Half Day Guided Excursion to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello

Leaving from St Marks Square. After passing the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Public Gardens, Sant’Elena and the Lido, the motorboat berths at Murano, the island famous world wide for its glassblowing industry. Here you can visit a glasswork and learn the secrets of this art.

Next stop is Burano, a picturesque island famous not only for its precious laces but also for the brightly painted fishermen’s houses. Next, a sudden step back in time to the first settlements at Torcello; only the Cathedral with its magnificent mosaic of the Last Judgement and the Church of Santa Fosca today stands as testimony to the previous glory of the island. The excursion lasts approx three and a half hours.

Unusual Venice

The only way to visit the unusual and fascinating corners of Venice off the beaten track and where time seems to have stood still centuries ago. The guide leads you through a labyrinth of little canals, and sites of historic and artistic interest: Campo S.ta Maria Formosa surrounded by its rich palaces; Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo with its majestic gothic church and equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni by Verrocchio (1481).

El Milion, Marco Polo’s residence; Rialto Bridge lined with typical shops; its marketplace and the Church of S. Salvador, the contents of which include Tiziano’s last work, The Annunciation, whilst an alternative route is offered by an unique spiral staircase, called the Scala del Bovolo.

St Marks Area

The majestic St Marks Square with its gothic basilica and imposing Doges Palace is the focal point of the city. Byzantine in heritage, it was the monumental and political heart of the glorious Venetian Republic what from here dominated the seas.

Well worth a visit is the Basilica, shrine of St Mark’s mortal remains and dazzling showcase of golden mosaics, and the Doge’s Palace with its lace-like patterns of white and pink marble, where the elected doges used to live and govern. Its beautiful courtyard leads to magnificently decorated chambers with paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese, where the fortunes of the Republic were decided. The Palace is linked, via the famous Bridge of Sighs, to the prison, once home to all sorts of guests, including the famous Casanova. Note: Appropriate dress is required for entrance to the church (shoulders and knees must be covered).