I know that I am posting this at the last minute....I am off to Italy, domani! However, Sam's comments about the great cafe close to S. Giorgia Maggiori and visiting its bell tower and Laurel's comments about walking along the waterfront towards Sana Elena just whetted my appetite. Some of the tips I have received on this board have helped to make previous trips to Italia, memorable. I will be spending most of my time in and around Roma as my brother lives there but I will be spending three nights in Venice and I was just wondering if anyone else could offer some lesser known but equally lovely places that they have enjoyed while in Venezia. I wasn't going to bother you guys but just couldn't resist asking.....I am sure that other future travelers to this amazing city will also appreciate your advice. Grazie!
Posted by
Basingstoke, England
98 posts
Jo I would suggest a visit to Torcello which is the original home in the Lagoon of the people who eventuallly founded Venice. The Cathedral is stunning with wonderful mosaics. Also when you visit San Giorgio Maggiore take the vaporetto a fews stops to Palanca where there is cafe of the same name, alla Palanca, on Giudecca where you can eat lunch and enjoy the view back to San Marco. The food is excellent and by Venetian standards cheap. David
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Jo, another vote for Torcello. Beautiful. Also, I found many artisans' workshops for glass on Burano. Venezia is a remarkable city.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
We do "the walk" from San Marco to St Elena every year. St Elena is where most of the few remaining Venetian Families reside. There's a playground and lots of kids and families out for the evening stroll. There's a little whole in the wall snack/coffee/pizzeria where you can get a great little bite to eat. You can sit outside on the plastic tables or take away to some of the public picnic tables in the grassy area. You sit along the seawall and watch the boats passing and the sun setting and listen to the water lapping. St Elena is a great place - no tourist sites but LOTS of "real" experiences.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17612 posts
David, do you know if Alla Palanca is the place shown at the end of Rick's Venice Lagoon video? He and his crew are dining with his Venetian friend at a waterfront cafe on Giudecca, with views over the Bacino to San Marco. I would love to find that place, or something like it.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
In addition to what you've listed, be sure to wander around in the areas that aren't on the tourist arteries that connect the railway station, Rialto and Campo San Marco. That means north Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, and Castello. There are amazing photo opportunities there, fwiw. That's where I took a lot of these photos: Magical Venice on our prior trips. P.S. We leave tomorrow for our fourth trip to Italy. First stop - Venice!! We'll be staying in a B&B with a view on the side canal that Katharine Hepburn falls into in "Summertime." :-)
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Just remember Rick's sage words: "Eighty percent of Venice is, in fact, not touristy, but 80 percent of tourists to Venice never notice." Just follow Michael's sage advice to avoid the "hot spots," and voila! You'll see the places shown in his pictures.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35098 posts
just as the above say, get off the beaten path ... that's the key.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
The most beautiful and magical time I have had in Venice is getting up before sunrise and watching the beginning of the day in Venice. Beautiful... be sure to do it at least one day.
Posted by
OP
Nokomis, FL, usa
46 posts
Thank you all so much for taking the time to share some of your favorite experiences with me.....I am always amazed at how generous and thoughtful you guys are. I will get back to you when I return....and hopefully, I will be able to share a few of my favorite Roman and Venetian experiences. Grazie, ancora for all your wonderful ideas!
Posted by
New York, NY, 10025
392 posts
I you want to get away from touristy areas but are nervous about getting lost, the Lonely Planet Italy guide had a great walking tour of the ghetto that really gets you into the areas where real people live. It was in the LP book as of 2010. It was a world away from the area near San Marco with out hotel, it seemed. Wonderful.
Posted by
Basingstoke, England
98 posts
I don't know if it is the place shown in the clip you have seen but I can vouch for alla Palanca being a great place both for the view and the food. Served only at lunch time though. There are other more expensive meals with a view on Giudecca but I do highly recommend alla Palanca
Posted by
Truro, NS, Canada
3943 posts
I'll second (or third?) getting up early and going out - I made my poor husband get up at 6am so we could go to Rialto and San Marco and see it without the crowds (this was two nights after flying thru the night to London, arriving at 9am, spending a night there and hitting Venice the next mid-afternoon...poor guy)...it was wonderful...especially considering what it looks like after about 10am. We also did Torcello, but unfortunately took the long way around and got there about 30 min before the open things closed and last time we went to Burano, got caught in a torrential rainstorm and didn't see much of that spot either, other then the restaurant we had lunch at. We enjoyed Santa Maria dei Frari church; find the Scala Contrarini del Bovolo ('snail shell staircase')...it's pretty cool (again, bad timing - we got there just after it closed so we couldn't go up in it...and it's a little hard to find - good thing hubby is a good map reader!)
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice-140867/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Venice-Scala_Contarini_del_Bovolo-BR-1.html