Things to do in Venice

Venice is built across more than a hundred small islands in a shallow lagoon, stitched together by bridges and canals instead of roads. Its centre is compact, car-free and full of detail: Byzantine mosaics in St Mark's Basilica, the Gothic lacework of the Doge's Palace, and palazzi lining the Grand Canal that once belonged to merchant dynasties.

The best way to enjoy it is to mix the headline sights with slower moments. Book timed entry for the busiest monuments, take to the water by gondola or boat, and leave room to get pleasantly lost in the quieter sestieri or out on the lagoon islands of Murano and Burano.