This is usually the starting point if you do not want to be picked up from another meeting point. We then move right away from the tourist hustle and bustle and delve into the hidden and quiet corners of Venice.

As a highlight of my tours, I often start or end here by taking my guests to a rooftop terrace by the Rialto Bridge. If you stand on the Rialto Bridge you have a wonderful view of the Canal Grande and can watch the hustle and bustle. There is always a lot of traffic to be seen, the public water buses (vaporetti), taxi boats, gondolas, delivery boats, police and fire brigade, also private boats. During events, e.g. the Regatta Storica, you can see the decorated boats and rowers here. Many rowing competitions, etc. take place on the Grand Canal. Crossing the Rialto Bridge one enters the area where Venice was born. This is where the first traders who sold fabrics, spices, etc. came to be found.

As a highlight of my tours, I often start or end here by taking my guests to a rooftop terrace by the Rialto Bridge. If you stand on the Rialto Bridge you have a wonderful view of the Canal Grande and can watch the hustle and bustle. There is always a lot of traffic to be seen, the public water buses (vaporetti), taxi boats, gondolas, delivery boats, police and fire brigade, also private boats. During events, e.g. the Regatta Storica, you can see the decorated boats and rowers here. Many rowing competitions, etc. take place on the Grand Canal. Crossing the Rialto Bridge one enters the area where Venice was born. This is where the first traders who sold fabrics, spices, etc. came to be found.

This delightful church is right on a canal and a very popular square that invites you to linger. In the vernacular, the Miracoli is called "the treasure chest" because of its construction. From May onwards, weddings take place here almost every Saturday. Watching this is a special experience. If you're lucky, you might even see a decorated wedding gondola with gondoliers in white uniforms. The Chiesa Santa Maria dei Miracoli is famous for its special architecture and material. It is built entirely of marble. A visit is also worthwhile. However, it costs admission. Many Venetians meet on the Campo for a chat. Tourists like to take a seat in the garden of a café right on the canal with a view of the church, where there are also mask shops and an old bookshop. A few meters further is the former apartment of Donna Leon, the author of the Brunnetti books.

Here are the largest church and the city hospital. Many doges and rich citizens are buried in the church. Unfortunately there is an entrance fee if you want to enter and view the church, but during my tours I go in with my guests and explain what is to see. Here z. B. the funeral service of Igor Stravinsky took place. Since it is a parish church, weddings and funerals are often held here. In an adjoining room, an antique market takes place regularly, where e.g. B. old jewelry, glasses, photos, books, paintings and much more is offered. Outside there is a kind of flea market about 4 times a year. Here, too, only old objects are sold, no clothes. In the portal you can see carvings reminiscent of a story that, according to legend, happened here. Since COVID, you can no longer enter the hospital without a reason. The only exception: visiting the museum on the first floor.

The bookstore has developed into a hotspot. The staircase of books in the small garden attracts crowds of tourists who want to be photographed on it. The Libreria, especially the book staircase, is particularly popular with Instagramers for the “unique and one-off photo”. The shop is still a treasure trove for book lovers. New and old books can be found here, as well as four cats.