5 TOP ATTRACTIONS AND HIDDEN GEMS IN VENICE, ITALY

Greetings to all! I continue the story of my journey through Italy. If you haven’t read my previous stories from Italy, you can find them here (link). As I promised, I will take you through Venice today. I will show you my top 5 favorite attractions and some hidden spots, less known places in Venice.

Another day in Venice

It’s dawn. I woke up rested, but my body also felt tired from driving. It’s like I got a slight muscle soreness. That’s the feeling. But there is no greater happiness than mine. It’s time to explore Venice, the city we all dream of when we were teenagers when we grew up. Simply Venice always awakens a beautiful feeling and a desire to explore. This mystical Venice was created for fun, enjoyment, and inspiration.

Breakfast in Hotel Nice and Planning

Thoughts keep coming to me, but my stomach is upset, haha. I went downstairs, where I had breakfast in a big living room. The room where I had breakfast was beautiful, filled with handmade wooden motorcycles.

Great! The buffet was small but with a delicious croissant and filter coffee. Perfect for me! Quite enough to start the day. I love when I sit down to drink tea or coffee and do some planning. Commonly I plan where I will go and how. How many kilometers should I cover, what attractions I don’t want to miss, but of course, I leave room for exploring the city without a plan. Still, some activities I have to plan, or I will miss the opportunity to accomplish them.

I had a quick breakfast, I wanted to go to town as soon as possible to start my tour. The motel was about ten minutes from the city center, which was terrific. I have to admit that the weather served me well throughout my whole trip through Italy. Everything it’s like it’s meant to be. As Paulo Coelho would say, “the whole universe will be convinced that your dreams will come true.”

Walk Through Venice

I reached the center and parked the bike in the same parking lot like yesterday. It was a bit windy, and a Dainese top I bought before the trip, was outstanding in protecting me from coldness. It heats up nicely, and when it’s a little warmer, it doesn’t make me sweat—an excellent thing. There are a couple of links at the end of the text if you would like to buy clothes, shoes, and other motorcycling items from this brend if you are in Europe or America.

Of course, full of energy, I first decided to wander around. I was walking around, and interestingly, the same thing happened to me as last night. I had the impression that I knew which way I was going. I was so confident all the time, but I realized that I had no idea where I was. But that didn’t stop me from wandering.

I like to see the buildings so old for centuries. I adore seeing hotels, small delicatessens, galleries, candy stores, cafes, and all so old places, with soul. It somehow exudes antiquities, traditional style to me.

There is no better thing than wandering around the city, without a map, with the desire to see something and observe people. You can see the difference between who is a tourist and who is a native. Here are some pictures I took while wandering around.

While wandering, I come across one of the top attractions, the ‘Oriental Art Museum in Venice.’ I believe that I spent at least two hours wandering the corridors. A combination of old and modern art, modern installations, but also ancient cultures like Japanese. I was enchanted with Japanese weapons from the Edo period (18th century).

MY CHOICE OF TOP 5 ATTRACTIONS TO SEE IN VENICE

2. Palazzo Ducale & Bridge of sighs

Interesting facts:

• This gothic architecture was trendy in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages.
• The palace has been burnt down a few times.
• A lot of times, they’ve been trying to replicate the architecture of the palace.
• Since 1567, the Giant’s Staircase has been guarded by s two colossal statues of Mars and Neptune. They represent Venice’s power by land and by sea, and that is a reason why they got that name.
• The Doge’s Palace was the residence of the Doge, the ruler, and also housed the political bodies of the state.

• At the end of the 19th century, the building showed a trace of decay. The Italian government spent a lot of money to repair the tower.
• The oldest part of the palace is the wing overlooking the lagoon, the corners of which are decorated with 14th-century sculptures.
• The building was Restructured in the 14th century, and the Chamber of the Great Council was decorated with a fresco. It was done by Guariento and later included other most famous artists of the period, including Gentile da Fabriano, Pisanello, Alvise Vivarini, Vittore Carpaccio, Giovanni Bellini, Pordenone, and Titian. With 53 meters long and 25 meters wide, it is one of the largest rooms in Europe.

• The Bridge of Sighs is one of the over 400 bridges that cross Venice canals
• The bridge connects Doge’s Palace with the “New Prison.”
• The name of the bridge is made because prisoners were led from the interrogation rooms to their prison cells and the bridge provided them with the only view of Venice before being locked up.

3. Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is the largest and most famous canal in Venice. It is almost four kilometers long and separates Venice in two.

4. Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge)

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Every year millions of tourists cross it.

5. Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro

The little things that make the atmosphere magical and unreal attract me to cities like this. I believe that this is how people create many stories and fairy tales, that the writers were inspired by night wandering through the streets. It is exhilarating to find inspiring places, and gives me the energy to create something new. I managed to find some places in such a short time.

LESS KNOWN PLACES IN VENICE – HIDDEN GEMS 

Libreria Acqua Alta – In translation, means high water bookshop

• Acqua alta is a natural phenomenon. It is due to the tides, especially when the high tide combines with winds and long waves.
• I found a shop accidentally when wandering around Venice’s tiny side streets. They have a unique way of storing books.
• Its beautifully arranged, and the bookshop opens right onto a canal
• Staircases are made of damaged, no longer usable books. Libreria Aqua Alta is home to plenty of cute, fluffy cats lying everywhere.
• There are more cute spots, but I leave it to you to explore next time you visit Venice.

Burano: The Picturesque Candy-Colored Island of Italy

• Burano is an island known for its brightly colored houses and traditional lacework. It is situated in the Venetian Lagoon, close to Venice.  
• If you would like to visit it you can by using the Vaporetto – a water bus or water taxi trip will cost about 100 euros
• Before, it was a fishermen’s village, and it still is.
• Canals are filled with boats, and brightly colored houses line the sides of the canal. Looks simply amazing.

• Don’t miss The Lace Museum is located in Galuppi Square 
• Via Galuppi is the main street in Burano.  It’s lined with restaurants, bars, and pastry shops.
• The very nice place is Galuppi Restaurant

Visit San Zaccaria’s flooded crypt

• With its ornate facade decorated in a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles. San Zaccaria is a church worth visiting for its architecture and inspiration.
• The water in the church acts as a mirror, enhancing the beauty of the crypt by making the columns appear doubled as long as the tombs seem to be floating.

Cantina Do Mori

• The Grand Canal is a mixture of costly, tourist-targeting places to eat. But if you want to glimpse some local life, then Catina Do Mori is the right choice.
• This traditional Venetian haunt is so local that it doesn’t even have tables. They are serving food and drinks at the long wooden bar.
• Locals claim that the charismatic Lothario Casanova used to frequent the bar with his friends years ago.
• They serve light food or Cicchetti, ranging from tramezzini – crustless sandwiches filled with cured meats and cheeses – to lightly fried artichoke hearts. Mix it with the local sweet, aerated red wine, surprisingly refreshing on a hot day.

Out of a total of two and a half days in Venice, I managed to visit a lot of top attractions and see some lovely places and significant ‘Local sights,’ essential to experience Venice in the right way. I have to go back. I was left with an unfulfilled lifelong desire to attend a ball under masks. I believe that it is a very significant event and that Venice became an unreal and magical city in that period in particular.

Walking through the canals, I gathered my impressions. I got tired a few hours earlier, but I got carried away with the exterior, architecture, and artistic handicrafts. I forgot how much my legs hurt and how I could get some sleep after another espresso. Ah, that afternoon nap. I think they are missing only one thing here, in Venice, a café with deck chairs. We have one in Belgrade, and I must admit that it is one of the top ‘must-visit places for every Belgrade resident and foreigner.

It’s time to go back to the hotel, I have to pack for the trip, and I’m pretty tired. I want to make the most of this trip. Tonight, I will not go anywhere but take a shower, eat dinner, pack up, and go to bed.

Satisfied and bathed, I went to bed, noting what I would like to visit next town. Sometimes it is desirable to plan some tours and visits to attractions in advance, and sometimes it is not. The small town I travel to tomorrow I left to explore the next day.

These were my favorite 5 top attractions in Venice and some hidden gems I discovered on the way. I believe that all these places are inspiring for you too. Next time I will take you to a small, sweet town only 120 km away. And I will take you to a beautiful and very famous Italian opera. If you want to see the progress of my journey, join me next week on a tour of Verona.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1pUuR5VfU0

If you did not read my previous stories about this trip, you can check it here:

~ Planning a trip to Italy

~ First time traveling to Italy – Day 1

~ Arriving in Venice for my birthday

Please find some useful links below.

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Useful links:

• More info about Paulo Coelho
• Accommodation ~ Hotel Nice, Venice
• History of Venice
• Parking for Motorcycle 24h
• Dainese US
• Dainese EU
• More Indo about Palazzo Ducale
• Oriental Art Museum in Venice
• St. Mark’s Basilica
• Bridge of Sight
• Grand Canal ~ Nasa view observatory
• Galleria giorgio franchetti alla ca’ d’oro
• Libreria Acqua Alta
• Burano
• Galuppi Restaurant, Burano, Italy
• Lace Museum, Burano, Italy