Location: Venice
Top Things to do in Venice
Things to do in Venice, Veneto: The Best Museums
With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco.
Restaurants in Venice
1. Le Stanze Del Vetro
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By gpl676 - Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Le Stanze del Vetro (The Glass Rooms) is dedicated to Exhibitions of Glass. It is located behind the church on the island of Saint Giorgio Maggiore opposite the Doges Palace in the Historic Centre of Venice. From the water bus stop for line No 2 in front of the church walk to the left round the side of the church to find the Glass rooms to the right. They generally have two exhibitions per year. One which runs from September to the following January is devoted to a glass designer, or designers from Murano. Recent examples are the Cappellin workshop, the designer Carlo Scarpa, the Venini workshop many designers. The current exhibition is on Thomas Stearns for Venini. The other exhibition runs from April to July is devoted to other European glass designers and workshops. The space comprises 7 or 8 rooms and ip to 300 works are often displayed with excellent background information, sketches and drawings also exhibited . Collections displayed are assembled from loans from many private and public collections throughout the world. The exhibition is a free and open every day except Wednesday. I recommend these excellent exhibitions as an opportunity to see works that are otherwise often only seen in books . A first rate series of catalogues have been produced and many are available and are extremely good value. The exhibition space is run jointly by the Cini Foundation in Venice and the Pentagram Stiftung.
2. Ca' Rezzonico
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,816 reviews
Immerse yourself in Venice's Age of Decadence with a visit to this lavish palace of the Venetian aristocracy Rezzonico, which houses an unsurpassed collection of eighteenth-century Venetian art.
Reviewed By Daisy100London
Interesting paintings, well labelled and explained in several languages. Porcelain of many makes, furniture. Nice and cool when really hot outside. Has a lift to get you to all floors. Friendly and helpful staff. Nice cafe with friendly waiter. Is directly at vaporetti stop of same name. Strongly recommend.
3. Doge's Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26,297 reviews
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the building and its sculptural decoration date from various periods. The interior, with works by artists such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, A.Vittoria and Tiepolo, includes vast council chambers, superbly decorated residential apartments, and austere prison cells. Along the facades of the Palace run loggias that overlook St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon. The combined entrance ticket to the St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana.
Reviewed By I5778HMtrevors - Kidderminster, United Kingdom
As part of a tour through viator including Basillica. Doges Palace is superb with beautiful Paintings everywhere Did tour including dungeons so walked over Bridge of Sighs All amazing Suggest earliest Guided tour available to beat the crowds
4. Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,434 reviews
This satellite gallery of the famous Guggenheim in New York occupies the 17th-century Customs House in Venice, featuring modern and contemporary works of art.
Reviewed By MarlsGo
This is well worth a visit for any fans of surrealist art! Married to Max Ernst - Peggy Guggenheim collated a fantastic art collection - Magritte, Mondrian, Pollock, Dali and Miro to name a few are all amongst the notable collection.
5. Museo Querini Stampalia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 250 reviews
In the heart of Venice, near Piazza San Marco, is one of the most interesting cultural complexes in the city: Palazzo Querini Stampalia, the home of the Foundation of the same name created in 1868 by Count Giovanni.The Library, with around 340.000 volumes for public use, the Museum with its eighteenth century and neoclassical furniture, an area for temporary exhibitions and the new Auditorium designed by Mario Botta are housed there.
Reviewed By 227ianc - London, United Kingdom
A hidden gem in Venice, five minutes walk from the Palasso Grimaldi and roughly half way between Rialto and St Mark on a route tourists don't follow, the Fondazione Querini Stampalia is easy to miss even when you are in the square in front of it due to its discrete entrance from a bridge across the rio. The Foundation is a cultural institution founded in 1869 by Conte Giovanni (Count John), the last descendant of the Venetian Querini Stampalia family. Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, famous for his sensitive modern additions to historic buildings, designed modernist additions historic buildings to create a cultural complex which connects into the historic home of the Querini Stampalia family, displaying historic collections and supporting a variety of different activities and exhibitions. It also houses a loan collection from the Intesa Sanpaolo banking group. For the Biennale, modern art includes interventions and photographs by Roman Opalka in the historic rooms and a major exhibition of the work of the German painter Jorg Immendorff, while there is also an explanatory display on the Count and his library and modern art on display in Scarpa's ground floor spaces at the level of the rio. The admission charge allows admission to all the exhibition and museum areas, plus there is a cafe. There is much more to see than you might appreciate so plan to spend a serious amount of time in this fascinating complex.
6. Natural History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 885 reviews
Housed in the Fontego dei Turchi Palace at the Grand Canal, the museum is an institution that coordinates and conducts scientific research in the territory, ensuring the maintenance and increase of scientific collections, organizing educational activities and services to the citizens. The new, evocative and engaging layout has a modern and original museological facility.
