Visiting the Doge’s Palace is one of the top 10 things you must do in Venice. After all, it is among the symbols of the city that once was one of the strongest maritime republics in the world. 

Millions of people stop by every year, even only to admire its Venetian Gothic structure and its imposing figure overlooking St Mark’s basin. The wisest tourists are those who choose to buy a ticket.  Once inside the palace, they can get lost in its majestic rooms, imagine what kind of life in the palace must have been like during the heyday of the Serenissima and perhaps discover the many secret passages it hides.

In this article, you will find all information you need about the ticket cost for the Doge’s Palace and how to buy them easily online. If you like you could also take advantage of the “skip the line” service.

How much does a ticket for the Doge’s Palace in Venice cost?

The cost of a full-price ticket to visit the Doge’s Palace is €25.00, the reduced price ticket is €13.00 and includes a visit to the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Monumental Rooms of the Marciana National Library.

The Doge’s Palace also offers a less canonical, more curious and original tour, the “Secret Itineraries, which costs 28,00€ (full ticket) and 15,00€ (reduced ticket). 

If we have intrigued you, we suggest you read the article on the Secret Itineraries at the Doge’s Palace in our blog. 

Where can I buy tickets for the Doge’s Palace in Venice?

You can buy tickets for the Doge’s Palace directly online on the official website, or using the Venezia Unica City Pass, a card promoted by the Municipality of Venice. It allows you to visit the city without stress and gives you access to various discounts on transport, exhibitions, museums and much more.
Are you planning to come to Venice with your friends? Would you like to visit the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica?  You can choose a guided tour with Skip the Line ticket included, which lasts no more than 3 hours.

How long does it take to visit the Doge’s Palace in Venice?

A visit to the Doge’s Palace takes at least 2 hours, but we recommend that you save at least 3 hours to admire each room at your leisure. 
If you decided to visit the other museums included in your ticket, we would recommend you to spend the whole day in the area around St Mark’s Square, perhaps taking a break for lunch in one of the little restaurants nearby. 
If you need some advice on what to eat in Venice, we will be happy to give you some suggestions!

Since the times of the Serenissima, Venice has stood out for its architectural beauty, its artistic taste and its love for everything that is art and culture, so it is not by chance that it is the city where the most famous International Exhibition of Contemporary Art in the world was born: the Biennale. 

Its name derives from the fact that the event was initially organised every two years, except for the Film Festival, which became annual in 1935.

The purpose of this event has always been, to give voice to new artistic trends from all over the world. Every year, 29 pavilions dedicated to 29 countries are set up in the Giardini, but in recent years the Venice Biennale has not only been located here, near the Arsenale but throughout the city, with 1700 m2 of exhibition areas, distributed in all the sestieri. 

Few people know that the Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival are the oldest, still existing, events of this kind. This year the 59th edition is going to take place and the title of the event is “The Milk of Dreams“. It will start on the 23rd of April and end on the 27th of November 2022. 

The theme of the International Contemporary Art Exhibition 2022

This year the artists will tackle a very important theme: transformation. 
Through the works on display, you will experience a magical journey to discover the metamorphosis of bodies, in response to a historical moment in which the survival of mankind is strongly threatened. 
Among the thematic areas, there will also be space to talk about the relationship between man and technology, and the bond that inextricably binds every living being to the earth. It would be a shame to miss it, wouldn’t it?

How to get to the Venice Biennale

Getting to the Venice Biennale from our hotel is very easy. If you are willing to walk, you can reach the Gardens on foot, it takes about 45 minutes, along Strada Nuova, passing by Piazza San Marco and in front of Palazzo Ducale, and then continue along Riva Degli Schiavoni.

On the other hand, you have purchased the Venezia Unica City Pass in the Gold version, which includes public transport, or if you simply prefer to get there by water, you can take vaporetto line 5.1 at the Guglie stop, a 5-minute walk from our hotel, and then get off at the Giardini Biennale “b” landing stage. The journey time is approximately 39 minutes. 

Where to buy tickets for the Venice Biennale

You can buy tickets online on the official website of the Venice Biennale. The cost of the full ticket is 25,50€ and it is not refundable. However, if you have the Biennale Silver Card, you will not have to pay anything. If you are over 65 years old, the ticket price is 20,50€.  

How long does it take to visit the Biennale?

The answer is:  it depends. We recommend at least 2 days to visit the 29 pavilions located in the Giardini and the part of the exhibition hosted in the Arsenale. If you intend to dedicate some time to the collateral exhibitions around the city, then we recommend a stay of at least 4 or 5 days, so that you can also enjoy the beautiful city of Venice. 

Read also: https://www.hotelarcadia.net/exhibition/self-guided-walking-tour-venice-easy-drinking-water/

The Guggenheim Museum is certainly one of the top-5 museums to visit n Venice, not only because it showcases one of the best collections of Contemporary Art in town, but also for the unique building it’s hosted in. In fact, if you notice, Ca’ Venier dei Leoni – this is how this Venetian palazzo is called, has an unusual structure compared to all the other buildings facing the Grand Canal: it has just two floors.

It is believed that this palazzo should have been even more majestic than the one on the opposite side of the canal, owned by the Correr family, but something happened. Nobody knows exactly what was the reason why they interrupted its construction, maybe it was because of money, or maybe because the potent Correr family did what they could to prevent the Vernier from having had a higher and more sumptuous residence compared to theirs. Noble Venetian families used to do things out of spite, after all.

But let’s discover what’s there to see at the Guggenheim Museum in Venice and why it’s worth visiting.

What to see at the Guggenheim Museum in Venice

First of all, there’s a permanent exhibition, showcasingPeggy Guggenheim’s personal collection. You’ll find Cubism, Futurism, Metaphysical paintings, plus European abstraction, avant-garde sculpture, and many others, created by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century, such as Picasso, Braque, Duchamp, and Kandinsky.

This is obviously the heart of the museum, but there are other collections too, like the one of Hannelore B. and Rudolph B. Schulhof, which has been exhibited in the Guggenheim museum since 2012.

In the garden, you’ll also find sculptures by Calder, Caro, Holzer, and other artists.

Then, of course, temporary exhibitions are held regularly.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice: tickets and available discounts

Tickets for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice are 15 euros per person, but if you’re traveling with kids till age 9, their tickets will be free.

There is also a discount for people with CartaFreccia and a train ticket to Venice – in fact, they can access the museum with the 2×1 promotion.

If you want to find out more about discounts, we suggest visiting Peggy Guggenheim Museum’s official website.

If you have already purchased or you’re about to buy the Venezia Unica City Pass, you can buy the ticket for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection directly online.

Other useful tips for your trip to Venice

Not far from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection there’s one of the most beautiful churches in Venice: The Madonna della Salute Church. This Basilica is very important for Venetians since it was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the end of a terrible plague epidemic. You can read more about it in the article we wrote about the Fest-day of the Madonna della Salute, in our blog.

