Travel back in time and uncover the history and culture of La Serenissima with a visit to the imposing, yet elegant, **Doge's Palace** in **Venice**. The exterior hints at its beauty, and inside – with a **golden staircase, triumphal arches**, and **frescoed walls** – you'll get a complete sense of its splendor. Inside this Gothic structure, you'll find fantastically ornate rooms, decorated by artists such as **Titian, Veronese, Tiepolo,** and **Tintoretto**. The Doge's Palace also served as a prison in its storied lifetime. Don't skip the notorious **Bridge of Sighs** – so named for the laments of the convicted criminals as they made their way to the New Prisons.