Venice is one unique place where almost everything is interesting, worth looking into and worth taking a photo. They are worth touching with your fingers. Sometimes, you seem to be able to inhale that peculiar combined fragrance of the sea, the land, and the history of the place.

The sites and the sights

Before going to any site you fancy, take time first to soak in the city. Simply walk around its small streets and alleys. You may stop by at the famous St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, although at most times of the day they are choked with tourists. If your stay is longer, come back in the evening (or early mornings) when the crowd is thinner.

The Basilica di San Marco is beside the square, and it is one of the biggest attractions in all of Venice. The entry is free, although you have to stand in line for the long queue – but it is worth the wait. The church’s interiors are all done in mosaic from walls to ceilings to the floors, and it takes your breath away.

Right next to the basilica is the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) where the former rulers of the city lived. There is an entry fee to the palace, but this is the only way you can traverse the famous Bridge of Sighs which leads to the courtroom. Inside is Tintoretto’s “Paradise”, the world’s largest oil painting.

Three of the small islands most famous to tourists are Murano, Burano, and Torcello. The closest is Murano, famous for its glass-making all over the world, and large groups of tourists usually crowd shops demonstrating some glass-blowing techniques. You may watch or you can go the other way and perhaps find out-of-the-way shops that do the same thing and satisfy your curiosity without jostling with the crowd.

Then, there is Burano, formerly famous for its lace-making in the past, although most of the island’s inhabitants are fishermen. What strike your eyes’ fancy are the colors of the houses. They are all painted in the brightest of colors, and are so distinctive and fascinating even from a distance. They say the reason for this was to help the fishermen returning late from a long day at sea find their right homes fast and easy.

Torcello is the farthest and has the fewest people actually living on it. It has fewer tourists too, and you can have the oldest church in Venice all to yourself and some few fellows. The church also has its walls and floor done in mosaic, just like St. Mark’s Basilica.

All these are just some of the big reasons why one wants to visit Venice. And we have not even talked about the gondolas and the gondoliers and moving about in those watery alleys. We have not mentioned about the famous yearly Venice carnivals, the masks, the costumes, the merry-making and the music.

Why visit Venice? One probably needs a long list for the other reasons which are good for another article.

Like the other popular destinations, the best places to eat or drink are not found in areas frequented by tourists. Rather, the better ones are those that are out of the way, hard to reach places.

In Venice, these places may lack the usual beautiful view of the canals, but you can always look at these canals at other times. This time you want to eat, and eat good food. Be prepared, though, because the menu might only be in Italian and nobody speaks English. (You have your handy Italian phrase book with you, of course.)

Random recommendations

Venetian dishes are based on the produce from the sea like sardines, cod, eels, crabs and prawns, whatever is in season. Appetizers like marinated sardines, risotto with the local prawns, pasta with baby clams – these and more are standard fare in the Venetian table.

La Colombina di Sigfrido e Domenico.
If you want to eat some of the best Italian food ever, whether in Venice or anywhere in Italy, this is the place. An added plus: the place is not even that expensive compared to the other pretenders in the business. (The dinner is under 20 Euros, worth going back again and again.)

Dona Onesta, or Antica Trattoria di Venezia Dona Onesta.
This is where you find perfectly textured cream sauce for your pasta, as well as perfectly grilled “verdura” (vegetables like mushrooms and eggplants, artichokes, spinach). You can also find traditional grilled salmon, liver and onions, pork chops even.

Ristorante S. (San) Stefano.
Try their spaghetti with clams. The slight saltiness of the clams balance out the pasta, which has a sweet buttery taste, topped with chopped parsley. An attentive waiter can grind some fresh pepper and make it perfect. The bill? Around 12 Euros.

Another good place to enjoy Venetian food that is not that cheap (40 Euros for 2, and with good wine) but not that outrageously priced either, is in the Jewish ghetto. This is near the Jewish museum (Campo del Ghetto Nuovo). The ambience is cozy and just right. It is off the beaten tracks of tourists, with people going around their regular daily business.

Some other few places that offer good food at non-tourist prices are located right in front of St. Mark’s Square, but on the opposite side across the Grand Canal. Once there, you would suspect the place might have good food if the patrons are Italians and your group is the only English-speaking people around.

All in all, the search of places for good food is another part of the attraction of Venice. Consider it part of the adventure, too. Again, to find the good places on where to eat in Venice is to go the other way where tourists go.

