Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is the main aquatic thoroughfare in central Venice. The S-shaped waterway follows an ancient riverbed from the Tronchetto parking island, the Piazzale Roma transit centre and the Santa Lucia railroad station to Piazza San Marco and St. Mark's Basin. The canal is about 4 km or 2.5 miles long, with a width that varies from 30 to 70 meters (98 to 230 feet).

The best way to see it is to ride the No. 1 vaporetto from the Piazzale Roma or the railroad station in the direction of San Marco, preferably in the evening when it's less busy. As the waterbus zigzags between stops on both sides of the canal during its 40-minute journey from the Piazzale Roma to San Zaccaria you'll pass under three bridges and see dozens of palaces that were built from the 12th to 18th centuries.