We went through the cathedral. What a sight! It was very unfortunate that we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. You were also not allowed inside if you had your shoulders or knees exposed.

Ah, San Marco, the center of tourism in Venice. It wasn't terribly crowded with tourists when I went, as it was winter and freezing, but I've heard it suggested that this is NOT the place to start your tour of Venice, as the crowds of tourists may turn you off of the city.

That said, the Basilica di San Marco is a gorgeous church. I can't tell you how much my feet enjoy walking on marble.

In the high season, the lines are said to be quite long, so making an early morning visit is probably your best bet. If you have a backpack, you can't bring it inside. I have a small daypack, though, which they let me take in.

When you enter, if you go up the stairs to the right of the entrance, you can pay 1,50€ for entrance into a little mosaic museum. This is definitely a must. You get a great view of the mosaics, as well as information and samples of some older incomplete pieces. The original horses are also on display in the museum. You also get access to the balcony above the entrance, where the horses are on display, for a nice little view of the piazza.

There are free bathrooms in the museum, but it's one per sex, so there might be a bit of a wait.

Phone: (041) 522 52 05

Basilica and Treasury are open Oct – May 9:45 am – 4 pm Mon-Sat, 2 - 4 pm Sun, Jun-Sep 9:45 am – 5:30 pm Mon-Sat, 2 pm - 5:30 pm Sun Museum is open Oct – May 9:45 am – 4 pm Mon-Sat, 9:45 am - 4 pm Sun, Jun-Sep 9:45 am – 5:30 pm Mon-Sat, 9:45 am - 5:30 pm Sun

Cost for the entry on the roof: 1.5 euros.

This was the grand finale of my vacation. The last day was San Marco. The trip was great. It started out with very interesting then switched to exciting, to amazing, to breathless, to speechless.

And San Marco became just that. The most amazing gorgeous cathedral I’ve seen on my trip. And I thought nothing could surprise me anymore. It still looks from outside just like it did on the 16-17th century paintings in Galleria Academia. All the frescoes on the ceiling and walls of the cathedral on the top part of the façade are made of mosaics with golden background. You can find here probably every bibleic story, it’s so huge. The styles of mosaics inside are different: some are closer to Byzantine, others are more of Renaissance reflection. There are several chapels, the altar is very large and you can see different types of columns behind it. The floors are put together as circles of increasing radii made up of marble pieces of different colors. As you walk up the stairs to the roof, you get to the balcony where the famous 4 horse statues of St Mark can be seen (the ones outside are copies and the originals are inside) and you can get an upclose look at the ceiling mosaics and the mosaics on the façade of the cathedral. You cannot take pictures but you can buy books or postcards inside which are inexpensive and are of good quality.