Venice

The gardens of the Venice Biennale are among the few real green spaces on the main island. Outside exhibition season they're quiet, leafy and perfectly suited for an off-the-beaten-track walk with your dog.

The "garden of Venice", a lagoon island of market gardens, quiet lanes and open fields. Take the vaporetto with your dog in a carrier and enjoy a near-deserted half-day of countryside wandering.

The long sun-drenched promenade facing the Giudecca canal is one of Venice's most dog-friendly stretches. Wide, relatively uncrowded in the morning, and lined with cafés that welcome dogs on their terraces.

The liveliest square in Dorsoduro, beloved by students and locals alike. Dogs are a fixture here, you'll find water bowls outside several bars and a relaxed atmosphere far from the cruise-ship crowds.

Pets are not allowed inside St Mark's Basilica or the Doge's Palace. The square itself is accessible but extremely crowded, avoid bringing a nervous dog during high season.