corners, giving you an overview of the history of the city.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a city built on the sea, the most important street isn\u2019t a street at all, it\u2019s a Canal. The Grand Canal in Venice is the city\u2019s main artery, a two-mile, s-shaped curve of water lined with some of Venice\u2019s most important buildings and jam packed with private boats, vaporetto, and barges. The palaces, museums [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":16958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[149],"tags":[87,20,63,136],"ppma_author":[190],"class_list":["post-16957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions","tag-architecture","tag-attractions","tag-trip-planning","tag-venice"],"authors":[{"term_id":190,"user_id":81,"is_guest":0,"slug":"elenal","display_name":"Elena L.","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Elena-Lombardi.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Elena-Lombardi.png"},"user_url":"","last_name":"L.","first_name":"Elena","job_title":"","description":"Elena has a deep-rooted love for her native Venice. Having previously worked as an Italian teacher abroad, Elena returned home and still teaches in addition to being a travel writer. Elena loves sharing the beauty of her native language and culture by teaching, and also through her writing. She loves to assist others in discovering the charm and uniqueness of Venice\u2014a city she considers to be one of the most beautiful, must-see places in the world."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16957"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18340,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16957\/revisions\/18340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16957"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=16957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}