Then, if you’re still organizing your trip to Venice, here are some articles you might find interesting and useful:

• What to do in Venice in a day

• Walking tour of Venice Italy, around Dorsoduro district

• 4 Secret gems of Venice, in Cannaregio area

Of course, if you need any suggestions or help in planning your Venice holiday, don’t hesitate to contact us.

If you love being surrounded by nature, Lio Piccolo is the perfect place for a day trip out of Venice. Lio Piccolo is a small village, located in the northern part of the Venetian Lagoon, not too far from the city of Treporti. Its main characteristic is being immersed in a unique landscape, made of canals, islands and “valli” (fishing zones created during the Middle Ages). A scenic road starting in Treporti heads to the very end of Lio Piccolo, where there’s a historic restaurant you can rest at.

What to see and do in Lio Piccolo

There are many things you can do and see in Lio Piccolo, especially if you love sports and history. The panoramic road we’ve just mentioned is ideal for a bike tour to discover the different species of animals living in this area. Along the road, there are many info boards describing what kind of animals you might see here, such as herons, cormorants, and black-winged stilts.

If you’re not into sports, you can do some birdwatching, sitting on a chair and enjoying the sun. Talking about the sun, Lio Piccolo is also a good place to watch the sunset, coloring the lagoon.

If you love visiting historical places, Lio Piccolo won’t disappoint you since it’s one of the most ancient settlements of the Venetian lagoon. In fact, during the Roman Empire, it was an important seaport for the trade between the city of Altino and Lio Maggiore.

Lio Piccolo counts about 500 inhabitants, a small square and an old Armenian-style bell tower you can actually visit without a guide, leaving an offer at the entrance.

Our suggestion is to explore Lio Piccolo by bike, taking all the time you need to reach the end of the panoramic road. There’s no rush, just pay attention to the cars that occasionally pass by.

Lio Piccolo: a day trip out of Venice to see pink flamingos

Among the animals which live in this unique area, there’s a species you wouldn’t expect to see here, in a day-trip out of Venice: pink flamingos.

As a matter of fact, a flock of pink flamingos actually chose Lio Piccolo’s sandbars as their home a few years ago. It’s not easy to see them, but if you pick the right season and you’re there at the right moment, we can assure you that it’s really worth it.

To be honest, these flamingos aren’t as pink as you might think, but more white because of what they eat in the lagoon. Unfortunately, there are no shrimps or other organisms containing carotenoids (a kind of pigments) in this area, so their feathers don’t color up, but they are still so beautifully elegant.

How to reach Lio Piccolo from Venice

Are you now curious to find out how to spend a day in Lio Piccolo? Here’s how to get there. If you have your car parked inside one of the parking garages in Piazzale Roma (here’s our article about parking in Venice), you can use it to reach Lio Piccolo. If you came to Venice by train or plane, instead, you can take a ferry from Fondamente Nove stop to Treporti, then you can rent a bike, book a bike tour, walk or take a taxi.

If you would like some other ideas for your day-trip out of Venice, we suggest reading our articles about a day-trip to Murano, Burano, and Torcello and 5 day-trips from Venice by train. In case you have some questions, don’t forget that we are here for you.

There’s no doubt about the fact that Venice is worth visiting, but being such a fascinating and unique city, full of history, monuments, and ancient buildings, wondering what the best things to see are is absolutely normal – especially if you’re visiting it for the first time.

Since the majority of our guests ask us about the best things to do in Venice, we decided to write this article to collect all the experiences we usually recommend. This means that you can easily organize your trip, and chose where to stay in Venice, according to your needs and the things you would like to see.

1. St Mark’s Square and the Basilica

You’ve certainly seen thousands of pictures of the most famous square in the city and, in some way, you probably already know many things about it. But seeing St. Mark’s Square in person will leave you speechless anyway. After all, it’s not by chance that Napoleon used to call it “the finest drawing room in Europe”.

St. Mark’s Square has been the setting of many events for centuries, and even today it’s one of the best places to watch the Redentore fireworks, and where the Flight of the Angel takes place during the Carnival of Venice. The most important sights here is St. Mark’s Basilica, which used to be the Doge’s private Chapel in the past.

Visiting the Basilica is free, but you need to allow enough time to queue up since there are always many people who want to see it. While you’re waiting to admire it, you can discover some fun facts about St. Mark’s Basilica in our blog.

2. The Doge’s Palace

Not far from St. Mark’s Square there’s the Doge’s Palace, where the chief magistrate and leader of Venice used to live. and administrate the Serenissima Republic. Visiting it is absolutely one of the best things to do in Venice during your stay, especially if you attend the secret tour of the Doge’s Palace, which is more complete than the regular one. Moreover, interesting exhibitions often take place inside the Doge’s Apartments.

3. The Bell Tower in St. Mark’s Square

Let’s spend a little bit more time in St. Mark’s Square since there’s another thing you won’t miss: the Bell Tower. This isn’t the original one, since it collapsed in the early 20th century, but it’s the exact copy of it. On the other hand, the loggia – where the ticket office is located nowadays – is the one Sansovino projected in 1546. Despite the usual queue, Venice from above is a show you must enjoy.

4. The Bridge of Sighs

There are many bridges in Venice, more than 400 to be precise, but the Bridge of Sighs is certainly one of the most suggestive. It’s located between the Doge’s Palace and the Prison’s building, facing St. Mark’s Basin and you can only cross it if you visit the Doge’s Palace. If you want to know more about this mysterious bridge, we invite you to read our blog post about its true story.

5. Rialto Bridge and Fish Market

One of the icons of Venice is certainly the Rialto bridge and the Fish Market of the same name. You can reach it easily from our hotel since it’s just a gondola-ride away. If you go to Santa Sofia, you can reach a gondola ferry that will take you to Rialto in less than 2 minutes. If you want to buy a souvenir, this is the perfect place!

6. La Fenice Theatre

La Fenice Theatre is the Venice Opera House, an extraordinary place to enjoy an evening in of good music and passionate performances. Wondering what to wear? We have written a whole article about the dress code at the Venice Opera House, you can read on our blog.

7. The Venice Casino

Did you know that the oldest Casino in Europe is the one in Venice? It’s located in Cannaregio district, not far from our hotel, inside the majestic Venetian palace called Ca’ Vendramin Calergi. The history of the Venice Casino is really so curious and mysterious, that it is worth visiting just to see the place where the homicide of a nobleman was committed.

Of course, don’t forget that the casino also has a dress code.

8. Venice’s hidden gardens

Venice is full of surprises. In fact, among its streets and squares, there are a lot of secret gardens, hidden behind high walls and decorated gates. We suggest taking some time to visit at least one of them, because they are really something you should see during your stay. Here’s our guide of the secret gardens in Venice you can print out and bring with you once you’re here exploring.

