Venice was once described as “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man,” and from these pictures it’s hard to disagree. You can now explore panoramic imagery of one of the most romantic spots in the world, captured with Google Street View Trekker technology.

It was impossible for Google to collect images of Venice with a Street View car or trike—blame the picturesque canals and narrow cobbled walkways—but Google team of backpackers took to the streets to give Google Maps a truly Shakespearean backdrop. And not just the streets—Google also loaded the Trekker onto a boat and floated by the famous gondolas to give you the best experience of Venice short of being there.

Google Trekker operator taking a well-earned rest while the gondolier does the hard work


The beautiful Piazza San Marco, where you can discover Doge's Palace, St. Marks' Cathedral, the bell tower, the Marciana National Library and the clocktower

We covered a lot of ground—about 265 miles on foot and 114 miles by boat—capturing not only iconic landmarks but several hidden gems, such as the Synagogue of the first Jewish Ghetto, the Devil’s Bridge in Torcello island, a mask to scare the same Devil off the church of Santa Maria Formosa and the place where the typographer Manutius created the Italics font. Unfortunately, Street View can’t serve you a cicchetto (local appetizer) in a classic bacaro (a typical Venetian bar), though we can show you how to get there.

The Devil’s Bridge in Torcello Island