Venice, more than any other European city, has an endlessly seductive charm. For centuries, it was nicknamed La Serenissima, "The Most Serenely Beautiful One"—and for good reason. Along with sampling the art treasures of Venice and exploring its back-street wonders, we cruise its lagoon, stopping in Murano for glass, pastel Burano for lace, and murky Torcello for a sense of where Venica was born.