9. Churches in Venice

There are 137 churches in Venice and we don’t expect you to visit all of them, of course! This is why we put together a selection of the top ones we really recommend visiting. You can use this list as a small guide, but if you see a church that inspires you while walking in Venice, don’t hesitate to enter just because it is not listed in our article, because it may conceal some wonderful surprises!

10. Museums and Galleries

If you love visiting museums, Venice is definitely the city for you. There are plenty of museums and galleries in Venice you can choose from, starting with the top ones we collected in this blog-post. If you’re staying with us and you’re planning to visit one or more museums, don’t hesitate to ask us for tips, we’ll be happy to keep you posted with all the new exhibitions in town!

Would you like some more tips about what to eat in Venice? Here’s something you might find interesting: Venetian cuisine, 5 things you can only eat in Venice.

Venice is a small city in terms of dimensions, which can be tricky for those who are planning a visit here. You might think that it is nothing like New York, which in fact occupies an area of 783.8 km² (and Venice rises on an area of just 414.6 km²), but visiting Venice in one day isn’t a good idea, and we’ll tell you why.

It’s not by chance that the average length of our guests’ stay is around 3-4 days, since they know that Venice is such a unique city you can’t plan to visit it in a single day, but if you don’t really have time to stay longer, here’s an article we wrote about the things you can do in a day in Venice.

Why you shouldn’t visit Venice in a day

We are sure that once you step out of the train station, you’ll instantly agree with us: Venice is a real treasure chest, full of preciousness that you physically can’t see in a day only.

The first reason why you shouldn’t visit Venice in a day lays in the fact that this city is an open-air museum: anywhere you look, you’ll find something interesting and fascinating to see. There are too many things to do and see in Venice that an entire life won’t be enough!

Another reason why you should spend more than a day in Venice is that you can’t drive from one point of interest to another, but you have to reach them on foot or taking a vaporetto (remember to purchase you Venice City Card to get several discounts on transports and museums). As you can imagine, this takes much longer, and if you have just a day to visit Venice you need to consider the time you spend moving from one place to another.

Read also: Where to park in Venice

Venice is meant to be explored slowly, and this is certainly something you won’t do in 24 hours. Getting lost is part of the game and there are infinite itineraries you can follow and create even by yourself, like our self-guided walking tour in Cannaregio district, where our hotel is located. Are you planning to see Burano and Murano island too? A day in Venice won’t be enough unless you’ve been here before and you just want to dedicate the day to its best-known islands.

Then, if you’re planning to enjoy a traditional gondola ride in Venice – which is worth it – consider taking it in the evening, when the sun is about to set, so you’ll have the opportunity to see the Venice from its canals under the colors of the sunset.

So how many days should you stay in Venice?

It’s hard to say, but we think that you should spend at least three days in Venice: one to get to know the city and visit it with no stress, one to see its main attractions and the last one to enjoy a Venice islands tour.

If you stay longer, you might like the idea of spending a day discovering a city near Venice. Here’s an article we wrote with 5 day-trips from Venice by train you can take inspiration from. Then, if you would like to spend a day in the mountains, here’s how to get from Venice to the Dolomites in a day.

Last but not least, remember that if you book your stay in advance, we have a special offer for you!

Venetian Carnival Masks are famous all over the world, and the majority of people visiting Venice go back home with at least one original Venice mask in their luggage.

In case you wonder why people love Venice Carnival Masks, it’s simple – first of all, because they are extremely beautiful and unique, but also because of their history.

If you’re curious, we have already written a post about the true history of Venice Carnival Mask, you can read it on our blog.

Most people do know that once in Venice they can buy a masquerade mask, but they don’t usually know that they can also make their own Venetian Carnival Mask, in the same way the so-called mascareri (people who made masks in Venice) used to make them.

Where can you challenge yourself with the creation of your own mask? Let’s have a look at a couple of places we usually recommend.

Where to make your own Venetian Carnival Mask

There are many places in Venice, mostly located in the districts of Dorsoduro and San Polo, where you can make your own Venetian Carnival Mask. Those we’re listing today are the f handmade mask workshops we prefer.

• La Bauta: probably one of the most famous handcrafted mask stores and workshops in Venice. It’s located in Dorsoduro district, a few steps away from Campo San Barnaba, where Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed. You’ll find it easily since a dummy wearing the traditional Plague Doctor costume is standing at the entrance.

• Ca’ Macana: this shop is located in Dorsoduro district too, and it’s open since 1986 when the Venice Carnival was born again after almost two centuries of decline. Their name is well known because every mask they sell is handmade, and also because of their way of teaching how to make one – by telling the real history of Venetian masks.

• Tragicomica: this atelier is located in San Polo district. Gualtiero Dall’Osto is the owner and he started his career studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Venice, and then he took part in stages of History and Technology of the Mask. His workshops last about 2 hours and during each lesson, he explains everything you need to know to make a perfect Venetian Carnival Mask to take home with you.

Read also: Artisans boutiques in Venice you should visit

How to make Venetian masks

Well, now you know where you can attend a mask-making workshop, but how is a Venetian mask made, exactly?

Traditional mask-makers craft a model from clay or stucco, which they use to create many masks. Once the clay of the plaster is ready, they start pressing wet paper pulp over it and let it dry for a while. When the paper finally gets dry, it keeps the shape of the clay and they can start cutting the holes for the eyes and – if desired – for the mouth. After that, they start painting it. This process is the one you’ll follow in a mask-maker workshop like those we listed. Ready to make your own Venetian Carnival Mask?

There are many ways to plan a trip to Venice. You can surf the web, you can ask people who have already visited the city to give you some advice, or you can consult a bunch of travel guides. According to our experience, reading books about Venice before traveling here is the best way to start knowing the city and its unique history.

But the question is: what are the best books about Venice for your trip? In this article, we would like to give you some titles you might find interesting to make your first time in Venice really special and full of things to discover.

Venice & The Veneto city guide, Lonely Planet

Everyone knows Lonely Planet’s travel guides, and if you’ve bought at least one in your life, you know they are precise and really useful, especially in a city you’re visiting for the first time. Moreover, this travel guide gives you some tips to visit the whole Veneto region, including some ideas to enjoy a day-trip from Venice.

Read also: Day trip from Venice to the Dolomites: how to get there

Secret Venice, Thomas Jonglez and Paola Zoffoli

If you’re looking for an unconventional guide of Venice, this might be the one. This book is a collection of fun and curious facts about Venice that will certainly spice up your trip. This book will help you discover places and stories you won’t know if you buy just a regular travel guide that tells you about the most famous bridges in Venice or why visiting the Doge’s Palace.

Corto Maltese: Fable of Venice, Hugo Pratt

Do you know Corto Maltese? He’s a sea captain adventuring during the early 20th century, who was born from Hugo Pratt’s pen. He’s the protagonist of this unusual Venice travel guide – in fact, it’s Corto Maltese himself who guides the reader through the intricate net of alleyways that characterizes our city. This book represents a new and original way to visit Venice.