- Wander through the St. Mark’s Square. This is the major tourist spot in Venice. This is also probably where all the tourists are most of the time. On your first say, make sure that you drop by here so you will have a peak of what is Venice like. Here, you can visit two of the most wonderful places in the city, the St. Mark’s Basillica and the Doges Palace or the “Palazzo Ducale”. You can also find some stores nearby where you can see unique souvenirs.

- Take a tour to the Grand Canal. This is also one of the major attractions in Venice that offers you a view of the city through a cruise. You can opt to hire a gondola where you can enjoy a private cruise of the city as well as its inner canals or take the vaporetto or traghetto ride which is a public transport that will take you to different parts of the city.

- Eat on “bacaros” and “osterias”. The best way to dine in Venice is when you eat at small stores that offer local snacks. Bacaros refer to small stalls where you can grab something to eat while touring. Osterias, on the other hand, offers a bigger and more comfortable dining area where you can taste Venetian home style cooking.

- Indulge in art appreciation. Art works are truly a must to visit when you are in Venice. You can do this by visiting public and privately-owned art galleries, museums, and exhibition areas. The most famous museum in Venice would be the “Peggy Guggenheim Museum” where you can see most of the works of Venetian masters like Tintoretto, Giorgione, Titian and Bellini. For more works by contemporary artists, visit the “Correr museum,” the “Naval Museum,” “Glass Museum at Murano,” the “Gallerie dell’Accademia,” and the “Museo Civico Correr.”

- Visit nearby districts. Venice is mainly divided into six districts or “sestiere”. The “Grand Canal” is considered the main street since it runs through the heart of the city and connects each district together. Then there’s the “San Marco District” where you can find the St. Mark’s Square; the “Castello District” where you can find the Arsenale, and the Biennale Art Exhibitions; the “Dorsoduro District” that features the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, and the Campo Santa Margherita; the “Cannaregio District” where the Jewish Ghetto, and the Ca D’oro are located; the “San Polo District” where you can see the Venetian Mercantile Empire, Rialto Fish Market and  the Friari Church; and the “Santa Croce District.”

The city is composed of six districts (sestiere), all with their own unique attractions: Cannaregio, San Polo, Santa Croce, San Marco, Dorsoduro and Castello.

Cannaregio

Cannaregio in the north has the Palazzo Labia, the Venetian Ghetto, and the Isola di San Michele. Palazzo Labia is a beautiful 7th century baroque palace. The Venetian Ghetto is the center of Jewish living where Jews go for religious services. The Isola di San Michele is the cemetery island where some famous writers and musicians are buried.

San Polo

San Polo is the smallest and the oldest, housing the famous Rialto Bridge, the San Giacomo di Rialto and the Campo San Polo. The Rialto Bridge is the largest of the four bridges connecting the Grand Canal in places. The San Giacomo di Rialto is the oldest church in Venice, built in 421 A.D. The Campo San Polo is the biggest field in the city and is very popular for the Carnival, concerts and screenings for the Venice Film Festival.

Santa Croce

Santa Croce is in the northwest with the Tronchetto and the main port. The main attractions are the Fondaco dei Turchi (a 13th century Byzantine palazzo) and the Church of San Giacomo dell’Orio.

San Marco

San Marco is the center of the sestiere. This is where the well-known sites of Venice are found: Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. St. Mark’s Basilica is a Byzantine cathedral, originally the chapel of the Venetian rulers. The Doge’s Palace is a Gothic structure and home of the Doge of Venice, the formal head of state. It is now a museum housing some priceless paintings of Veronese and Tintoretto.

Dorsoduro

Dorsoduro in the south is the highest sestiere, with attractions that include the Penny Guggenheim collection (a museum containing personal art collections) and San Trovaso, the church built in 1028 which houses the works of Tintoretto.

Carnivals and festivals

Redentore is a festival held every third Saturday of July celebrating the end of the Plague, and is famous for its fireworks.

Every February and March, Venice holds its famous Carnival which dates back to the year 1268. Locals and tourists gather in the streets wearing historical costumes and masks, with music played all day in most places, and some street performances.

Another famous event is the annual Venice International Film Festival founded in 1932 and is the oldest in the world. It is highlighted with international film celebrities who gather in late August or early September in the island of Lido to present their latest films.

