Five reasons to visit… Venice
Built on the water, it’s the ultimate romantic city with great shopping and authentic Italian food to find
1 EXPLORING
Break away from the crowds to discover a very different Venice on foot.
Start at Grand Canal from Santa Lucia railway station and head south down to the Zattere and back via the Rialto Bridge. This route has churches to explore, including the epic Santa Maria della Salute, expansive piazzas, including Campo Santa Margherita, and little canal-side streets to stroll along as you weave your way through one of the world’s most romantic cities.
2 EAT LOCALLY
Don’t be fooled by the tourist traps – food can be expensive in places like St Mark’s Square. Instead, follow the Venetians as they scurry off to enjoy their takeaway on quiet Campo San Maurizio nearby. Or shop with the locals as you put together a picnic lunch at the Rialto Market and enjoy it overlooking the Grand Canal. A place with everything is Naranzaria (naranzaria. it), an osteria that offers grandstand Rialto views, decent value full meals, or just an Aperol spritz with a couple of cicchetti for under €10.
3 ON THE WATER
If you don't want to splurge on the expensive gondola ride (around €80 for a 40-minute ride) there are other ways to see the city. Public gondolas allow you to criss-cross the Grand Canal for only €1. And if you want to see more of the city, the public water buses will take you almost everywhere – it’s worth investing in a day pass, starting at just €20.
4 SPECTACULAR SHOPPING
No trip to Venice is complete if you haven’t bought a real Venetian mask – head to one of the branches of Ca’ Macana (camacana.com), which also offers you the chance to paint your own mask. For Murano glass, hop on a vaporetto (water taxi) out to the eponymous island in the Venice lagoon. A number of places on Murano offer free glass-blowing sessions, but if you buy make sure the glass has the ‘Vetro Artistico® Murano’ trademark to show it has actually been blown on Murano.
5 BREATHTAKING VIEWS
After taking a wander around St Mark’s Square, climb the bell tower of St Mark’s to get a view of the whole city. Or use your vaporetto pass to nip over to Giudecca. From here you can see St Mark’s in the distance and also savour views of San Giorgio Maggiore, too.