Venice Is a Fish: A Sensual Guide, Tiziano Scarpa

Tiziano Scarpa is a well-known Venetian writer who loves Venice and writes to defend its fragility. In this book about Venice, the author describes real life in the city, guiding readers through tiny alleys and squares, helping them experience Venice as its inhabitants do, and deeply understand both its uniqueness and its weaknesses.

This is a book that talks about Venice from the bottom of Tiziano Scarpa’s heart.

Why these books about Venice are the best to prepare your trip

Even if there are numerous books about Venice that you can buy and use to prepare your trip to the city built on water, we choose these because we think they could help you get familiar with a place that is completely different from any other city in the world.

Venice is unique both in its history and in its structure, but thanks to these books we have listed here, you’ll be able to enjoy our city in every detail.

Of course, if you need any help or suggestions to organize your stay in Venice, don’t hesitate to contact us.

The Bridge of Sighs is one of the most famous bridges in Venice, connecting the Doge’s Palace to the Prison building, near St. Mark’s Square.

This bridge is not like the others you’ll see in Venice. In fact, it can’t be crossed, unless you attend the regular visit to the Doge’s Palace or the Secret Itinerary Tour.

Nowaday the Bridge of Sighs is probably the most photographed bridge in the world, but people often don’t know its history, and why it has this name. This is what we are going to reveal today.

What is the history behind the Bridge of Sighs and its name?

Before 1589, prisoners were kept inside the Doge’s Palace, but then the Senate felt the need to build a separate building to host them. Consequently, it was necessary to build a bridge to link the two buildings, and the job was assigned to the architect Antonio Contin.

The main reason why the Bridge of Sighs was requested by the Doge in charge, Marino Grimani, was to prevent the escape of prisoners. In fact, the bridge is closed on both sides.

Prisoners used to cross it to reach the interrogation room, located in the Doge’s Palace, where they would find out what their sentence was. This is why the name of the bridge is commonly associated with the image of a prisoner who, walking through it, turns his gaze to the lagoon for the last time, sighing.

It’s a strong image, but it’s probably not far from the truth.

Now that you know the history behind the Bridge of Sighs, you will certainly understand why its name can’t refer to the promise of eternal love as some people say.

What can you see from the Bridge of Sighs in Venice

Antonio Contin built the Bridge of Sighs in Istrian stone, and being a closed bridge, it was projected with two small windows drilled into the marble, on both sides.

What can you see from them? The majestic San Giorgio Maggiore island, where the church of the same name is located, surrounded by the lagoon.

It’s an image you’ll remember forever once you see it, especially if you think that it’s exactly what prisoners used to see while they were going back to their cells, after having become aware of their destiny.

Lord Byron and the Bridge of Sighs

As you may know, Lord Byron spent some time in Venice during his life, and he wrote a poem about the city he fell in love with. In fact, the poem is entitled “Venice” and it begins with these words:

“I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs;

A palace and a prison on each hand;

I saw from out the wave her structures rise

As from the stroke of the enchanter’s wand […]”

It was because of this poem that the world knew about the Bridge of Sighs and this name.

Like Lord Byron, you can admire Venice from the Bridge of Sighs in the same exact viewpoint.

Take a picture form there and take it with you, it will be one of the best memories of your vacation in Venice.

We won’t be wrong if we say that Venice is the city of bridges. Do you know how many bridges there are in Venice? They are almost 400, 391 to be precise. Venice is built on water and people used to move around it by boat – in fact, there were no bridges connecting islands to one another in the past. The very first bridge that was built in Venice was the well-known Ponte di Rialto, which originally didn’t have its current shape.

This is not just another blog post, but a real guide through the most famous bridges in Venice, that you can print out and take with you during your holiday here.

Rialto Bridge

As we said, the Rialto bridge was the first one to be built in Venice, mainly because it’s located in the heart of the city where the economy started growing.

It was rebuilt several times. Initially, it was a wooden bridge, with two inclined ramps, to allow the passage of ships crossing the Grand Canal and reach the Rialto Fish Market and the Erbaria to sell their goods.

The bridge everyone photographs today was built in 1591 after it collapsed in 1524.

The main characteristic of this beautiful stone bridge is that it was planned to host many shops, which are still located under the two porticos on both inclined ramps that meet in the middle of the bridge.

Today, this bridge is one of the uncontested icons of Venice – you must see it.

Ponte dei Pugni

Not many people know about this bridge, but it played an important role in the history of Venice. In fact, it is called “the bridge of fists” because it was where Castellani and Nicolotti – two groups of Venice inhabitants – used to punch each other to defend their reasons.

In the past, bridges had no parapet, so the goal of this ‘punching game’ was to push as many opponents as possible into the canal.

The most famous bridge of fists in Venice is located in >Dorsoduro district, but a few people know that there’s another one in Cannaregio district, close to Santa Fosca.

Bridge of Sighs

You have certainly seen at least a picture of this bridge while surfing the web, maybe searching for a self-guided walking tour in Venice or what’s <the best itinerary to attend at the Doge’s Palace. This bridge is so different from all the others around the city, in fact, it’s not a public bridge but it connects the Doge’s Palace to the building of the New Prisons.

Many legends have been told about this bridge, but the truth is that it was just the way for prisoners to reach the interrogation rooms, to find out their sentence. During the visit to the Doge’s Palace, you’ll have the chance to cross it and see the island of St. Giorgio Maggiore from its tiny windows, just like prisoners used to see it before their – probable – death.

Accademia Bridge

The Accademia bridge is one of the fourth bridges – including the Rialto Bridge and the Scalzi bridge we are about to talk about – crossing the Grand Canal. Nowadays it’s the longest wooden bridge in Venice, and it connects the Gallerie dell’Accademia to Campo Santo Stefano.

History has it that the construction of this bridge was suggested in 1488, but nothing was done until 1854, because the members of the Council didn’t think it could be useful.

Last but not least, there’s no doubt this bridge is actually one of the best places to watch the sunset in Venice, and we are sure you don’t want to miss the chance to see one if you’re traveling as a couple.

Read also: Venice for couples, 3 special things to do

Ponte degli Scalzi

This last famous bridge in Venice we would like to present in this article is the so-called Ponte degli Scalzi. The original bridge was built in 1858 by Alfred Neville, when Venice was under Habsburg domination, but then it was replaced by the one we can cross today, projected by Eugenio Miozzi. Its name, which literally means “bridge of barefoot”, is due to its proximity to the church of San Nazareth, where Carmelites celebrated Mass for 300 years.

We already had the chance to talk about what to eat in Venice, also mentioning the tradition of the bacaro tour and the passion Venetians have for the ‘happy hour’. But in this article, we would like to share with you some curiosities and things you can only eat in Venice, that you definitely should taste.

