Looking for off the beaten path ideas for Venice

Have you been to Torcello? It's the original settlement in the lagoon.

We're on our 5th visit next month and so we've also done most of the basic sites. We go mostly to hang out and enjoy our favorite place in the world (so far). But here's our organized activity for this time: we're doing a day trip to Verona. I've got one jam-packed day of places to see in Verona and they're all included on the Verona tourist card for under $20.

There's also this cool-sounding boat trip down the river/canal to Padua, stopping at 3 manor houses. http://www.ilburchiello.it
We opted not to do it as we are more excited about Verona.

If you don't want to leave town at all, though, we enjoyed the Natural History Museum there.

You could get a Chorus Pass, and visit as many of the churches on it as possible - it would take you all over the city. You could take the self-guided tour of La Fenice Opera House.

If you really want to go off the beaten path. . . . There is the old insane asylum now museum on San Servolo:

http://www.veneziasi.it/content/view/?id=261&lang=en

Make reservations before you go, as you cannot just show up. We did not know this and were unable to tour the museum, but did enjoy walking around the island.

And if you want some greenery and exercise, consider renting bikes and heading to Sant'Erasmo, an island covered with farms. We were there in October but there were still some crops left in the ground.

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/veneto/venice/santerasmo.html

@Lola - that looks awesome! What a tip. Who knew - an asylum!!!!

Valerie---yes, it is very cool. And the vaporetto ride takes you in a completely different direction from Murano and Burano.

And then there is my favorite campo in Venice, campo San Giacomo dall'Orio in San Polo.

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/veneto/venice/santerasmo.html

We have not ever seen people dancing the tango in the square ( maybe because we haven't been in the late evening), but we have come across some interesting markets and festivals there on weekends.

I liked San Michele, the cemetery island. The "Protestant" (actually non-Catholic) section is the most famous, but I was more interested in the other areas. If it's a sunny day, bring an umbrella; the actual gravesite areas are unshaded.

Bonus: the vaporetto from San Michele returns to Fondamente Nova, which is an untouristed area of Venice that's fun to walk around.

Row Venice and learn to be your own gondolier. Food tour. Took a great cooking class in Lido.

Venice has a cat sanctuary that I've never visited, and it seems there's an attractive small village nearby, called Malamacco. The TripAdvisor reviewer says you take a vaporetto to the Lido, and then a bus toward Malamacco. The sanctuary is reportedly open from 8:30 - 12:30, but it would probably be best to email ahead of time to confirm. Information is in the linked TripAdvisor review.

Not exactly crazy, but last time we were there we got the Chorus Pass and used the churches that were included as "destinations" for walks. The churches are spread out, so this took us all over the six sestieri, and we saw many nooks, crannies, rios, and campos that we hadn't seen before.

Also, another poster mentioned their favorite Campo--we stayed close to Campo San Polo, and we enjoyed finding a bench in the early evening before dinner and sharing the end of the day with the Venetian families who came there every night. Again, not crazy, but great memories made.

My suggestion - buy a copy of "Secret Venice" by Jonglez. Then find the underground ice house in the garden of the Hotel des Doges in Cannaregio, or the white paving stone in the path from the near canal to the door of San Pietro in Castello.

Find door No 1 in each sestiere or find every painting by Tiepolo, father, son and grandson. I did that one visit, and it took me days to accomplish.

Check out the garden in the Querini Stampalia Foundation, just off Campo S Maria Formosa, designed by Carlo Scarpa. Then find the Olivetti showroom in the Piazza, also by Scarpa. Find the survey marker, brass, 50mm diameter, that defines the central axis of the Basilica. (There's a challenge for you.) Or find the inscription noting the site of the last public well in the Piazza, filled in around 1500. Lots of things, fun to find, a treasure hunt.

Maybe spend half an hour interpreting the capitols of the columns around the Ducal Palace. Jonglez gives a good explanation for them.

Also in June, the Architecture Biennale will be happening. A chance to see the national pavilions, and get inside the Arsenale.

Find your favourite bakery - maybe Tonolo - and see how many ways there are to reach it.

Visit the Squero di San Trovaso boatyard, where they build and repair gondolas. You can watch from across the canal.

Explore the Cannaregio neighborhood. While there, check out the Jewish ghetto, wonderfully described by a friend of mine in this piece for the New York Times recently: 500 Years of Jewish Life in Venice

For a nice break in a park with lots of trees, check out the public garden to the southeast of the Castello neighborhood - the Parco Della Rimembranza. You'll probably be the only tourists there.

For more green spots, read this: Venice's Gardens and Green Spaces

I recommend the RS free audio tour of Frari Church. Download before you go. There is never a crowd in Frari and it's interesting. We lucked out and saw a German College music ensemble perform a free concert at night there. Great night time atmosphere. I also recommend the San Rocco complex. Lovely, uncrowded place. Church and Art Museum there. Near some gelato places as well.

Thanks for the information everyone! Lots of great ideas - I especially loved the idea of the Chorus pass as a vehicle to explore neighborhoods. That being said, any suggestions on specific districts/sestieri that are beautiful and interesting, ie less tourists yet fun to explore with cool off the beaten path sights (we've already walked through Castello a few years back so no need to go back). Also, any thoughts on Giudecca? One of my thoughts is to head over there for the afternoon one day, have a drink at rooftop bar at the Molino Stucky (Hilton) and then maybe have dinner at a restaurant over there before returning to our place in Cannaregio. Is it fun to explore that area or is it just a nice view over to Venice (we've also already been to San Giorgio Maggiore). Restaurant recs (ideally on the water or with a view would be great as well on Giudecca)

Do consider Row Venice, which is a historical preservation society for rowing traditional Venetian boats pre dating gondolas. You register and join ahead of time and then learn to row standing up, in gondolier style. It's great fun, and you will have the opportunity to row on the Grand Canal, which is a unique experience. if you book the late afternoon lesson you will have the cichetti (appetizer) tour, and will row to bars where you will enjoy a snack and a glass of wine before rowing to the next bar. My husband and I did this last fall and it was great fun.

Just went to the Scuola Grande di San Marco the other day. Definitely worth exploring if you have interest in historical medical equipment. The building is magnificent, as the other scuole in Venezia are. The civic hospital in which it is located is magnificent, too. Take a stroll through the first floor.

On the Giudecca, for an authentic restaurant, try Alla Palanca. Lunch only, kitchen closes at 14:30. We often use the book "24 Great Walks in Venice" to guide our exploration of the city.

Thanks everyone! Great suggestions!

So you asked for "crazy ideas" and I, in the spirit of things, suggested asylum museum. but apparently that is too far off the beaten path.

If you are interested in Giudecca, you can swim in one of the most beautiful public pools we have found --- my husband is a serious swimmer and we had fun finding this one and swimming there.

http://www.rarinantesvenezia.it/attivita.php?id_attivita=21

For a memorable waterfront restaurant with a view, you might consider Cip's Club at Hotel Ciprani, a Venetian institution.

Giudecca is a nice, close, easy to get to get away for an afternoon and perhaps evening. Others have suggested some good places to eat and drink. One of things we like about it is that it has very few tourist, a slower pace, and the chance to see a part of Venice that is more "authentic" that the biggies that attract so many people.