Prior to visiting Venice for the first time, I had a very specific vision of what I would do when I finally set foot in the magical city. It all essentially revolved around Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace with maybe a side of the Guggenheim thrown in if I found myself with time to spare. Needless to say, I massively underestimated all of the city’s diverse offerings. To ensure that you enter into any future trip to to the floating city from a more informed perspective than I did, I put together a list of five things to do in Venice (beyond historical sites and museums) to help guide your future travels.
Visit the Outer Islands
Regardless of the time of year you visit, one of the first things you will likely notice about Venice is that it is positively bursting with life. The fact that the relatively small main islands that make up Venice proper can contain so many excited tourists is part of the city’s unique charm, however, if you’re like me, after a day or two of dealing with crowd after crowd you might be ready to take a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle. If this also sounds like you, look no further than an escape to Venice’s outlying islands.
While Venice is actually made up of 118 submerged islands, most of them are uninhabited and offer little is the form of attractions. That is not the case with Murano, Burano and Torcello. A visit to any of these three islands, or better yet all of them, will give you a unique glimpse into Venice of yesteryear.
Murano is the most popular outer island thanks to its rich history of glass making (you can read more about the island’s tradition below) and is the easiest to get to thanks to the frequent water taxis that shuttle island-goers back and forth. While you won’t necessarily escape all of the masses of tourists on Murano, you will take in the unique glass sculptures located in the islands piazzas and have the opportunity to visit the Museo del Vetro, a museum focused on the art of glass blowing.
One of the intricate glass sculptures found in Murano’s piazzas.
The island of Burano serves as the backdrop for a lot of the colorful photos of Venice that you see floating around the Internet. The small island is comprised of picturesque canals lined by brightly colored houses. It is in fact recognized as one of the top ten most colorful cities in the world! The island is known for its fabulous fishing and long tradition of lace making, offering plenty of opportunities to enjoy both.
Beautiful and brightly colored Burano.
Though Torcello was one of the first Venetian islands to be successfully occupied following the downfall of the Western Roman Empire, a visit to the outlying island today will paint quite a different picture. Due to its ever-sinking attractions and distance from the main islands that today make up Venice, the island really does offer a reprise from the crowds. Thanks to its remaining haunting ruins, specifically the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, it is the perfect place to enjoy a secluded picnic on a bright and sunny Venetian day.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639, features Byzantine mosaics dating back to the 11th century.
For further information on how to reach Murano, Burano and Torcello, check out this transportation guide from Fodor’s Travel.
View a Glass Blowing Demonstration on Murano
In 1291, the rapidly expanding city of Venice was at risk of destruction due to the threat of the accidental spread of glassmaker’s fires. To combat this risk, all glassmakers were forced to move to Murano if they wished to continue practicing their trade. The art of glass making subsequently flourished in Murano and the island began exporting extensively, quickly becoming recognized around the world as the epicenter of the craft.
The centuries-old art of Venetian glass blowing in action.
Today a visit to Murano offers the opportunity to view a glass blowing demonstration first hand, nearly identical to the one that you would have witnessed centuries earlier. You will also encounter shop after shop filled with impressively delicate handmade wares made with the same skill set that has been used for centuries.
Get Lost
If you spend more than a few hours in Venice, you will inevitably at some point get turned around on the winding alleyways and canals and find yourself lost. Rather than wait for this to happen by mistake, I suggest carving out a few hours of your day to make this your main purpose.
With the influx of map apps, there are few corners of Europe that you can truly get lost in these days. Venice is unique in that no map quite successfully depicts all of the twists and turns the narrow island passageways make, so getting lost is in fact relatively easy. Not only is it easy, it’s also low-risk, as the main islands that make up Venice are not comparatively large. You can never get too far off course when you’re on a network of small islands!
Just a few of the delicate bridges in Venice’s endless network.
The beauty of purposefully allowing yourself to wander aimlessly without a set plan in mind is that you’ll undoubtedly stumble upon the centuries old nooks and crannies that make up the very core of the city. You’ll find yourself pulled towards a 500-year-old palace that now houses a modern art gallery. You’ll discover a hole in the wall restaurant that ends up serving the best seafood risotto you’ve ever tasted in your life. And somehow in the middle of all of it, you’ll discover the very heart and soul of your own private Venice.
Shop for Masks at Ca’Macana
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There are no shortage of amazing mask shops in Venice thanks to the island’s rich tradition of Carnival. Venetian Carnival is said to date back to before the 1000’s when the citizens of Venice began unconsciously celebrating in the days leading up to Lent. The yearly tradition was cemented by the mid-1200’s, over time becoming the lavish masked carnival that we are familiar with today.
While there are mask shops to be found on nearly every street of the small city, none carry quite the same history as Ca’Macana. The shop is one of the oldest in the city and has stood the test of time thanks to a combination of respect for tradition and willingness to embrace unique and modern trends.
Traditional skill meets modern modesign in Ca’Macana.
If the masks at Ca’Macana look familiar, that’s because they are. They were featured prominently in Stanley Kubrik’s 1999 erotic thriller Eyes Why Shut. You can to this day purchase masks cast from the same face as those worn in the film, taking home not just a piece of Venetian history, but also cinematic.
See Venice Via Gondola
I know, this isn’t a remotely original idea, but hear me out. If you look beyond the fact that every passing gondola seems to be full of selfie stick wielding tourists, you’ll realize that there is nothing more traditionally Venetian than, heaven forbid, joining them.
Where else in the world can you find a front row seat for views like this?
During the 17th and 18th centuries when gondolas were the main mode of transportation in the floating city, there were an estimated 8,000 – 10,000 in service. Today there are just over 400, most of which are available to be hired out by tourists looking for a leisurely and romantic way to tour the city.
What remains special about Venice’s over-priced gondola rides are the unique points of view they afford. Seated in the low, flat-bottom boats you’re able to view the city as people have for centuries, often times cruising up and down narrow canals that are inaccessible to the larger water taxis of modern day.
If you haven’t had the chance to visit Venice, I hope this diverse glimpse into the wide array of potential activities you might enjoy helps convince you that a trip to the magical city is well worth your while. If you have been in the past, it is my hope that this reminder of all the unique options the city has to offer makes you look back fondly on everything you love about Venice.