1. Cooking eels

There are no legends or curious tales about why eels – anguilla in Italian and bisato in Venetian dialect – are so common in Venetian cuisine. In fact, the main reason why Venetians invented so many recipes with this kind of fish is that the Venetian lagoon is full of them.

The eel is an odd fish that in the past was usually associated with myths – nowadays still nobody knows how it reproduces – but what we certainly know is that it’s really tasty!

There are a couple of recipes we would like to mention, Anguilla alla Mocenigo and Anguilla su l’ara.

We are sure you’ll have recognized the surname of an important Venetian family with the first one, Mocenigo. In fact, the name is probably related to the place where the eels were fished, close to one of the Mocenigo’s mansions in the countryside. The second one, instead, refers to the way the eel was cooked, on the “ara”, which was a flat stone surface used in the furnaces of Murano island. Venetians used to put the eel inside a terracotta pan and cook it slowly, for hours. Unfortunately, cooking the eel this way is near impossible, but you can still taste a good anguilla in some traditional restaurants in Venice.

2. Snails with garlic and oil for the Redentore Festival

Not many people love eating escargot, but these snails are different: they are smaller. Venetians usually cook them for the Redentore Festival, in July, the annual appointment to commemorate the end of a terrible plague that affected Venice in 1576 with a firework display.

Even if snails – bovoleti in Venetian dialect – are so easy to prepare, you won’t find them easily in the Venice restaurants. Don’t worry, we can recommend some places where you can try them. Don’t forget to eat them with a toothpick!

3. Bigoli in Salsa

This is a pretty common Venetian dish and you won’t have any difficulties in finding a place to eat it. Bigoli in Salsa is the Venetian name of a plate made of thick spaghetti, onions, and anchovies. It’s an ancient recipe that, just like snails, was traditionally prepared for the Redentore Festival and also for the Christmas dinner.

Maybe the taste is a bit strong, but it is worth a try!

4. The traditional Castradina

This is a Venetian dish you won’t find in Venice every month of the year, in fact it’s usually prepared for the Madonna della Salute Feast., in November.

Venetians have been eating the Castradina since the 17th century, and – on this specific day – you’ll be able to find this soup with stewed mutton and savoy cabbage even in restaurants.

We are looking forward to knowing if you like it!

5. Schie con la polenta

Last but not least, this is another traditional thing you can only eat in Venice. Schie con la polenta is a fish dish, made of fried local shrimps, that you can only find in the Venetian lagoon, served with a bit of polenta. It’s a simple recipe, but very tasty and easy to find in any restaurant. Since it’s not related to any kind of festival, you can eat it any time of the year.

The St. Mark’s Basilica is certainly one of the best churches to see in Venice, not only because it’s the most important one in the city, but also because it’s one of the most unique and curious. In fact, in this article, we’ll see some interesting facts about St. Mark’s Basilica that you probably didn’t know yet!

Let’s start!

Most of the basilica’s treasures came from the Crusades

As you probably know, Venice wasn’t a belligerent city, it was more focused on business and trade. Anyway, when it had the chance to benefit from a war or a Crusade, it usually didn’t back down. For example, the fourth Crusade was crucial for Venetians, since they were asked by Pope Innocent III to build the navy that would have brought the crusaders to Egypt.

Unfortunately, when all the ships were ready, the crusaders didn’t have the money to pay for them, so Venetians, who knew that this would have affected their trade and finance, decided to participate in the Crusade anyway to compensate the loss with part of the plundered goods.

As you can imagine, many of these treasures were then placed in St. Mark’s Basilica, and some of them are still there.

The Horses of St. Mark’s Basilica

Speaking of treasures, one of the things Venetians took home from Constantinople during the fourth Crusade was the Triumphal Quadriga – now known as the Horses of St. Mark – which were located in the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Those you see today on the Basilica facade are a copy, the original ones are inside the church.

The Virgin Mary with a gun

It might sound weird, but inside St. Mark’s Basilica, there’s actually a relief of the Virgin Mary with a gun on one side. If the relief dates to the 13th century, the gun was put there in 1849 by Venetian sailors who survived the explosion of an Austrian bomb in Marghera (a city near Mestre).

The prestigious Pala d’Oro

The altarpiece is the famous Pala d’Oro, a gold panel covered with precious gems. Needless to say, it’s an incredible work of art, but the thing that many people don’t know is that when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Venice and took many of its treasures away, Venetians managed to keep the Pala d’Oro with an innocent lie.

Actually, it wasn’t a lie, but a misunderstanding. In Venetian dialect the word “glass” (Vetro in Italian) is the same as the word “authentic” (Vero in italian), so when Venetians told Napoleon that the golden panel was authentic (vero) it sounded like “the golden panel is made of glass” so he assumed that all the colored gems inside the panel were just pieces of colored glass, and he left it there. Whether this is true, or just a nice story to justify the fact that Napoleon didn’t take the Pala d’Oro to France, we’ll never know, but the fact is that it’s still in place.

Want to know more about Venice and its curiosities? We suggest reading our article about Venice’s hidden gardens or the one about the history of the first Casino in Europe, in our blog.

Moreover, if you like mystery, there’s a secret tour inside the Doge’s Palace we really recommend. You’re going to love it!

Venice Lido is an island of the Venetian lagoon, mainly known for hosting the Venice Film Festival every year and for being one of the few places where to go swimming in summer. In fact, Venice Lido is the closest beach from Venice’s historic center and the only way to reach it is by vaporetto.

How far is Lido from Venice? It depends on where you take the vaporetto. For example, there’s a quick line departing from Piazzale Roma, that takes you there in about 20 minutes. To know more about Venice City Pass and how public transport works, we suggest spending some time reading our blog, where you can find some useful information for your holiday in Venice.

But Lido island is not just about beaches and festivals, but also a place with a lot of things to do and see, especially if you’re not staying in Venice just for a day or two.

So, here’s our list of things to do on Venice Lido island in one day.

Alberoni beach: a natural paradise

If you’re not interested in well-equipped beaches, you’ll like this one. Alberoni is a clean and wild beach, where Venetians love to go in summer. It’s a bit far from the Santa Elisabetta stop, where you the vaporetto will drop you off, but it’s worth it, especially if you’re looking for some silence and peace.

From Santa Elisabetta stop, you can take a bus and reach Alberoni beach through a pinewood, which is nice because you can meet different kinds of birds that otherwise you won’t see.

Church Of San Nicolò Al Lido

San Nicolò al Lido is an important church on Lido island, particularly because it’s the place where the famous Festa della Sensa – the marriage between Venice and the sea – ends. Moreover, this church houses part of St Nicholas’ remains, patron saint of sailors.

Next to the church, there’s also a monastery, dedicated to the same saint, dating back to the origins of Venice in the early Middle Ages. Another thing you can’t miss here is the great cloister from the 16th century.

