As one of the main ports of the Mediterranean, Venice was a crossroads of civilisations and cultures, as can be seen in its architecture. Many foreign communities resided here, each of them contributing to its history, culture and lifestyle.

We will start our visit at the Greek Orthodox Church of San Giorgio dei Greci, which is still owned by the Greek community. The elegant Renaissance façade does not reveal the beauty of this sanctuary’s interior, which still houses some of the most important icons of the Orthodox world.

Next stop is the Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni, the Dalmatian confraternity. The brotherhood hired Vittore Carpaccio to decorate the headquarters with paintings dedicated to their patron saints. This is the only case, other than the Scuola di San Rocco, of a building which survived the sacking by Napoleon’s troops, and it is one of the city’s jewels.

We will then head towards the Cannaregio neighbourhood, via Campo dei Mori, towards the Ghetto. Founded in 1516, it contains splendid synagogues built by the Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities.

Unlike other cities, Venice famously does not have any high points such as hills or viewpoints that offer sweeping panoramic views. Luckily, just as they have done for centuries, belltowers come to our rescue.

Of course, we will start with the belltower of St Mark’s, which – standing at 100m – is the highest in the city. We will then move on to what is considered the most beautiful tower of the city, a gem hidden in a labyrinth of narrow streets: the Contarini del Bovolo staircase.

Yet we still have not had a glimpse of the Grand Canal and to do this we need to go to the Fondaco dei Tedeschi at Rialto. This was once both a home and warehouse to the German community and is now a luxury department store where a rooftop terrace has been created from which you can enjoy breath-taking views of Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal.