Venice

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.

 

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.

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.

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.