The San Marco basin is an area of the Venetian Lagoon where you can find the Riva degli Schiavoni the lively waterfront area and promenade in front of the Doges Palace.
It’s also a great place to gondola spot as it’s where lines of these iconic waterbourne vessels dock up.
You can also see the famous Bridge of Sighs that links the Doges Palace interrogation rooms to the New Prison.
The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last glimpse of Venice that convicts saw before being locked away.
The bridge’s evocative English name was given in the 19th century by Lord Byron. It’s translated from the Italian “Ponte dei sospiri”, the thought that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells.
San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the islands of Venice. The island, and its Palladian church, is an important landmark.
Away from the main waterfront, there are plenty of other tiny waterways to explore.
