Venice is completely packed full of tourists pretty much year round these days, but there are many places where it's possible to get away from the crowds--they are called museums, and this is a great one. It's devoted to 17th-century Venetian painting but also has room-full of fantastic carved furniture, worth seeing all by itself, ceiling paintings throughout, and a separate collection of works donated by Ferruccio Mestrovich, where I wandered through the rooms for a full 45 minutes without seeing another person. This is on the Grand Canal! This is where Robert Browning lived in the 19th century! You can go down to the cafe and sit basically on the water with a glass of wine for as long as you like. Get a museum day pass and a day transportation pass. read more