Our walking tours in Venice are led by local guides with an encyclopedic knowledge of this unique city built on water. After years of exploring, they know Venice inside-out. They are ready to unveil to travelers the rich history behind the must-see landmarks and the deepest mysteries hidden in the web of narrow canals. They’ll bring you to the heart of Venetian lifestyle by sharing with you their favorite squares, markets and cafés only known to the locals.
Your unique trek starts at St. Mark’s Square. Facing the setting sun on the lagoon stands the grandiose Doge’s Palace. Since the 9th Century, it has been the political heart of the Venetian Republic, center stage of bloody assassinations and conspiracies. From the outside, you’ll see the famous Bridge of Sighs that connects the palace’s hall to its jail, where prisoners will sigh at their last view of Venice before being thrown to the torture chamber.
Walking to the Grand Canal, you’ll make a stop at the Campo Santo Stefano. Did you know that squares called campo santo in Venice today were mass graveyards in the past? The walk then leads you across the Accademia Bridge to start your adventure in the Dorsoduro district that very few tourists ever frequent. You’ll discover the facade of an infamous cursed mansion, hidden behind the fog that rises up from the canals.
The courtyard of an ancient hospital for people with incurable diseases will take you back to the darkest hours of Venetian history. The plague outburst in the 17th Century killed more than a third of the city’s population, believed to be a divine punishment for the sins of the hedonistic floating city. A church was thus built and consecrated to Virgin Mary on the tip of Dorsoduro – Santa Maria della Salute . Beneath its baroque facade, you’ll meet the plague doctors under their intimidating bird-shape masks and hear stories of the merciless epidemic that changed Venice forever.
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