Indeed, the whole of Venice is a visual indulgence that one can never tire of. And we have not even mentioned a word yet about the masks, the shops, the food, the gondola, the gondoliers, the impromptu singing and the music.

What to consider

Venice is such a wonderful city to miss out only because you are short on cash. If you only study your trip to Venice very well, you will discover that you can indeed visit this wonderful city on a shoestring budget. The following are some of the considerations that you need to pay attention to in order to get great Venice vacation packages:

1. TIME. Among the major considerations would be the time you are planning to go on a Venice vacation. This is very important because it will determine the cost of your entire vacation. For those who want to go there on peak seasons, expect higher airfares and higher accommodation rates.

2. SIZE. How many are going on this trip? This is also a very important aspect to consider when looking for Venice vacation packages because the head count will determine how much you will have to spend. Knowing the total number of people who will be going in the vacation because it will give you an idea on what you will need like room size, accommodation, food, and other miscellaneous expenses.

3. ACCOMODATION. What kind of accommodation do you have in mind is also another major consideration. Knowing exactly kind of what accommodation you want and you need would make it easier for you to look for Venice vacation packages that will suit your budget. When thinking of accommodations, consider not only your needs but also the needs of your companion or the people who will be joining your trip.

4. ITINERARY. What do you plan to see and experience in Venice will greatly affect your trip. When looking forward to a low budget trip, it is a must that you plan carefully what are the things or activities you want to do during your vacation? Having a shot list of what you would want to do during the length of your stay will give you an idea what are the best choices for Venice vacation packages for you. If you money to spend, choose those vacation packages that include tours in various historical sites and other interesting sites nearby. Also, choose those vacation packages that include entrance fees in various museums so you won’t have to worry carrying another type of currency.

If you are in a tight budget, choose vacation packages that only cover the airfare and accommodation. This will save you more cash when you get to the destination. It is up to you how to budget the rest to maximize your vacation.

What you need to know before you go

Many people who have been to Venice would agree that it pays to conduct a research before going into vacation there. This is because it can help you save time and effort if you already know what to do, where to go, and how to get there. Also, it is one way of ensuring a great and safe vacation. The following are some of the things that you need to pay attention to before going on Venice vacations:

1. Prioritize what you want to do. During Venice vacations, there are so many things that you can do. You can enjoy water activities, visit historic places, take a nature trip and breathe the fresh environment, or indulge in various activities. Before going into Venice vacations, make sure that you know what you would want to do so you can save more time in doing the things you love the most.

2. Have background information in the place you are going to. It is best to conduct a research and get the basic information in the place you are planning to go to because it will give you more time to maximize your vacation. It can also help you prepare the things that you might need in going to a specific place. Pay attention to details such as time differences, means of transportation in getting around, entry requirements such as visas or passports, the best time to visit a specific place in Venice, what are the things that you will need in your vacation, paying and cash registrations, and places to stay in.

3. Try to find out what are the best historical places that you should visit while you are there. Since you don’t have the luxury of time to visit Venice anytime, it is best that you visit the “must-see” places when going on there on a vacation. Take time to conduct brief research on historical places in Venice such as including the Piazza San Marco or the St. Marks Square and other tourist attractions within the place including the St. Marks Basilica and the Doges Palace.

4. Know what kind of type of Venice vacation that you want. When people go on Venice vacations, it is a must to tour the historical sites. However, this is not the only thing that you can do when you are there. You can also opt for more adventurous activities such as touring the place via The Grand Canal while riding a gondola or just walk the city limits and find the things that you can find. You can also go on a shopping spree in local markets that offer great finds you cannot find anywhere else in the world.

Walking along the narrow alleys (called ‘calle’) at daytime, you will discover the small squares where the Venetians go to with their children and their pets. You will also come across those small shops and cafes not even mentioned in guides and brochures. At night, the city’s charms sharpen.

Strolling

Stroll the city at night – it can be a wonderful experience. Begin at the alley at St. Mark’s Square next to the Basilica. There will be people, some restaurants, some bridges, some gelato stands, phone booths, and the dazzling back view of the Bridge of Sighs. (Dress warm in winter, the nights are bitterly cold walking around.)

The famous bridge is lighted at night, and if it is your lucky night, a musician might be playing. It is one Venetian moment you will treasure forever. Another lucky night would be watching the moon rise, its image shimmering in the water all around, an event by itself.

