5 minute read
City Guide
VENICECity guide
Visits to Venice tend to go two ways: either it’s your fi rst time in the fl oating city and you head straight for the big sights, milling around in St Mark’s Square or joining the (long) queue to peek inside the Doge’s Palace, unable to resist the lure of those much talked-about attractions.
Or you try to outsmart the other tourists, making a beeline for the backstreets to soak up the rarefi ed atmosphere of the city’s lesser-seen spots or stop at tiny, tucked-away bars serving cicchetti – the Venetian equivalent of tapas – to in-the-know Italians.
With changes to the way cruise visitors come to Venice – last year, larger ships were banned from sailing down the main Giudecca Canal, plus the city is set to levy a charge of €3-€10 for day-trippers starting from January 16, 2023 – it would be easy to forget its many merits. But whether it’s your fi rst visit or your 50th, there’s always something new to see here.
What to do
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a bit touristy in Venice. Everyone strolls the banks of the Grand Canal, taking selfi es with the Bridge of Sighs in the background – so called because it was the last route prisoners took from the palace to the prison – or ducking inside the unsuspecting entrance of the grand
This tourist hotspot has a love-hate relationship with cruise ships, but there’s still nowhere quite like it, fi nds Katie McGonagle
Hotel Danieli. Provided you skip the corny gondola rides or notoriously overpriced cafes lining St Mark’s Square, it won’t matter if you stare open-mouthed with the rest of them.
You won’t see all of Venice in a day, but from a starting point in St Mark’s Square, follow signs via the shopping streets of the Mercerie to the Rialto Bridge to see the famous food market in full swing. Along the way, pause to admire carnival masks in shop windows or crunch on crispy shell-shaped pastry sfogliatelle stu ed with sweet pistachio paste.
Cross the bridge to the San Polo district and make your way through its narrow lanes towards the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, whose rather plain Venetian Gothic façade hides a wealth of treasures inside. Not least of these is the great Assumption of the Virgin by Titian, which dominates the altar, along with a triptych of Madonna with Child and Saints by Bellini, making the €3 entry fee an absolute steal. Bottom row, from left: Junior Suite, NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa; Rialto Market; sfogliatelle pastries; the sun rises over St Mark’s Square
Main image: Grand Canal Top row, from left: Bridge of Sighs; the city’s vibrant colour palette; glassblowing on Murano Island; Madonna with Child and Saints; shopping for hand-made jewellery in Murano What to see
Another district worth spending time in is the historically Jewish ghetto Cannaregio, where a guide can explain the maze of side-streets and the troubling stories that lie behind them. Better yet, if you are confi dent about fi nding your way around via the well-signposted water buses, pick up an unlimited day pass for €21 (pre-book at veneziaunica.it for better prices in advance) and explore independently.
If you’re spending a few days pre or post-cruise, then it’s even more worthwhile to master local transport and escape Venice proper for a day or more exploring the other islands in the lagoon.
Murano, home of glass-blowing, is like a relaxed version of Venice where you’ll still get the novelties of a city on the water without as many crowds.
Visit the Museo del Vetro for insight into how the island’s world-leading expertise in glass-making put it on the map, or go behind the scenes at one of the factories to watch a master craftsman at work – Ars Cenedese is a good, family-run option.
Murano is also a quieter spot to stay if you want modern accommodation and more space than the historic centre allows. NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa opened in late 2021 in the former Fornace de Majo glassworks, and shows its heritage via exposed concrete and abundant artworks. It’s even better than its four-star rating suggests, with plenty of attention to detail, spacious, well-appointed rooms and lovely lagoon views (from €200 per night including breakfast, plus €3.60 city tax, nh-hotels.com).
Where to eat
There’s no shortage of good spots to stop for a bite to eat in Venice, but Al Pesador Osteria is notable for its fantastic location and traditional cicchetti menu. At six pieces for €18 it’s not the cheapest, but the creamy cod, tomato-stewed octopus and anchovy-stu ed courgette fl owers are delicious, and if you nab a table by the canal to watch the gondolas going past, it’s a sublime spot.
For a sit-down meal that won’t break the bank, Antico Pignolo is surprisingly good for a location so close to St Mark’s Square, with a pleasant ambience and a reassuring number of locals among its customers on any given evening.
Getting there
The list of cruise lines calling at Venice is a who’s who of international cruising, though it’s worth looking closely at where they dock: following the rule change in the Giudecca Canal, most have switched to Ravenna, Trieste or Venice’s commercial port of Marghera. Small ships such as Emerald Azzurra, which held its christening ceremony in the city, are still permitted to sail along the famous waterway.
