The best city hikes and walks around Darsena Grande

🍽️ Taverna Scalinetto is a traditional Venetian restaurant located in the Castello district, between Piazza San Marco and the Arsenale, in a quiet area away from the busiest routes.

The Church of San Roque (Chiesa di San Rocco) is located in Campo San Rocco, in the San Polo district, very close to the Frari Basilica.

The La Fenice Theatre is one of the most famous opera houses in the world and one of the great cultural jewels of Venice. It is located in the San Marco district, a few minutes' walk from St. Mark's Square. "La Fenice" means "The Phoenix", the mythological bird that is reborn from its ashes. The name proved very appropriate because the theatre has been destroyed by fires and rebuilt several times throughout its history.

Located just a short walk from St. Mark's Square, the Church of San Moisè stands out with its extraordinary facade, one of the grandest and most debated examples of exuberant baroque in Venice. Rebuilt in the 17th century thanks to the legacy of the Fini brothers, the facade designed by Alessandro Tremignon is a triumph of sculptures, busts, angels, and telamons celebrating the grandeur of the commissioning family. The interior, with a single nave, reflects the same theatrical splendor, culminating in the immense high altar: a monumental stone sculptural group by Heinrich Meyring depicting Mount Sinai with Moses receiving the Tables of the Law. In addition to the rich plastic decoration, the church preserves valuable canvases by Tintoretto and Palma il Giovane, offering visitors a total immersion in the most lavish, dramatic, and scenographic aesthetic of the Serenissima.

The Church of San Rocco, located in the square of the same name in the San Polo district, is one of the most significant and frequented places of worship in Venice. Built at the end of the 15th century to celebrate Saint Roch, protector against the terrible plague epidemics that struck the city, it still houses the saint's remains. The splendid current facade, in a late Baroque style and rich in sculptures, was created in the second half of the 18th century by Bernardino Maccaruzzi, who was inspired by the nearby and monumental Scuola Grande di San Rocco. The interior, with a single nave, is a true treasure chest of art, dominated by an extraordinary series of canvases signed by Jacopo Tintoretto, which narrate the life of the titular saint. Every year, on August 16th, the church becomes the focal point of a historic celebration: on this occasion, the facade is traditionally protected by an imposing canopy of wood and fabric to welcome the procession of the highest city authorities.

The Church of San Simeone Piccolo, located in the Santa Croce district of Venice, welcomes visitors right in front of the Santa Lucia train station, offering one of the first and most striking visual impacts with the city. Originally built in the 9th century, the current structure dates back to the 18th-century reconstruction based on the design of architect Giovanni Antonio Scalfarotto. The building is distinguished by its monumental copper-green dome and its classical temple pronaos, clearly inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The interior has a central plan and houses a vast underground crypt, a true hypogean cemetery decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from the Via Crucis and the Old Testament. This church is also known today because the Tridentine Mass in Latin according to the ancient Roman rite is regularly celebrated there.

I think it's good that the church is free, unlike many churches in Venice. I find the paintings on the altar imposing, which are really huge. But the ceiling painting also stands out clearly.

Very busy canal that leads past the very beautiful buildings of Venice. We had a day ticket for the water buses for €25, absolutely recommendable, as you can see a lot of this impressive city this way.