Venice is an aquatic wonderland, especially, for some reason, enjoyed by women. It is perhaps the most romantic city in Europe, mainly because you cannot imagine it as the commercial powerhouse it once was, unless you do a little digging. This guide should help you do that.
The Basics: A General Guide to Venice
How long should you stay?
Well, ten days is too short. You could even choose a comfortable hotel for two weeks and do some very interesting local day trips to big Italian cities like Padua and Verona (covered at the end of this article), but you can see the basics in three days. It will make you want to come back.
Basics: Venice for free
Venice is expensive. But like all larger cities, there are a variety of things you can do that won’t cost you a penny. Just walk through the smaller streets and alleys. When the tourist hordes crowd the biggest street. Or, take off to an alley and begin my explorations. So get lost, it is the best way to see Venice.
Art: the Renaissance in Venice and more
You’ll find a lot of Renaissance art in Venice’s fine arts museums, especially the Galleria dell’Accademia.
There are many other museums, and you will want to see at least some of them. So get a Museum Pass and head to the best museums in Venice.
Eat: Venetian tapas: Cicchetti
If you like cheap local food in a lively social atmosphere, then you don’t want to miss the Venetian version of a tapas bar, the Cicchetti bars that have become increasingly popular as the price of a great seafood show rises. Prices range from low to moderate cost. The food is simple, local and tasty. Click the link for our favorites.
If like us, you like jazz, you may want to stop at Bacaro Jazz.
Secrets: Favorite Den travel writers
People complain that you can’t get good food in Venice. Well, it’s a lie. Of course, there is good food in Venice, but there are quite a few restaurants serving unfortunate things for indiscriminate tourists who also need cheap fuel.
Some people have traveled enough to know the great places to eat and discover; We share some of them in the article linked above.
There’s also a guide that gets high marks for showing you what tourists miss: Secret Venice compares prices
And, if you really want good food, take note of the sign to the left: Trust the chef! It means letting them feed you what they like to cook, a strategy that works best in the best local restaurants in Italy.
Drink: local wine
The red wine you will see most often is Valpolicella, which is generally a light, refreshing wine. If you’re into something a bit more chewy, Valpolicella ricasso , a form of Valpolicella Superiore wine made from partially dried grape skins, should be the perfect fit. Try a drink in a Bàcaro (wine bar). The picture shows one of our recent favorites, a Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso DOC by David Sterza.
For white wine, try a Soave or Verduzzo.
Veneto is the largest DOC wine producer in Italy.
Understand: Venice Naval History Museum
You cannot understand the power of Venice unless you know the technology that brought the Venetians to the top of the energy heap. The Arsenale was where ships were built in record time, on an assembly line that preceded Henry Ford’s by a considerable margin, all at a time when prodigious amounts of wine pouring out of a fountain fed the workers. Most guides pay little attention to this interesting museum, but a visit is recommended.
Molestias: Acqua Alta, High Water en Venecia
If you go to Venice out of season, you may encounter the famous high tide or, in Italian, acqua alta . It’s not really a great danger, but you may need to borrow some boots from your hotel. Venetians handle the high waters quite well, as shown in the video linked on this page.
Something fishy: language lessons in the Rialto market
The two fish at the entrance of the Rialto fish market are trying to talk to you and teach you a little about the fish in the market. “They call me Sarnia,” says one, a Dark Grouper often served with potatoes.
This is a small indication that the market is not hostile to a few tourists looking at the denizens of the deep. Adjacent is the vegetable market, so if you’ve had the sense to rent an apartment and like to cook with fresh ingredients, this is the nexus of good ingredients with the fine Rialto Bridge.
Attractions: The Churches of Venice
You can’t help but admire the work that went into this incredible site, which tells you everything you need to know about every church in Venice, even the ones that have disappeared through the centuries. Plenty of art makes its way into churches, so art lovers pay attention!
Where to stay: the top-rated hotels in Venice
It used to be easy, you jumped off the train and started looking for a hotel. But with the vast amount of information available on the web, the best hotels are booked well in advance, so internet efficiency can be difficult at times. So, book as far in advance as possible, especially if you have certain things that you value in a place to stay.
For a visit longer than a few days (recommended), you may want to live like one of the few remaining Venetians and rent an apartment in Venice.
Venice icons: gondolas
If you are like many travelers, you have come to Venice to ride a gondola. You know it’s expensive, and you’re not sure what to do to haggle with the gondolier. So if you want to avoid trouble, you can look at these pictures of people on their gondola rides and dream of a romantic glide through the canals, or you can find out what you need to know about gondola rides to understand the process and avoid being scammed. .
Understand the neighborhoods of Venice
The basic division of the Venice neighborhood is called the sestiere . It is derived from the word for “six.” If you are looking for a hotel or attraction, they will likely tell you what sestiere you are in. Tourist attractions can be found in each of the neighborhoods.
Venice Mystery: Who’s Behind Those Blinds?
One of the interesting things about Venice is the question of what is hidden from the tourist’s eyes. Who lives behind these worn shutters with lace curtains? As Venice’s population dwindles, the question becomes more important: Who is left? The easy answer is Tourists, mainly hikers. So please don’t litter. That waste is extremely difficult to eliminate in Venice.
When to go
With many destinations, you must decide which season interests you based on spring flowers or fall truffles. With Venice it is a different story; You may want to avoid late fall when the peak is most likely, or you may want to go to Carnevale or other Venice festivals, even if the weather is misty and humid at that time of year.
If you want to plan a trip for festivals and celebrations, check the monthly events in Venice.
If the weather is an important consideration, check out the historical weather maps and the current climate of Venice.
Beyond: Venice Day Trips
There are many places within a boat ride or short train ride from Venice, and the Veneto region is one of our favorites. You could spend your entire two or three week vacation in a hotel not far from the train station and see many attractive cities such as Padua and Verona. By boat, you can see Chioggia and the rest of the Venetian islands. Click on the link to find out more about all the places you can visit near Venice.
