Piazza di San Marco in Venice, Italy

The Piazza di San Marco or St. Mark's Square served as a gathering space for social, religious and political gatherings. Today, the square is lined with expensive restaurants, overpriced takeaway eateries, museums, and other small shops. It remains a gathering place for merchants and tourists. The square is actually L-shape and leads to one of the main vaporetto stops. During daylight hours it provides shade for tired tourists. At night, it becomes a stage underneath the moonlit sky. If you fancy standing for a while, dueling bands will play classical tunes and their own take on modern renditions. If you're willing to splurge on a pricey after dinner coffee, you can take a seat front row to enjoy the sounds. The square will continue to be a central gathering space for years to come.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Travel
Vaporetto stop is San Marco (4 stops) .
Coordinates: 45.4342° N, 12.3385° E

Cost & Admission
Admission to square is free.
Open 24/7

Food
Many restaurants and take away eateries in the square.

Activities
Walking, seeing the view.

Tips
If you're looking for a picture without many people, hit the square very early. There is still activity going on (garbage collection, setting up stalls, etc.) The square doesn't clear out until after 2pm or so because of the dueling bands. It's doubtful you'll ever get an empty picture but it's beautiful nonetheless.