There is perhaps no other European city quite as romantic, as exquisitely beautiful or as enigmatic as Venice. 'La Serenissima' floats on a hundred islets in a crescent-shaped lagoon, ribboned with canals, its labyrinth shadowed with ghosts of the past. This seemingly fragile city was the birthplace and inspiration for some of the greatest artists in history and was also, for a thousand years, the strongest sea-faring and mercantile power in the world. In Strolling Through Venice, John Freely brings Venice - her past and her present - alive.
Beginning at Piazza San Marco, Freely guides the reader on a series of carefully planned and unique walks radiating from the iconic Grand Canal into each of the city's sestieri. Through streets and squares, along canals, into churches, galleries, museums and palazzi; every major place of interest that the visitor could hope to see is illuminated. At each spot Freely peels back the layers of history to reveal the stories of Venice. Practical and informative, richly coloured and bursting with history, myth and legend, Strolling Through Venice is the perfect guide for anyone who has fallen under the spell of this most enchanting city.

PRAISE FOR JOHN FREELY'S OTHER BOOKS
Strolling Through Athens
""A magnificent walking guide to the city...His knowledge is encyclopaedic…he brings the millenniums of history alive. If you want a cultural guide to the ancient city, this is the one for you."" Anthony Sattin, ""Books of the Week"", Sunday Times
Strolling Through Istanbul
""…a classic. The best travel guide to Istanbul"" The Times
The Western Shores of Turkey
""…Enchanting guide…a work of genuine scholarship, lightly worn and charmingly conveyed. I fell in love with the book and stayed enamoured until the final page."" Paul Bailey, The Sunday Times
Inside the Seraglio
""Freely provides a fascinating, easy-to-follow overview, beautifully researched and riveting in its detail."" Christopher Fowler, Independent on Sunday