Travelling to Venice has always attracted me. From what I
had heard, it’s a magical city full of history and enchantment. I was told by a
friend that its impossible to plan anything, so for someone like me
– a person who needs a detailed intinerary for each adventure. I found this
daunting.
Now I have returned I understand what she means. It is
difficult to plan, and some of my most treasured memories from the trip are
composed of ‘getting lost in Venice’. But for those of us who need structure, I
thought I’d make a list of some of my personal ‘must see’ attractions.
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| View from the Accademia bridge |
St Marks Square.
This is a pretty obvious first point but I can’t even begin
to describe how beautiful it is. Throughout our trip we ended up walking every
morning to the square from our hotel. We went in February time, which meant it
flooded every morning, but this truly adds to the beauty and the surrealist
qualities of the area. The basilica is wonderful, truly a work of art. I would
highly recommend booking a tour through Veneto-inside. Our tour guide was
clearly very passionate and her enthusiasm was shared amongst our group. Food
and drink can be quite expensive (it’s a very high tourist area),
but if you’re willing to walk a little further through the ‘maze-like’ alleys,
you can come across far cheaper and often more authentic venetian bakeries or
restaurants. St Marks square is also home to a wide range of shops that are
impossible to resist.
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| St Mark's Square |
Murano/Burano/Torcello.
I was really interested to see the other islands in Venice.
Allilaguna provides a service that gives you the chance to visit all three
islands in one day. Our first stop was Murano; we were given special access
into a traditional glass blowing workshop with the opportunity to observe vases
and statues being made. As a fan of anything artistic, I felt the whole process
was brilliant. It was fascinating to watch such an old process still being
used. After watching the demonstration we walked into the showroom and were
able to see or purchase a range of products that were created using the
methods.
The next stop on the tour was Burano, an island famous for
its brightly coloured houses, which used to help fisherman or sailors to
identify their own from sea. On each island you are allowed 40 minutes to
explore the island, which was perfect for photographs and to learn about the
traditional lace making history of the island.
Torcello was the final stop. The island is completely
dreamlike; with a population of less than 30 it’s incredibly quiet. We visited
a small church, the Church of Santa Fosca; it was so peaceful and relaxing. The whole island
is. It’s definitely well worth a visit.
Gondola Rides.
Unfortunately, we waited until our last day to go for a
gondola ride and of course, it was pouring with rain. That didn’t stop me
though! This was something I was desperate to do. The prices of Gondolas seem
to start at around €80 (considering you pay for the boat, not per person) but
with the private companies there is definitely room to haggle down. If
anything, I think the rain added to the experience. Yes we were sat in the
freezing cold, wet and huddled together. But the rain had cleared the alleyways of
people so everything was still and calm. It really is a magical way to view
Venice.
Mask Shopping
There are a lot of street sellers in Venice, it does become difficult to find the real masks from the
rubbish. Underneath our hotel, away from the square and the key tourist points,
was a man who owned the most beautiful shop I’ve seen. ‘Macia de Color’ is home
to some of the most beautiful hand crafted masks where you can watch them being
constructed. The owner is more than helpful and incredibly friendly. He showed
me how the masks were made and how important the quality of his material is.
Every single mask is truly incredible. They extensively vary in price but its
absolutely worth paying that little bit more to own something that’s captures
so much of Venetian culture.
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| handmade mask from 'Macia de Color' |
Of course there are many other attractions and ways to spend your time in
Venice. As my friend said, it’s easy to emerse yourself and take on activities
as they come to you, rather than go searching. Venice is a city full of culture
and life; it certainly was one of the most inspirational places I have visited.