The Ancient Jewish Cemetery

In Cannaregio district, there’s the Jewish ghetto, and the ancient Jewish Cemetery is located on Lido island, near San Nicolò church. If you would like to visit it, you can do it by appointment.

Discover Malamocco

Malamocco is a picturesque village, located in the southern part of Lido. Before the Serenissima Republic was born, Malamocco was the only settlement on the island, and for a long time, it was the original home of the Doge of Venice, then moved to the Doge’s Palace – where we recommend attending the secret tour inside the palace. Here you can also visit Santa Maria Assunta church, which was originally dedicated to Madonna della Marina – Our Lady of the Sea – and dates back to the 12th century.

Is Venice Lido worth visiting?

The answer is: certainly yes! As you see, Venice Lido is not just a place to go sunbathing in summer, but an island full of things to do, including a long and relaxing walk along Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, a street that crosses the island from the vaporetto stop to the beaches.

Last tip: if you’d like an unusual gondola ride, you can even ask the gondolier to take you all the way to Lido on the most beautiful and t<raditional Venetian boat, to enjoy the sunset above Venice.

As you know, having a good breakfast is really important to get the day off to a good start, especially if you are about to walk around a lot – and in Venice, you certainly are!

Where is the best to have a nice, traditional breakfast in Venice? Of course, our first suggestion is trying our breakfast on the first floor, where every morning you’ll find a rich buffet, with any kind of food you might want to start your day. If you feel like having breakfast in your room, don’t hesitate to ask us about our room service.

Do you want to know more about our breakfast? Our Tripadvisor profile is full of reviews about it!

If you would like to have breakfast in a Venetian patisserie instead, here’s our list of those we love the most, but be aware that Italians never have eggs in the morning, so don’t expect to find any – instead, you’ll findmany, many sweets!

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Tonolo

Let’s start with the most famous patisserie in town, Pasticceria Tonolo, mostly frequented by students since it’s located near Ca’ Foscari University in Dorsoduro district.

Open since 1953, it sweetens the mornings of Venetians with its fantastic chantilly cream and fruit pastries, but if you have the chance to be in Venice for Carnival, you can’t miss their fritters, they are probably the best in the whole city.

Address: Calle S. Pantalon, 3764, 30123 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Rosa Salva

Rosa Salva is probably the oldest patisserie in Venice, in fact, it has been open since 1870 and it is an institution among Venetians. Unlike Pasticceria Tonolo, its ambiance is more elegant and classy, but with a touch of modernity. If you can’t make it for breakfast, try visiting for lunch for one of their yummy savory dishes, or after lunch for a sweet coffee break!

Pasticceria Rosa Salva has two shops in Venice – the closest one to us is in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo. You can reach it in less than 20 minutes from our hotel.

Address: Calle Fiubera e Mercerie, 950, 30124 or Calle Giazzo, 6779, 30122 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Nobile

Another patisserie in Cannaregio district that you should have breakfast in is Pasticceria Nobile, only 1 minute from our hotel. Besides all the classics, such as croissants, krapfens, and shortcrust pastries, here we suggest trying the traditional Pan del Doge, a sweet pastry usually filled with dried fruit. Nowadays, you can find the Pan del Doge with chocolate or jam too.

Address: Cannaregio, 1818, 30121 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Dal Mas

If you’re arriving in Venice by train, you’ll certainly notice this patisserie on your way to our hotel – in fact, it’s located only a couple of minutes from the Santa Lucia train station.

As soon as you get there, you’ll see there are two entrances: which one should you choose? It depends on what you are after – one gets leads you to a chocolate paradise, the other one is to breakfast heaven. In fact, Pasticceria dal Mas is not just a simple patisserie, but also a chocolate shop.

Address: Rio Terà Lista di Spagna, 149, 30121 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Ballarin

Last but not least, Pasticceria Ballarin is definitely another place to have a tasty breakfast in Venice. The only thing here is that it’s located in such a crowded street near Rialto Bridge that you probably won’t notice it.

There’s no room to sit here, exactly as all patisseries were in the past, so be patient and queue up at the counter, but once there don’t miss to try one of its cakes, they are fabulous!

Address: San Giovanni Grisostomo, 5794, 30121 Venice

If you’d like to know how Murano glass is made, visiting a glass factory is the best way to do it. As you probably know, the art of blowing glass dates back thousands of years, Venetians are still so proud of it – and so are we. It’s not by chance that we placed an original Murano glass sink in every bathroom of our hotel rooms, and that a giant Murano glass chandelier is hanging from the ceiling of our breakfast room.

We deeply love and respect this ancient and unique art, and we do our best to defend real Murano glass from imitations every day.

Let’s see why visiting a glass factory in Venice (precisely on Murano island) will be worth your time, and it will probably become something you’ll remember forever.

Attend a glassblowing demonstration

Visiting a glass factory on Murano island is not just something you must do once in Venice – it’s your chance to attend a glassblowing demonstration to see with your own eyes how Murano glass has been made for centuries, and how it’s still made today.

Moreover, booking a tour of a glass factory in Murano will give you the chance to see how a glass factory works, learning all the phases that involve the creation of a real Murano glass piece of art.

Learn about the history of glassblowing art

As we said, the art of glassblowing dates back centuries and, to be precise, there is evidence that Venetians have started working with glass since the 7th century, even though they became known for it only around the 12th century.

Originally, glass factories were also located in Venice, but then in 1291, they were all moved to Murano for security reasons to avoid any risk of fires.

Attending a visit to a glass factory you’ll learn many other curiosities and stories about how Venetians became known for their glassblowing skills – for example, did you know that Murano glass masters were the only category of people who could marry a noblewoman, even if they weren’t part of the Venetian aristocracy? That’s a true story!

Have the chance to buy an original Murano glass artwork where it’s made

Nowadays, you can buy Murano glass artworks even on the Internet, but could you compare it with buying a Murano glass piece of art directly in the place where it was made? It’s like taking an authentic piece of Venice history home with you, that nobody can ever have because it’s one of a kind. No piece is like another – you’ll find out when you visit the Murano Glass Museum, and the uniqueness of each artwork is the real added value to your souvenir.

See something you won’t see anywhere else in the world

It’s not a secret that you won’t see anything like this anywhere else in the world. Visiting a glass factory like the ones on Murano island is a thing you can only do here in Venice, and that will leave something special in your heart.

So if you’re planning to attend a Venice island tour, make sure that it includes a visit to a glass factory and if not, don’t hesitate to ask us for info, we will be happy to suggest where to go and which factory visit to live the best experience ever.

The Venice Film Festival is one of the most awaited events of the year in the Venetian Lagoon. This year marks its 76th edition, always organized by La Biennale di Venezia, on Lido Island.
As usual, the Venice Film Festival takes place between the end of August and the beginning of September – this year, the exact dates will be August 28th to September 7th.
Venice is a city of art, where many movies have taken place, and it’s not by chance that this important event takes place on one of its islands.
The aim of the festival is promoting international cinema in all its forms through a spirit of freedom and dialogue, in order to support awareness of this art.

