Fodor's Expert Review Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo
Easy to miss despite its vicinity to Piazza San Marco, this Renaissance-Gothic palace is accessible only through a narrow backstreet that connects Campo Manin with Calle dei Fuseri. Built around 1500 for the renowned Contarini family, its striking six-floor spiral staircase, the Scala Contarini del Bovolo (bovolo means "snail" in Venetian dialect), is the most interesting aspect of the palazzo. You can start the climb up the 133 stairs every half hour between 9:30 am and 5 pm. Though there's not much to see inside the palazzo itself, except for a limited art collection including one work by Tintoretto, the views of Venice from the top of the staircase are worth a look.