Torcello

You have to visit the isle of Torcello, one of the Lagoon's oldest and most important centres, that recent excavations proved was inhabited by the Romans since the I and II centuries b.C.. Today scattered among the squares and gardens are a few houses and two architectural treasures: the church of St. Fosca and the cathedral of St. Maria Assunta. The former is a Byzantine style church with a central plan belonging to the XII century; the latter is an important Romanesque building built by the exarch Isaccio in the VII century. Enlarged many times, the inside shines with marble and mosaics, whereas the outside with its smooth stone walls is similar to the religious architecture that you can find in Ravenna, Grado and Parenzo.

Burano

Burano is a fisherman's island overlooked by a large church with a high leaning church tower. This island is renowned all over the world for its lace makers, who still work the ancient lace, a techique that together with the glassworks has reached very high standards throughout the centuries.

Il Lido

The island of the Lido is one of the most famous and best equipped Italian beaches: in the past in the day of the "Sposalizio del mare" (sea's wedding) it was the destination of the "corteo doganale"; nowadays in summer (from April to October) the Municipal Casino is established there, whereas the Palazzo del Cinema holds the annual International Cinematographic Art Exhibition. Following the Murazzi, an artificial reef built by the Venetians in the XVIII in order to defend the lagoon from the sea, you can reach an old fisherman's village called Malamocco, and not too far away the Alberoni, where a big golf course spreads down to the seaside.

San Francesco del Deserto

The little island of St. Francesco del Deserto is a quiet and peaceful paradise that recalls St. Francesco from Assisi. It is said that the saint passed by here in 1220 returning from an attempt to reach Palestine.

Chioggia

The city of Chioggia is the lagoon's largest centre after Venice; with its huge Cathedral, its various churches and palaces created by the same architects and painters who embellished Venice, its canals and its many "calli" it seems to be a miniature copy of Venice, but is actually very different. The city's main industry has always been fishing (Chioggia  is one of Italy's most important fishing harbours) to which the growing of market gardens and  more recently, tourism at the nearby wide beach of Sottomarina have been added.

San Lazzaro degli Armeni

This is the island where the Armenian fathers settled at the beginning of the XVII century. The island became a thriving cultural centre which nowadays is still furnished with perfectly functional printing works and is enriched by many works of art.

Pellestrina

The island of Pellestrina and the buildings of St. Pietro in Volta and Pellestrina, form a little strip of land which separates the lagoon from the sea. The long walls of the Murazzi protect it from the sea and link it to the island of Caroman, now a wildlife conservation area.