Ela Nostos

A first timer’s guide to the northern Italy city; favourite spots and inherited reccs from summer in 2023, and winter in 2024.

LOGISTICS

GETTING THERE:
Venice has an airport on the mainland and a train station that is very central (both are a 20 min bus ride from each other, and about €10 one way).

GETTING AROUND:
Since there are no cars in Venice, a great way to explore the city is on foot. BUT you may be tempted to get a gondola through the canals – I don’t blame you, but I will add my 2c: It’s about €80 for 30/40 min (€100 for night) and a bit more if you want the man in stripes to sing. If you’re not fixated on the traditional venetian boat, I’d suggest taking a ‘hop-on hop off’ water taxi to some of the neighbouring islands like Murano and Burano (more below). We caught the Venetiana for €30 and could stop at many locations (but this particular line was SLOW, so maybe look around some more). Either way, it’s a practical and cost effective way to see Venice on the water.

WHERE TO STAY:
I’ve had the pruveldge of visiting this place a few times and stayed in different locations on each trip. With that being said there are a few caveats to note:
1. No cars = you are walking from the train, with your luggage, on the cobble-stone streets
2. Most accommodation is built on ‘levels’ with no elevators, only stairs.
In my opinion, unless your hotel has a direct transfer by boat, stay closer to the train station to leave your lugggage and mission from there on the daily. The one place I would return to is Hotel Guerrini – the location was ideal and the staff were very accommodating and helpful (despite the peak season chaos).

HOW LONG TO STAY FOR:
While this is a personal preference, I would say that 3 nights is enough time to see Venice – and this includes a day to see the small neighbouring towns. Even if you are visiting for the Venice Carnevale – the infamous 10 day masquerade festival – I would say this is sufficient. Read more about Carnevale here.

EAT

Ca’d’oro, best gelato in summer

We tried plenty of gelato in Venice, including some of the ‘famous’ ones too. Ca’d’oro was #1.

Suso, best gelato in winter

While this may seem a bit odd – to distinguish gelaterias based on season – there is logic to it: in summer, the stock has a quicker turn around, and is more likely to be fresh, and Ca’d’oro’s flavours were so refreshing for the heat! Whereas in winter, when more decadent tastes are welcomed, Suso had the most incredible range of flavours

Pizzeria 1000 Gourmet, best pizza

In any travel blog on the region, you’ll read that ‘Venice is not the place for pizza’ – and while majority of the restaurants will confirm this view, 1000 Gourmet challenged it. We came across this tiny pizzeria by accident – as we were leaving the restaurant and I had made note of it to potentially come back, we saw its insane reviews and accolades. Great pizza, great pasta, great Aperol – what more could a tourist want.

Harry’s Bar Cipriani

THIS was the one request I had on my list for Venice! Harry’s Bar – birthplace of the Bellini cocktail, and carpaccio – is an iconic hole-in-the-wall that opened in the early 1900s. Despite its ‘celebraty’ reputation and insane prices, the tiny wooden bar, with small frosted windows is quite humble in appearance. My recc is to definitely go inside and see it – if you’re happy to ‘treat yourself’ on a cocktail or small plate, sit down and enjoy the place for all its worth. Cocktails are €20 each and ‘portioned’ – but it was the best negroni and olives I’ve ever had.

Vecia Cavana

Best gluten free pasta we found! The restaurant also gave NYC 1980s vibes, and the staff super friendly. Not the cheapest – but the best place for seafood pasta (that we found). We tried the vongole and a shrimp napolitana pastas.

Trattoria Tre Spiedi

A hole in the wall that I’m glad we found! Very funny to see the italian management deal with tourists. But adding this in because they offered gluten free pasta! And their seafood dishes and caprese salad were also delicious.

La Bottega dei Mascareri

To be honest, I dont have a particular mask store to recommend (this is the one featured on ‘Somebody Feed Phil’), but visiting one is a must! For those who don’t know, since the 11th century Venice has a carnival before lent starts. To fast forward to current times: people dress in seventeenth-century Venetian dresses with masks, there are processions and parades etc. And as you can imagine, over the last few hundred years, the art of creating beautiful (and terrifying) masks has allowed for hosts of incredible and creative stores. In short: go see their incredible hand-made creations.

EXPLORE

San Marco Square

This square has many of the must see attractions in Venice (listed below) and is a beautiful place to be early in the mornings especially (less packed). It’s not a location I can share, but the giant zodiac clock adjacent to the basilica is really beautiful to see. And the only thing I want to mention here, as a tip: do not order from one of the piazza’s restaurants/cafes without asking for the prices before. In our case, we were charged €16 for a coffee and €14 for a small water…

Basilica di San Marco

By circumstances, we were too late on the Saturday afternoon for entrance, and on Sunday, when we arrived, we were told that viewing is only allowed from 14:30. BUT, after speaking to some of the guards, we were allowed to join for the morning mass! Not only are you not fighting for entrance, at a price, but we were able to see the basilica come alive with the local congregation. A beautiful experience! Out of respect, photos are not allowed during the service. And admission always requires ‘appropriate attire’ (knees and shoulders covered, hats off).

Doge’s Palace

The iconic Venetian palace is found by Piazza San Marco, right by the water, with access to the ‘bridge of sighs’. I’ll just say that the building itself is beautiful to see, and its regale history interesting to read about in your own time.

Rialto Bridge

Like the Bridge of Sighs, I find Rialto Bridge ‘overrated’ – don’t get me wrong: Venuce is beautiful. But I find the smaller bridges and their quaintness more appealing and authentic. The main ones tend to be overcrowded, and often sites for pickpocketing. I’d suggest going to see them, to appreciate their historical significance (it’s free) and then carry on with your adventures by the Grand Canal.

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

This staircase is apparently one of the ‘must see’ sites in Venice, but not because of its optical illusion archways, rather for the view it offers from the top. Here you can get a different perspective of the city, and enjoy the quiet. We also got to see the adjacent / pop-up art gallery in its main building. Entrance is about €6, and was open everyday from 10:00-17:30.

Libreria Acqua Alta

Okokok SO! This was the final place on our ‘list’ of Venetian sites. It’s meant to be an old bookstore that has stacks of books as a staircase leading to a view of the canals – all true. However, we happened to visit this site when it was packed and the store helpers were literally ushering people in a single file line; it was hard to appreciate the place for what it could be (especially since I LOVE bookstores). I’ll just say that it might be worth looking on Google to find the least busy times to visit…and the view of the canal is equally as beautiful on any of the other interconnecting bridges.

Neighboring towns

Murano

If you’re familiar with glass blowing and sculptures, Murano is a great place to visit. As the birthplace pf murano glass, the town homes many factories that show you how the beautiful works of art are created. I will say that I found the products (ironically) more expensive than in the main town of Venice. Irrespective, it’s interesting to visit and a whole lot more quieter than the main city. As mentioned in the intro, if you’d like to visit, I’d recommend looking at the different boat routes and combining with a visit to Burano (more below).

Burano

If Pantone had an entire town as a demo store, Burano would be it. This small venetian town is full of colourful homes, each decorated with matching flowers and (somehow) clothes on the washing line. They’re also known for their lace and embroidery- quite a crafty and creative place. If you’re taking a water taxi / boat line around the islands, it’s a very cute place to walk through (and live your best Instagram life). It also shows another version of the floating region, which I think is great.