Things to See in Venice

This magnificent 15th-century Gothic structure got its name (Golden House) from the gilding that once decorated the facade. The building now houses the Galleria Franchetti, an impressive collection of bronzes, tapestries and paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries. A big incentive for visiting is the panorama from the balconies over the Grand Canal.

St Mark's is one of the most spectacular houses of worship in the world, attesting to the Venetian Republic's former maritime and commercial might. Adorned with an incredible array of plundered treasures, it is a seething mass of domes and arches. The dress code requires knees, shoulders and upper arms be covered.

Long the official arbiter of artistic taste in Venice, the 'Academy' is home to the finest in Venetian old masters, a veritable feast of High Renaissance, baroque and rococo. Although the city is dotted by works of the greats, this one-stop starburst represents a single, intense lesson in the greatness of Venetian high art from the 14th to 18th centuries.

This superb 17th- to 18th-century mansion, facing the Grand Canal, is the Museum of the 18th Century. Designed by Longhena and completed in the 1750s by Massari, it was home to several notables over the years, including the poet Robert Browning, who died here. The grand residence holds a collection of 18th-century art and furniture, and provides a rare insight into how the Venetian nobility lived towards the end of La Serenissima.

Eccentric millionaire art collector Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) called the unfinished Palazzo Venier dei Leoni home for 30 years. She left behind, apart from her cherished dogs buried with her in the sculpture garden, a collection representing most of the major art movements of the 20th century. Works by Picasso, Dali and Miro make this an essential visit.

A box of a corner bar, this is another excellent new spot to sip on quality wines and munch on attractively presented cicheti. There's barely room to swing a deep-fried moeca in here but it's worth popping by, even if just for a glass and a couple of snacks before moving on. Unafraid of experiments, you find yourself on occasion surrounded by sushi.

Traditionally, a fritolin was an eatery where diners sat at a common table and dug into fried seafood and polenta, or wrapped it up in paper and took it away. At lunchtime you can still get takeaway pesse in scartosso (fried fish), but things have changed. Here you'll find pasta that's homemade (as arebread and desserts), and all ingredients are purchased daily at the nearby Rialto markets.

A good catch for fish and even better for the location. Grab a seat on the generous pontoon set out from the footpath and gaze over the Canale della Giudecca while getting stuck into some tender fish of the day. Some tables are set aside for drinking only, grand for an early afternoon tipple in the summer sun.

Although it's also a place to eat, Harry's is, of course, first and foremost a bar. Everyone who is anyone passing through Venice usually ends up in Harry's sooner or later. The Aga Khan lounged around here, and other characters as diverse as Orson Welles, Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote have all sipped a cocktail or two at Harry's.

This is a highly popular spot for a spritz and chat into the early hours. It attracts a hip mix of young wannabes and Biennale types with shades - you can't blame them, as you get the afternoon sun shining straight through your cocktail glass.

Wander into this fusty wine bar across from the Chiesa di San Trovaso for a prosecco beneath the bar's low rafters and in the light provided by dodgy bulbs. Alternatively, buy a bottle of whatever takes your fancy and take it away. The place has been known to stay open longer than the advertised times, and the panini (sandwiches) are great if your tummy's rumbling.