Experience the magical city of Venice, its atmosphere of mystery and exotic romance, picturesque canals, famous art and architecture, and intricately interwoven past and present in a day trip. See the famous San Mark´s Square and Grand Canal, learn about the past and the future of Venice, admire great Venetian art and cross the Rialto Bridge. With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one’s bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco. Our guide will walk you through St. Mark’s square to see all the major sights. As the largest square in the city and the only one given the designation of “piazza”, the others are all referred to as “campi”, St. Mark’s Square has always been the location of important government buildings and other facilities central to the goings on in Venice. The centerpiece of the piazza is, of course, magnificent St. Mark’s Basilica. Commissioned in 1071 by doge Domenico Contarini, this amazing church is built in Venetian-Byzantine style, a mixture of western and eastern styles. The basilica has a separate campanile – bell tower – that stands 98.6 meters tall (323 ft) and is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Originally built in the ninth century, the current version was rebuilt in 1912 after the original tower collapsed in 1902. The other dominant building around St. Mark’s Square is the Doge’s Palace. A beautiful Gothic structure, it faces the Venetian lagoon and was completed in the early fifteenth century, though portions of it were rebuilt after a fire in 1574. Also located along the square are the twelfth century Procuratie Vecchie, buildings that housed the apartments and offices of the procurators.