Overview
Built around 1600 of white Istrian stone in Baroque style, the Bridge of Sighs links the Doge's Palace courtrooms to the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove). Its name comes from the sighs prisoners supposedly let out as they glimpsed Venice for the last time before incarceration. Lord Byron coined the romantic name in the 19th century, though in reality most who crossed it were petty offenders. Photographing the bridge from the seaside canal at sunset is one of Venice's iconic shots; with a Doge's Palace ticket, you can also cross through its interior. Free to view from outside. Right next to the Doge's Palace.
Opening Hours
Exterior 24 hours (interior with Doge's Palace hours)
Travel Tips
The best exterior photo is from Ponte della Paglia. With a Doge's Palace ticket, you can walk through the bridge's interior.
Hotels near Bridge of Sighs
Hotels and guesthouses in Venice, San Marco, Venice
Other attractions in Venice
Piazza San Marco
The heart of Venice, a beautiful square framed by St. Mark's Basilica and its Campanile.
Rialto Bridge
Venice's iconic stone bridge spanning the Grand Canal.
Dorsoduro & Gallerie dell'Accademia
Venice's treasury of Renaissance painting, filled with masterpieces by Bellini, Titian, and Tintoretto.
Doge's Palace
The ornate Gothic palace of the Doges, the rulers of the Venetian Republic.
Burano Island
A jewel of the lagoon famed for vividly painted fishermen's houses and lace-making.
Murano Island
The 1,000-year heart of Venetian glassmaking.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
A Grand Canal museum filled with masterpieces of 20th-century modern art.