It's not often you would want skip-the-line prison access, but in the case of the fascinating Palazzo delle Prigioni it's actually quite handy!

Venice's 16th-century jail is part palace, part penitentiary. A guided tour includes the courtroom where small-time villains of the Venetian Republic were sentenced, and their lonely cells. You'll also explore places never opened before and enter the torture room to see the instruments used in the past to make criminals confess

See real graffiti left by prisoners, hear about myths, legends and daring escapes, and consider the lightless existence for those inside this mysterious relic.