Cafes and pubs and the crowd

Venice after dark is not a party town, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. Stroll around, look into the little shops, and maybe enjoy some drinks at shops still open. The area surrounding Ponti de Rialto has the largest concentration of popular bars.

Many of these bars tend to peak at around 8pm and these pubs and restaurants close at 10:30pm. This is because many of the restaurant workers live in Mestre and other mainland towns and they need to catch the last train or bus back home.

Some, like the Tortuga Pub (off Fondamente Nuovo) is open till 1:00am and plays rock music. They also serve food even at these early hours. During Christmas season, many stalls are still open selling hot mulled wine. The one near Scalzi Church is good.

On regular days, some classical music concerts are advertised around, but you can treat yourself to a dinner or drinks at Florian’s or Quadri’s while listening to the orchestras playing live music. Although quite expensive, the experience is something for the books.

Vaporetto

Vaporettos (water buses) run through the night in Venice. You can travel to one of the islands for a meal and drinks, and return, all via these unpretentious buses that travel by water.

If the Grand Canal is enchanting by day, riding the vaporetto by night and seeing the view of the Grand Canal and its surroundings is totally worth the expense. The view of the city lighted at night is an enthralling experience.

Of course, exploring the canals riding a gondola is the more expensive way. If you are the romantic kind, you would not mind the astronomical fare, especially if the gondolier is not shy about singing his way through the whole trip. (Of course, it is only right that you fork over a big tip.) Other practical tourists go by groups of six to share the charges.

Whether strolling on foot on the streets of the city, drinking at some pubs, or gliding along the canals by gondola, Venice by night can fill up a traveler’s senses with memories that can outlast a lifetime.

The answer is simple. Go to places in the opposite direction where the crowds are going.
Walk around a couple of corners away from the Rialto-Accademia-San Marco triangle. From there, take any direction and you will find peace and quiet.

Another good alternative would be to visit the city during off-season, when the tourists are not as many, the streets not so crowded, where you enjoy your coffee in some small shop overlooking the famous canals, watching the world glide by.

Roads less traveled

Many tourists always take well-worn destinations. They would stick to Piazza San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the Basilica and sometimes venture out to Murano to watch glass-blowers at work.

How about going north east to a church named San Francesco della Vigna in Castello? It has the best collection of fine sculptures by Pietro Lombardo and several paintings of Paolo Veronese, Bellini and many other masters.

Like Cannaregio, Castello is home to many Venetians. It has good restaurants, bakeries, shops and many other places of interest.

It also has La Pieta (Santa Maria della Visitazione) where the famous composer Vivaldi was choir master in an earlier building; San Giorgio dei Greci, a Greek Orthodox church; and in the far East of the sestiere, the church of San Pietro in Castello.

Castello is also home to the Pavilion of the Venice Biennale exhibition (Biennale D’Arte Contemporanea & Architettura), located in the Giardini di Castello.

In Cannaregio, the places to go are not limited to the Jewish Ghetto and Museo Ebraico. This was the home district of Titian, Marco Polo and Tintoretto. The church of Madonna dell-Orto has several of Tintoretto’s paintings.

The sestieres of San Polo and Santa Croce is where you can smell fish in the morning from the Rialto market. Get your fill in Chinese restaurants as well as in many excellent osterias and trattorias with traditional Italian fares.

They have their share of galleries and churches, too: Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Modern, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, with the famous Madonna by Bellini and another by Titian, and the unforgettable “Sistine Chapel of Tintoretto” in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Tintoretto spent the remainder of his life painting the ceiling of this church.

Mestre is the last place a tourist would like to go in Venice. This is where most Venetians live and it is in the mainland. However, it has a lovely district around Piazza Ferretto lined with shops, bars, and restaurants which are alive all day and night.

This is where hotels abound with much lower prices than in the lagoon, with parking lots if you arrive by car.

Lido is the place to go if you enjoy the beaches, the sun and 5-star hotels along with gold courses.

In Burano, looking at the colorful painted houses set in a tranquil fisherman’s village is worth the hour-long trip by waterbus.

Finally, one last secret in getting away from the crowd in Venice is to get up early in the morning and walk through the streets or duck into a café and get your hot latte. At this time, everything looks truly magical. That’s what you came for, right?

