Venezia

Our favourite places in Bella Italia - part 2

Venice – a really magical place but almost always overcrowded with tourists. Except in 2020 when the COVID19 pandemic outbreak changed tourism. Have a look at this webcam which gives you a good idea of how busy the place can be. I took this screenshot on July 28, 2020 at 1pm and will add the same picture in a year to compare...

Last year I asked myself when should I plan such a trip to get a less touristy experience? So decided to go in March outside of school holidays with the hope of a decent spring day - which luckily happened. Clare was away in Australia doing her DaySkipper sailing course. Being alone with my camera I chose to get up early to avoid the day tourists and get the best light.

I started my day trip at the famous Piazza San Marco with the Basilica and Campanile (tower) in the background. The peaceful atmosphere with the first light of the day was really amazing. Save your breakfast for later and come here first to get this vibe!

From here, carry on to the gondola service station. Just before sunrise you can see these beautiful colours in the sky and the magnificent island of San Giorgio Maggiore in the background. A tripod is recommended to best capture the movement.

From here you can enjoy the sunrise next to the Palazzo Ducale before heading back to the hotel for breakfast to plan your next steps.

I took a ferry boat to Murano and can highly recommend doing this. It’s 1.5 km north of Venice and the ride gives you an excellent impression of the region since you stop at several places.

Murano has a different vibe than Venice. The houses are certainly not as glamourous. But the simple and colourful houses along the eight channels give the place a very relaxed ambiance. Try to plan in a lunch break in one of the many restaurants.

Back in Venice in the afternoon, I walked around the small alleys of Ponte di Rialto. If you leave the main paths you quickly start to loose your sense of direction. But this is the fun part. I tried to use Google Maps but realized that the accuracy is limited and you need to ‘survive‘ without the mobile phone just like the good old times :-).

In the end I found my way back to the Rialto Bridge which is another top attraction of Venice. It's the oldest and most beautiful of the four bridges across the Canale Grande.

For my sunset spot I picked the Ponte dell'Accademia from where you can observe the gondoliers in the golden hour with the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the background. I sat here for about an hour just enjoying the view.

Even though I was quite tired from a long day on my feet strolling around the magic places of Venice, I still wanted to take a last picture in the blue hour. I was lucky to see this gondola returning from work underneath the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) which connects the Palazzo Ducale with the former prison.

From there I walked to the bistrot Chat Qui Rit near my Hotel Becher and enjoyed good Italian food and wine. Thank you Venice – you are truly magic!

Our other published blogs of the series 'Our favourite places in Bella Italia' cover the following areas (with links):

Part 1: Milan - Milano

"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name"

(The Call - Thomas Osbert Morsdaunt, 1730-1809)

Travel blog and travel guide by Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker

© Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker

#Italy