Reviewed By zubenel57 - Dundee, United Kingdom
This museum is situated on the south bank of the Grand canal where the nearest ferry terminal is at San Stae and we got entry via our Venezia Unica museum pass. The museum housed collections of flora, fauna, palaeontology & ethnography which was amassed from the world's continents by Venice's eminent explorers. I have visited a number of Natural history museums in the past but where this museum excelled was in the use of lighting and 3-D positioning of exhibits. I particularly enjoyed the fossil, seashell and butterfly sections. There were a number of local school groups in the museum at the time we were there, as it is a place that would be educationally good for children.
7. Museo di Palazzo Grimani
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 243 reviews
Open to the public on December 20, 2008, after a long restoration, it is currently a Museum belonging to the Veneto Museum Pole. Palazzo Grimani constitutes for the city of Venice a particularly precious novelty for the originality of the architecture, for the decorations and for its history. The long restoration by the Superintendence included the interior decorations, including: the Camerino di Callisto, with stucco by Giovanni da Udine; the Camerino di Apollo, with frescoes by Francesco Salviati and Giovanni da Udine; the Sala del Doge Antonio, decorated with stucco and polychrome marbles; the Sala a Fogliami by Camillo Mantovano, with the ceiling entirely covered with fruit trees, flowers and animals; and the Tribune that housed more than a hundred pieces of the archaeological collection. Here, the sculpture depicting the Kidnapping of Ganimede is suspended in the center of the vault decorated by lacunae.
Reviewed By stefanom8 - Penang Island, Malaysia
A very well restored palazzo, home to one of Venice's greatest families. From the Renaissance courtyard you move to the first and second floors. The latter hosts temporary exhibitions; the former shows the family's grandeur, and is particularly interesting because the 16th century Grimanis seem strongly influenced by Roman and Florentine Mannerism. Don't miss
8. Palazzo Fortuny (Pesaro degli Orfei)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 256 reviews
Situated in the Gothic palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei in Campo San Beneto; the building was transformed by Mariano Fortuny into his own photography, set-design, stagecraft, fabric-creation and painting atelier: the building still testify to all of these activities, with various art and tapestries collections. The museum also hosts temporary art exhibitions, all of which closely connected to the spirit of its founder. Now closed due to maintenance work. It will reopen on December 14th, with the exhibition FUTURUINES
Reviewed By SaraF742 - Denver, United States
The fabric and photographs, paintings, artifacts— oh my what a lots of wonderful real things to get close to without the crowds. In depth story about the family and the fabric designs. Peggy Guggenheim had a dress made in the tiny pleated art (something currently an inspiration for a Navajo Native American friend who is a fashion designer). I say a dress made in this style in a Fortuny store in the San Marco area, as viable a design as when originally conceived. Hard not to "feel the goods" in the museum, fingers simply ache to want to touch! The early photos and the art by the elder Fortuny were additional glimpses into areas we cannot otherwise now know.
9. Palazzo Mocenigo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 509 reviews
A patrician residence at San Stae, Palazzo Mocenigo houses valuable 18th century artworks and is also home to the Study Centre for the History of Textiles and Costumes. A fine selection of rare textiles and costumes of particular importance are displayed. The collection is laid out with a significant importance given to garments and accessories. Mainly of Venetian origin, the works are often embellished with lace and embroidery, skills of several artisans who made such a contribution to that refined luxury and elegance for which the Venetians of those days were famous for.
Reviewed By JandApe - Uxbridge, United Kingdom
Venice has a surfeit of riches - especially when it comes to historic attractions. The “Premier League” ones such as the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s etc. are so popular, that a visit requires some prior planning – or a long time standing in line. If you don’t have the appetite for either, then the Palazzo Mocenigo could be the place you are looking for. You just alight from the #1 vaporetto at San Stae, walk up the “salizada” to the right of the church and within seconds – you’re there. The Palazzo is billed as being the best preserved example, of a noble Venetian family’s residence. A family that produced an impressive seven Doge’s, during the 15th through to the 18th centuries. On that count alone, it does not disappoint. The rooms are obviously a shadow of their “peak opulence” but are still very impressive. Throw in the artworks, a display of 18th century clothing and an interesting exhibition on the development of the perfume industry and you have a very enjoyable couple of hours. The whole experience was amplified by the unaggressive stewardship of the staff. On so many occasions, a visit to an attraction has been ruined by the wail of proximity alarms, or the piercing gaze of overly cautious guardians. Not that I blame establishments for this, tourists can be monumentally stupid at times. Plonking their derrieres on delicate antique furniture and above all, exhibiting a curious desire to touch anything within reach. On the whole - we get what we deserve. Palazzo Mocenigo may not be at the top of Venice’s “must see” list of attractions but a visit should satisfy almost everybody’s expectations – and then some.
10. Museo della Musica
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 363 reviews
Reviewed By AndaLibra - Bucharest, Romania
Before coming to Venice we looked for a museum dedicated to Vivaldi. Sadly we could not find anything other than this museum of old instruments hosted in San Maurizio church. We liked it very much, both history of musical instruments was very interesting, as well as "live" examples. The background was of course Vivaldi music. All in all a very nice and enlightening time spent in an atmosphere of classical music. There are a lot of interesting CDs and books that can be purchased on site. Entrance is free.
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