Every year, many of our guests come to Venice to participate to the Film Festival, this is why we decided to collect all the information about it in this article, giving a complete answer to the three most frequent questions we usually receive.

Where does the Venice film festival take place?

As we said, the Venice Film Festival is held on Lido island. Specifically, it takes place at the Palazzo del Cinema on Lungomare Marconi, built in 1937 for the fifth edition of the Festival. The building is composed of four main rooms: Sala Grande, Sala Darsena, Sala Zorzi and Sala Pasinetti.
The Sala Grande is where the main screenings and awards ceremonies of the Festival take place, the Sala Darsena is one of the newest and it is equipped with the most modern screening and audio technologies.

Where can I buy a ticket for the Venice Film Festival?

Usually, the price of the tickets and the tickets themselves are available online from August onwards, and you can buy yours directly from the Biennale official website.

How to get to the Venice Film Festival from our hotel

The only way to reach the Venice Film festival from our hotel is by boat, but you have several options to choose from.
If you’re not in a hurry and you would like to see the most beautiful palace facing the Grand Canal while going to the festival, you can take vaporetto line 1 from the Venice Casino stop.
If you want to get to Lido island as fast as possible, we suggest taking line 5.1 from the Guglie stop, which is only 2 minutes away from our hotel. Otherwise, you can ask us to call a taxi for you.

The Doge’s Palace is one of the must-see attractions in Venice. This palace used to be the home of the Doge in charge, and the headquarters of the Venetian government.

Originally, it was built as a medieval castle, with the usual four towers and high walls, but as the years passed by the architecture of the palace changed, not only because of a fire which destroyed the most of it, but also because of the political structure Venice adopted with Doge Ziani, a revolutionary and visionary man, who guided the Serenissima Republic between 1172 and 1178.

Nowadays, the Doge’s Palace is an incredible example of the precious Venetian Gothic style, and a treasure chest full of history and hidden rooms.
There are two ways to visit the Doge’s Palace – the classic one and the ‘secret’ one, which can both be purchased with the Venice city pass.
The regular tour takes you through the most important rooms in the palace, such as the Grand Council chamber, one of the widest rooms in whole of Europe, which used to house the first phase of the Doge’s election. You can also visit the Doge’s apartments and the Prison building, connected to the palace by the world-famous Bridge of Sighs.

The secret itinerary, instead, focuses on the administration offices and many other rooms you won’t see by attending the regular tour, including the old prisons, and the torture rooms.

The secret itinerary tour of the Doge’s Palace in Venice

The itinerary begins in the courtyard where, through a narrow door, you’ll step into a world that tells stories of detention and death – the so-called Pozzi (Wells).
They have this name because of their underground position, beneath the Doge’s Palace. They were built in stone and covered with wood, to make them appear like real coffins.
These cells were reserved for those who committed the worst crimes, that’s also why the conditions of detention were so terrible, and the writings on the walls are so desperate and talk about freedom.
The itinerary continues upstairs, through a small stair which takes you to the Ducal Notary room, and the chamber of the Deputato alla Segreta of the Council of Ten. These two rooms are small and hidden, you can’t even tell they exist when you look at the Doge’s Palace from the outside.
Continuing with the tour, you’ll enter the Office of the Great Chancellor, the only public figure elected by the Great Council, and then the Chamber of the Secret Chancellery where many public and secret documents are still stored.
Passing through the office of the Chancellor Regent, you’ll head to the room of torture, where the hard rope punishment was performed.
At the beginning of our virtual tour we visited the prisons underneath the Doge’s Palace, now it’s time to see those above, the so-called Piombi (leads) because of their location, right under the lead roof of the building, where Giacomo Casanova was imprisoned.

Conditions here were much better than those in the Pozzi. In fact, these cells were used only for prisoners accused of political crimes, and those who were waiting for a sentence.
You are also going to see the attic, where many weapons are preserved, as well as the Chamber of Inquisitor and the Chamber of the Three Head Magistrates, with a secret passage connecting it to the Chamber of the Council of Ten.

At the end of the tour, you can also visit the rest of the Doge’s Palace by yourself, discovering all its most fascinating and important rooms.
We warmly recommend this tour, because it’s a new and unique way to know about Venice and its political organization.
If you’re taking this tour in the morning, let us give you another tip for the afternoon: a self-guided walking tour in the Dorsoduro district to discover the ancient art of gondola making.

Everyone knows that visiting Venice in August means finding sunny weather almost every day, but this isn’t the only thing our customers want to know when they are coming to the city in summer.
In this article, we have collected the most frequent questions about experiencing Venice in August that you might want to get an answer to, in order to plan your vacation here with no stress.
Anyway, if you need us to answer other questions about visiting Venice in summer, feel free to write us an email, or contact us through our Facebook page.

What’s Venice like in August?

Venice in August is crowded and hot, we can’t lie about this point, but this shouldn’t be good a reason to postpone your trip. There are a lot of things you can do in Venice (and outside Venice) in this month – for example, you can take advantage of the perfect weather to go to the Lido beach and have a refreshing swim.
Lido is an island you can easily reach with a vaporetto, where Venetians usually spend their summer if they have no other plans.
If it’s too hot for you, you might consider the idea of a day trip from Venice to the Dolomites, to breathe some fresh air and come back to the city for dinner.

How busy is Venice in August?

It will be busy enough, if we may say so, but you can avoid the majority of the queues booking your visits in advance, thanks to the Venice City Pass. This is especially recommended for the most famous attractions such the Doge’s Palace, a boat tour to the Venice islands, and the St. Mark’s Basilica.
Moreover, Venice is a city full of hidden gems, which means that you’ll always find a place that other people can’t immediately reach, especially without our guide about how to get around Venice easily.

Does Venice flood in August?

No, Venice doesn’t flood in August. The high-tide season is winter, precisely between November and February. So, no rain boots are required if you come to Venice in August, just a pair of flip-flops.
However, if you want to know more about the Venice high tide, we have written a whole article about this unique event that affects the city every year, that you can read here.

Will you find mosquitoes in Venice in August?

You might be surprised about the answer, since it’s difficult to find mosquitoes in Venice during the summer, despite what people think. Being built on a lagoon, Venice should be full of mosquitoes, but the truth is that Mestre, on the mainland, has actually more.
We can assure you will sleep peacefully in our hotel rooms, which are all equipped with air conditioning.

What are the main events in Venice in August?

There’s one event in particular that you shouldn’t miss in Venice in August: the Film Festival!
It usually starts the last couple of days of the month, and ends on the first week of September.
This event is a must for all those who love movies and dream about walking on the red carpet for once in their lifetime.
Besides, Venice has always been a city where many movies have been filmed, such as The Tourist or Casino Royal.

