This must be one of the most amazing palaces in the world. Built on a genuine forest of over a million tree trunks, embedded into the floor of the lagoon, the Doge's palace embodies the city's soul and history. On the bright side, you will see the extraordinary Hall of the Great Council and works by Tintoretto and Veronese, to name but a few. On the darker side, cross over the Bridge of Sighs to the sinister prisons. Even more disturbing are the secret itineraries that reveal the hidden face of the Venetian Republic.