It's the main square of the city and with its 12.280 m² it's said to be the largest square on a sea…read moreof all Europe. Built under the Austrian-Hungarian Empire it has been remodeled various time during the years, but it's still surrounded by big buildings of more or less the same age: they are so beautiful that you can really spend hours just admiring out their architectural details! It's also a great spot if you like photography, and not just because of those historic buildings surrounding it. As mentioned, the square is right on the Adriatic Sea but it's also surrounded by the Carso hills: the two details combined make always interesting pics. Also, from the square you can witness gorgeous sunsets and if the weather conditions are right, you can even see the Alps on the horizon, which are particularly beautiful when they have snow on their tops! You will always find lots of locals walking on the square: it's one of the favorite places by "Triestini" to relax. It is also used for events, concerts and during Christmas time it is adorned with several light up Christmas trees. As for the rest of the city in general, parking is very difficult, but you can reach the square via public transportation (or even just by foot, depending on your location).

An incredible piazza nestled at the foothills of the Carso opening straight into the source of the…read moreAdriatic. One of the few Grande Italian Piazza's in a major city that open's directly to the sea providing magnificent views of the sea with Mountain peaks on a clear day. The buildings surround the piazza have wonderful Austro-Hungarian design and more or less provide the dividing point between the Italian and Austrian facades that split the city.

Venice's only Gothic church. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It is simply called "I…read moreFrari" as it was built by the brothers (frati) of the Franciscan order. LOCATION: In the San Polo sestiere but I remember just stumbling onto it while walking the island from my hotel in Dorsoduro to the train station on the opposite side of the island. ADMISSION: €3 Modest dress requested. I'm an atheist but as Christianity was highly influential in shaping European history I visit churches with the intent of understanding the history (and sometimes) art in shaping a region's cultural identity. As the Frari is not in San Marco, Rialto or any other major Venetian landmark I would've easily missed this church if not for Rick Steves' audioguide (http://podcasts.ricksteves.com/walkingtours/FrariChurch.mp3). His reasoning is that offers an opportunity to experience art in-situ (right where it was designed to be seen) as opposed to hanging in a museum. The audioguide explains the major art pieces in detail way better than I ever can. Here's a summary of the major pieces inside the church. - Titian's Assumption of Mary. This is considered to be Titian's magnum opus and his first major commission from a church. It's located behind the main altar. Its depiction of Mary was revolutionary for its time as she is seen as triumphant and depicted in soft and warm colors. - Titian's Madonna of Ca' Pesaro. What's significant is that this broke Renaissance tradition by depicting Mary and Jesus off-center and interacting with the commonfolk. - Giovanni Bellini's Madonna and Child aka the Frari Triptych. - Tombs of Titian and Canova. Titian had his tomb decorated with a relief of his most famous painting. On the other side Canova's cenotaph (Venice's most famous sculptor) is pyramid-shaped and was once meant for Titian, but when the church used the present design his pupils repurposed it for their master instead. It's a cenotaph because he isn't buried here but an urn contains his heart. Once you're done exploring the church the surrounding area is quieter than San Marco or Rialto. It makes for a good lunch/dinner spot and the prices are more reasonable.

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (aka Frari Church) was one of my favorite attractions in Venice…read more The church is beautiful, there were no lines to wait in, and the cost was only 3 Euros per person. Frari church has many beautiful Venetian sculptures. The main highlight at this church is Titian's Assumption over the main alter. We downloaded Rick Steves' free audio tour onto to our iPods and it really added to the experience since our knowledge on Venetian art and Frari Church were minimal. You can download the free audio tour at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/italy-audio-tours/id272230438 After you visit the church I recommend checking out the Dorsoduro neighborhood along the Grand Canal and buying a cone of gelato!

We've been in Venice several times. Always a joy. But somehow we've never made it to Burano. So…read morethis time we did. Had a weekly pass for the Vaporetto and took the No.12 from Fondamenta Nove in Venice. The trip took around 40min. And even on a weekday in April the Vaporetto was completely packed. But Burano is popular for good reason, it's an insanely pretty place! The Vaporetto will stop at the northern part of the small island. And it is indeed small. You can explore it easy in a few hours. It's very walkable - and most parts are even fit for wheelchairs and strollers (special bridges for these). From here you best get to the Fondamenta Assassini and Mauro. That will take you Vial Baldassare Galupp, the main drag here in Burano with countless shops, cafés and restaurants. And the famous buidlings in all colors (not just on this street of course). Soon you will reach the main Piazza with the lovely Chiesa di San Martino. Its tower is pretty tilted/leaning. You can see it clearly from further away west. From there you can head to the Fondamenta Cao di Rio - a more quite walk along along the canal. We did just that and then walked along the also pretty quiet Fondamenta della Peschera in the south. That will bring you back to the Fondamenta Cavanella and then Fondamenta Mauro where you came in first. It's a nice little round-trip. Of course there's more to explore. But this covers the most important and famous parts. There's also good food. Many good option. Cicchetti of course. But we've felt like a real meal and had lunch at the Osteria Cicchetteria da Gigetto. Excellent fried seafood and wonderful pasta. Nicely located at a more quiet canal. It's a really lovely place, this small island. The colors are amazing, we were lucky to get a picture-perfect blue skied day. And the colors were really glowing. It's definitely a must-do at least once. The ride there isn't that much fun, but definitely worth it.

What a treat! Watching an authentic woman who has had the tradition of lace making passed down to…read moreher was an honor to witness! Looking around the island during my visit was special and hearing about the tradition of painting the houses in colors that stand out because the men who are fisherman need to see their house distinct from others in the foggy weather! True or False...Burano benefits by having beautiful homes that tourists find unique! We had lunch while On the island and the food was fresh and tasty... If in Venice..only 30 mins or so distance..you can catch a public water bus and I would say it is worth it!

Spent most of a rainy day here. Steeped in history. Great view of the Gulf of Trieste and…read moresurrounding area. We purchased tickets for a photography exhibit here. The works of Robert Capa were on display. We were mesmerized by his photos taken in Italy during WW II. There are also several interactive things to do. We decided to have lunch here since it was pouring and were compelled to return to the photo exhibit. Alinarimage has computer set up at the exhibit so you can scroll through thousands of photos of Italy. If you see something you like, you can have it emailed to you at no cost.

Fountains map at venicetapwater.org, always updated and complete. For a plasticfree Venice trip. I…read moredrink water wisely!!! No more plastic in town. Play your part and drink Venice Tap Water

On a particularly hot day while walking around Venice, the stores ran out of bottled water. Where…read moreto find water? The storekeeper gestured towards the courtyard, "Fountain". We saw the fountain. Water ran out of it continuously from a lion's mouth. It looked like it was built a century ago. Or longer (see photo). Is this water drinkable? We consulted the WWW: Yes, water from Venice fountains is potable. At Piazzale Roma, visitors were given an empty bottle and a map of the 122 drinking fountains across Venice to fill/refill the bottle [http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jun/04/water.italy]. The water was refreshing and tasted great. Ever since that day, we cheered up heat-exhausted and lost tourists in Venice by pointing out the nearby fountain to rehydrate and by giving them directions.

Having spent a few years in Friuli, i have been able to visit some local gems that have maintained…read moretheir amazing historical flavor. Palmanova is one such amazing example. Built in the the late 1500s by venetian magnates, this fortress city has maintained its original shape and size. It is a well-preserved Friulian medium-size town/city. If you are looking for modern buildings, this is definitely NOT your place. This place proudly maintains its local flavor (holding many a fair during the summer time). It is quite peaceful and has many an historical places to visit and freshen up on local history. So, grab a detailed Friuli tourists book, or head to the visitors center. Better just yet, consult google-san and yoy won't regret the visit. AND, just grab a bite to eat (ask locals on which is the best restaurant, they know the tiniest but greatest places). Better just yet, get yourself a nice gelato, sit down on a bench in the center of the town and do some people's watching. .. it is endlessly entertaining: specially nonnos playing cards and nonnas knitting.