Venice is always worth visiting, even in August, when the weather is surely hot but the days are longer… isn’t it true?

There are many different walking tours of Venice available online, but just a few of them are dedicated to the Dorsoduro district.
We have already written an article about a self-guided walking tour in Venice, around Cannaregio district which is where our hotel is located, that you can easily print out and take with you on vacation. This time, we would like to focus on Dorsoduro, which is mainly known for being the university district of Venice.
Thanks to this virtual tour you’ll see how many curious things you can find and see in Dorsoduro, in addition to the beautiful Ca’ Foscari palazzo, the headquarters of the Venetian University, not far from the famous Frari Church, the starting point of our walking tour.

Frari Church

The Frari Church is certainly one of the top 5 churches to visit in Venice, not only because it’s an excellent example of Gothic style, but because of what it houses inside.
In fact, one of the best-known attractions is the unique monument dedicated to Canova, a marble pyramid based on the design the sculptor made for Tiziano’s tomb.
Talking about Tiziano, the painter, you can’t miss the Assumption of the Virgin, one of his most beautiful paintings, which is inside the Frari Church too.

Campo Santa Margherita

Leaving the Frari Church behind you, follow the indications on Google Maps until you reach Campo Santa Margherita. This campo is one of the biggest in Venice and it’s where Venetians usually stop by for aperitivo .
Crossing the well-known Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists) you’ll get into Campo San Barnaba, where a scene of the Indiana Jones and the last Crusade was shot (one of the movies filmed in Venice you should see).

Ca’ Rezzonico Museum

Close to Campo San Barnaba, there’s one of the most beautiful palaces facing the Grand Canal, which is also one of the most interesting museums in Venice – Ca’ Rezzonico.
This public museum is dedicated to the 18th-century in Venice, and it is certainly worth visiting, not just for the paintings and the amazing furniture of its rooms, but also for its hidden garden and the spectacular view you have over the Grand Canal from its entrance facing the canal.
Let’s go back to Campo San Barnaba and take the sotoportego (covered walkway) on the other side of the square to reach our next stop, a place you can’t see anywhere else in the world!

San Trovaso and Tramontin Squeros

The Venetian word “squero” refers to the place where gondolas are built. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places like this anymore – however, in this district you can find the oldest ones in Venice, San Trovaso and Tramontin.
The former is the oldest, since it’s even mentioned by Goldoni in one of its writings, and the latter has been open since 1884.
Actually, there’s another squero on Giudecca Island, run by Gianfranco Vianello called Crea, who won the Historical Regatta many times.
Visiting these place will be like going back in time when everyone in Venice had at least a gondola, just like we have at least a car in our garage.
Building a gondola is an art that you can’t explain, you need to see it with your own eyes to understand the complexity of its shape. But in the meantime, you can find out all the secrets behind a gondola, on our blog.

Accademia Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Followingh our walking tour in Venice Dorsoduro, in only four minutes you can reach the Accademia Gallery, standing in front of the Accademia Bridge, where a countless number of Venetian paintings are exhibited.
If you decide to visit it, consider spending at least a couple of hours there since it’s really something that deserves to be seen with no rush to be entirely appreciated.
Not far from the Accademia Gallery there’s another famous museum you might want to see, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
If you’re planning to come to Venice in summer, you’ll have the chance to participate to the traditional aperitivo that the museum organizes every year.
The event is called HappySpritz@Guggenheim, it will be an occasion to taste the traditional Venetian aperitif surrounded by art.

Venice has a lot to offer, especially in terms of art and architecture.espite all the must-see attractions, there are also some hidden sights you won’t find if you don’t know where to look!
If it’s known that Venice is always worth a visit, it will be even more worthy after you find out these 5 hidden gems we are about to share with you!
So, pack your guidebook away, and follow our instructions to step into the secret Venetian world.

1. Venice and its secret gardens

It might seem impossible, but Venice is full of secret gardens. You can’t see them, but they actually exist and usually are behind high walls or inside private buildings. This is why we wrote an entire blog post about secret gardens in Venice that you can read and print out, so you can have your personal Venetian secret gardens guide while you’re here.
Secret gardens and one of the most beautiful hidden Venice gems we suggest not missing during your stay, especially because there’s one of them not far from our hotel and it’s also public – we are talking about Giardini Savorgnan.
This garden, which in fact looks more like a park, is just 4 minutes walk from our hotel on the way to the train station. Once in Campo San Geremia, you’ll find the way in.

2. Cannaregio district: a place to get lost

Cannaregio is a Sestiere (district) where many hidden Venice gems are located, and we are not saying that only because our hotel is situated in this area, too.
There are at least four sights you won’t expect to find in Cannaregio, but we won’t tell you more since you can easily discover all of them by reading this article we wrote.
Do you know what the best part is? You can even plan a whole itinerary around Cannaregio, we assure you that a day won’t be enough to see everything there’s to see but to make your life easier we prepared a self-guided 1-day itinerary you can use to get the most out of this sestiere.

3. Feel like reading? You can do it on a book staircase!

There’s a nice place where you can find rare books: a unique bookshop called Acqua Alta (High Water). There are two reasons why this bookshop is so famous (but hard to find), the first one is that it is the only bookshop in town with a gondola inside (full of books, can you imagine it?), and the second one is that there’s a real book staircase built inside the small rear courtyard.
Do you know why this hidden Venice gem is called Acqua Alta? Let’s discover why here!

4. Find the face that is watching you, from above

No one usually notices her, but she’s there, scrutinizing each person passing through Fondamenta della Donna Onesta.
She’s a face, the face of a girl with a story to tell. Tradition wants that the white mask you see popping out of the wall in Fondamenta della Donna Onesta represents the face of a young and beautiful woman, married to a sword maker. The legend tells us that she was so beautiful and kind that a nobleman secretly fell in love with her, and to have the excuse to see her, he ordered her husband to make a new sword for him. When the sword was ready, the young nobleman came to the shop to collect it, and to declare his love for the girl.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he expected. In fact, she was so faithful to her husband that she kindly refused his proposal. The nobleman wasn’t used to receiving “no” as an answer, and he was so possessive that if he couldn’t have her, nobody could and so he killed her with that new sword he was about to buy.
It’s a really sad story, but to remember her honest gesture the street where the sword shop was located, was called Fondamenta della Donna Onesta, which means “honest woman’s street”.

5. How long is a Venetian step?

Did you know that Venetians had their own unit of measurement? It’s the so-called “passo veneziano” (Venetian step) which was the way Venetians used to measure things in the past.
One Venetian step is about 1,738 meters long, and five feet (0,347 meters) make a step.
At the Arsenale, there’s still a representation of the Venetian step on the left wall after the entrance, close to the caretaker’s office.

So, are you ready now to start a trip to discover all these hidden Venice gems?