The legendary Grand Canal has beckoned travelers for centuries with its intricate palazzos and the fresh Adriatic seafood served at the restaurants lining its banks. Every two years, the art cognoscenti descends on its mysterious and narrow alleyways to feast on the diverse offerings of the world’s most famous biennial, now in its 53rd edition. Here’s the latest on hotels, restaurants, museums and shops worth seeking out, on foot or via vaporetto.

Go:

THE 53RD ANNUAL BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
WHAT: Seventy-seven countries present pavilions devoted to artists of their choice in an event that is the closest thing the art world has to the Olympics. Although there are no gold medals, there are Golden Lions — prizes awarded for best in show. This year’s Lions for lifetime achievement go to Yoko Ono and John Baldessari.
WHEN: June 7 to November 22
WHERE: The Arsenale and the Giardini, among other locations.
HIGHLIGHTS: Geoff Dyer, whose recently published novel Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi follows a journalist at the event, praises the Biennale for its diversity. “You see an amazing quantity of art in a short period of time and in a limited amount of space,” he says. This edition hosts more countries than ever, with debut pavilions from Gabon, Monaco, Montenegro, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. • The US showcases its beloved provocateur Bruce Nauman in a 40-year retrospective that also introduces the artist’s new sound installation. • In an odd twist, Germany will feature the Brit Liam Gillick, who is known for his colorful Plexiglas sculpture. • At the Arsenale, Venice’s massive former shipyard, and also at the former Italy Pavilion, in Venice’s Giardini park, you’ll find the main exhibition, “Making Worlds.” Daniel Birnbaum, this year’s Biennale director, is most excited about Garden of the Virgins, a part of the show that joins playful installations by the American artist and filmmaker Miranda July and the Italian sculptor Lara Favaretto, among others. “It will be impossible not to love this place,” Birnbaum says. • One million Venice-themed postcards designed by Polish artist Aleksandra Mir will be distributed for free.

Stay:

HOTEL GRITTI PALACE
The Gritti represents the peak of old-world elegance. "It’s got a great staff and lots of elegance," says Larry Lovett, the chairman of the historical preservation group Venetian Heritage. Fine fabrics and antiques adorn this 16th-century palazzo, and breakfast on the hotel’s Grand Canal terrace is a joy.
Santa Maria del Giglio 2467
39-041/794-611
RATES: $690-$1,200
gritti.hotelinvenice.com

HOTEL CIPRIANI
Located on the island of Giudecca, only a stone’s throw from the rest of Venice but retaining just enough stand-offish hauteur, is this popular playground for art world luminaries like Christie’s owner François Pinault as well as celebrities like Tom Hanks. Sumptuous rooms and a pool with a lagoon view complete the picture.
Giudecca 10
39-041/520-7744
RATES: $1,200-$9,000
hotelcipriani.com

HOTEL BAUER IL PALAZZO
Owner Francesca Bortolotto Possati, a board member of Save Venice, has created an intimate lodging on the Grand Canal — attached to the larger and more modern Hotel Bauer — with suites of unsurpassed opulence.
San Marco 1413/d
39-041/520-7022
RATES: $700-$2,050
ilpalazzovenezia.com

HOTEL DANIELI
"This place has a wonderful medieval feeling, a great roof terrace, and it’s close to the Arsenale," says Michael Hue-Williams, of London’s Albion Gallery. Even if you don’t stay, you should stop by to gawk at the fantastic Gothic-Moorish lobby, original to the 14th-century Palazzo Dandolo.
Riva degli Schiavoni 4196
39-041/522-6480
RATES: $660-$3,200
danieli.hotelinvenice.com

CHARMING HOUSE DD724
This tiny hotel, named for its address, is a clean-lined contemporary option. "None of that fussy and oppressive traditional Venetian decor," says Dyer. Some of the rooms look onto the serene garden of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Dorsoduro 724
39-041/277-0262
RATES: $420-$740
thecharminghouse.com