Italy’s largest producer of Prosecco is Mionetto, which specializes in the traditional style and makes frizzante with about half the sparkle of Champagne. Mionetto Prosecco costs $10 – 12. It has an appley and bubbly archetype that makes a wonderful companion on warm weather. Best served with Mionetto are antipasti, cold soups, or pasta primavera. The traditional base used in making a Bellini cocktail is Nino Franco Prosecco de Valdobbiadene “Rustico.” It is more-champagne-like and has bit more staying power than most Proseccos. A bottle of this bubbly costs $ 14 – 21.

2. Soave – Best served with the city’s scrumptious fresh seafood dishes, soave comes from the verdant hills of charming town of the same name between the Valle d’Illiasi and Val d’Alpone. “At its best soave is intensely but not cloyingly aromatic, abundantly fruity, and subtly complex,” wrote Colman Andrews in his delightful essay on the wine in Saveur magazine (Issue # 38). It complements best with Venetian dishes like fritto misto de mare and sarde in saor.

The Coffele, one of Soave town’s premier wineries produces Soave Classico, Ca Visco and Recioto di Soave wines from primarily Garganega grapes. These wines are exported in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, in the USA, Australia, and Hongkong. The Coffele welcomes wine tastings which costs 6 euros per person for three wines and 12 euros when served with cheese. If you’re lucky, the Coffele family may invite you into their garden that sits below Soave’s castle for wine tastings.

3. Valpolicella – Made from the same grapes as Bardolino, this wine “has a ruby, cherry and banana nose, a fresh and dry, fruit flavour and a bitter finish,” wrote Tony Aspler in his bestselling book from Canada Tony Aspler’s wine lover’s companion.

7. Grappa – This colorless Italian brandy is made from the grape skins and seeds that are left in the wine press after the juice has been removed to produce wine. Grappa is the most famous or in some instances infamous among the wines of Venice, the clear spirit served at the end of the meal, or mixed with coffee as a caffe corretto. Grappa, as told by Robert Joseph in his definitive book The Wine Travel Guide to the World, was revolutionized by Benito Nonino.

Since then a large number of other wine producers followed his lead and grappas are made from almost every local and international grape.

The following is a partial list of some practical aspects of your stay.

Things to know

• No cars are allowed in Venice. Leave yours in the mainland and take public transportation going to the Venetian lagoon. Transportation within the city is good enough, though crowded at times. Also, they only stop at certain points along the Grand Canal and two other places. You walk your way around town.

• Get your Venice Card at the Marco Polo airport, Piazzale Roma and the Train Station. (There are now more places where to buy them.) This can help with museum admissions (discounts), vaporetto rides (lower fares), church admissions, and others. They also have a discounted version for young people.

• Public toilets are plentiful around popular tourist areas, charging 1 Euro for each use. If you have a Venice Card, they are free. Cafes and bars also have toilets which you can use, but as common courtesy, buy at least a cup of coffee.

• Original Murano glass is generally very expensive. But there are places where they are discounted (Piazza San Marco) and can sometimes go very much cheaper away from commercial centers (in outlying areas in Burano). Just be careful not to buy fakes imported from Asia.

• Fixed price “tourist dinner” is cheaper than a plate of spaghetti – there is no cover charge. Of course, the food quality of ‘menu turistico’ can not be guaranteed. Also, restaurants now slap a 10 or 15% surcharge on top of everything.

• The area around San Polo near Rialto and the fish market is typical of “bacaro” or “cichetteria”. These are the typical Venetian places to consume small snacks and drinks. “Cichetti” (similar to Spanish ‘tapas’) are popular snacks.

• If you must insist, here’s a lowdown on gondolas. They are expensive tourist attractions or romantic tours, whichever way you look at it. They charge 80 Euros for the first 40 minutes, and 40 Euros for every 20 minutes. After 7pm, the rate becomes 100 Euros for 40 minutes and 50 Euros for every additional 20 minutes. The maximum number of passengers is 6 persons, and you may split the fare with everyone.

• When ordering a fish dish, be aware that they are charged according to weight and not by piece. 7 Euros for every 100 grams would add up to 35 Euros for a medium sized fish that’s around half-a-kilo (500 grams). It pays to ask questions first before ordering.

• Almost everyone sells maps to tourists. These maps are FREE. You must have yours at the airport together with your transport ticket pass. If not, get them at the reception area of your hotel.

As in all other tourist destinations in the world, it really pays to ask around before committing on anything – transportation, food, shopping, going places, the best times to go, etc.

The above list is just some of the things one has to know about Venice. Be guided accordingly, and enjoy!