Being one of the super powers of the world, of course, there is a basilica within this great city. St. Mark’s Basilica is richly decorated outside in gold-leafed panels, different colors of marble, and tells an amazing story. There stand four grand horses on the outside; spoils from Constantinople. There is another spoil of war called the Four Tetrarchs. These four men were portraits of Roman emperors and brought to Venice during one of the crusades.

Inside, see all that glimmering gold? Believe it or not, that isn’t marble or paintings. What you are seeing is a masterful exhibit of mostly gold mosaic pieces. With more than 8,000 square meters of mosaic, covering 28 meters wide to 21 meters high that’s a horde of tiny pieces! Stuck on these walls is not only gold leaf glass mosaic pieces but millions of semi-precious, and precious stones, and silver. Nothing within this Basilica will bore you. Everything is breathtaking.

Getting into the Basilica is quite tricky. Very long lines begin to form early, especially when all the tour groups begin to enter the city. Plan on standing in line for around 45 minutes. However, guided tours can be made in advanced, and even reserved access can be made. Depending on when your travel to Venice is, this may or may not be the best option.