Fondaco dei Tedeschi

This grand building beside the Rialto bridge served for centuries as the trading house and lodging of German merchants in Venice, a hub of the republic's commerce with northern Europe. Its plain, fortress-like exterior once bore frescoes by Giorgione and Titian, of which only faded traces survive. After spells as a customs house and a post office, it was restored as a department store, and its inner courtyard is roofed with glass. A rooftop terrace, booked in advance, gives one of the finest free panoramas over the rooftops and the Grand Canal.