Arts & Culture

RICK STEVES' EUROPE: Venice: City Of Dreams

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer

Published July 11, 2017 at 7:02 AM PDT

Venice, Italy: view toward San Giorgio Maggiore.

Airs Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 4 p.m. on KPBS TV

Venice, more than any other European city, has an endlessly seductive charm. For centuries, it was nicknamed La Serenissima, "The Most Serenely Beautiful One" — and for good reason.

In this episode, after sorting through the monuments of Venice's powerful past, we'll cruise the Grand Canal and be dazzled by masterpieces of the Venetian Renaissance.

Along the way we'll feast on Venetian treats, get a splash of modern art, then glide on a gondola through this city of elegant decay.

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More From Rick: Articles on Venice

"Barefoot in Venice" by Rick Steves

"Venice: Planning Your Time" by Rick Steves

"Venice by Night" by Rick Steves

More than any other city, Venice is the place to get out early, or stay out late, where around each corner is an excuse to savor the magic of the city.

For open air art in Venice, you need only to look at the canals. Sleek and graceful, gondolas are a symbol of this most serene city. On a gondola, romantics glide through their own parallel Venice, experiencing echoes of the past, and reflections of once upon a time grandeur.

After sorting through the monuments of Venice's powerful past, we'll trace its decline from Europe's most powerful city to its most hedonistic one. We'll cruise the Grand Canal, luxuriate in a venerable café, and savor fresh fish canal-side with Venetian friends. Becoming as anonymous as possible in this city of masks, we'll be dazzled by masterpieces of the Venetian Renaissance and get intimate with the city of Casanova...on a gondola in the moonlight.

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Venice Lagoon: Zattere waterfront, Italy.

Released in late 2012, Season 7 of RICK STEVES' EUROPE features 14 vivid episodes covering London, Paris, Venice, Florence, and Rome in delicious, wide-screen, high-definition — plus the highlights of Northern England and three European travel skills episodes filled with practical, experience-enhancing, money-saving tips and insights.

Past episodes and clips of RICK STEVES' EUROPE are available for viewing on demand.

RICK STEVES' EUROPE: Venice: City Of Dreams

Airs Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 4 p.m. on KPBS TV

More From Rick: Articles on Venice

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