Grand Canal Walking Tour (Self Guided), Venice

The main waterway in Venice, Grand Canal snakes in an "S" shape through the center of the city, dividing its main districts. On both sides of this thoroughfare are the most beautiful buildings dating from the 12th to the 18th centuries that tell the story of a thousand years of Venetian splendor. While one can view the architectural parade from water buses, our self-guided walking tour offers the opportunity to see some magnificent masterpieces up close and even step inside them.

In 2016, stellar architect Rem Koolhaas converted one of the city’s elegant 16th-century palazzo – Fondaco dei Tedeschi – into a posh department store, centered on an elegant courtyard. A roof deck above has rotating art exhibitions and quite possibly the most spectacular view of Venice. Meanwhile, the other grand palazzo of the Grand Canal, Fondaco dei Turchi, is occupied by the Natural History Museum’s beautiful collection of big game taxidermy, insects, marine life, fossils, and other interesting finds collected by Venetians over the centuries, as they explored the world.

Another sight not to miss is the yellow gold Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti – so distinctive, indeed, which is a rare attribute in this city of grandeur. Located just across the Accademia bridge, it neighbors the Palazzo Barbarigo, which has been adorned with Murano glass mosaics since the late 1800s.

While there’s no shortage of eye-catching churches along the way, the baroque Santa Maria della Salute, supported by over 1,150,000 wooden pylons, is arguably most picturesquely situated. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Health/Deliverance (“salute”), it takes the form of a rotunda, or as its architect intended, “the shape of a crown”.

Time may have passed, but the Grand Canal is still, to quote a French ambassador in the 15th century, “the most beautiful street in the world”. Follow this walk along interesting narrow streets and we’re sure you’ll agree.

Getting to Sight #1. The first tour stop (Santa Lucia Train Station) can be reached by: Water Bus: 1, 1/, 3, 4.1, 5.1, 4.2, 5.2, 2, 2/, N; Tram: T1; Bus: 12L, 84, 5E, 6E, 12E, 53E, 56.