If we only have a half day, I think I’d rather go to one versus both. Agree? I’m leaning toward Burano, but looking for other opinions. Or if you’d skip altogether and spend the afternoon doing something else instead.
Posted by
Ohio
127 posts
Burano!!
Posted by
Munich
723 posts
Burano :-)
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1761 posts
We enjoyed going to Torcello first thing in the morning, climbing the tower and seeing the mosaics, walking along the canal and over the bridge without railings (only two left!), and then to Burano for lunch —- the two islands are close together but farther from Venice than Murano. We’ve been to Murano twice (20+ years apart), seen two different and equally lackluster glassblowings demos, but did like walking away from the hotspot near the vaporetto dock and looking in the windows of the shops but not going inside any.
Posted by
OP
Ohio
81 posts
I have not heard or read much about Torcello. Sounds like I should look into that some more as well. Thank you!
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
1101 posts
Burano and Torcello are right next to each other. The vaporetto gets you there comfortably and quickly. Torcello generally has few visitors - which could be good for you. The churches are well worth investigating. There is a delightful place to stop for a drink and/or snack. Burano, my favorite 'occupied' island, is like walking into a coloring book. The lace shops might be interesting to you. I prefer to simply meander around, have lunch, and meander again. As much as I love Venice, Burano and Torcello give me a chance to get away a little bit.
Posted by
OP
Ohio
81 posts
This sounds perfect- thank you so much!
Posted by
Pacific NW, USA
347 posts
Definitely Burano! Do yourself a favor and have the risotto alla Buranella at Trattoria Al Gatto Nero! Remember to book ahead.
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1761 posts
Posted by
Washington DC
29000 posts
Murano is interesting for people really interested in glass (as I am), but--at least as far as the commercial area is concerned--it's not nearly as attractive as Burano.
It's a fairly significant walk from the dock in Torcello to the churches, and getting there requires an extra vaporetto leg beyond Burano. The trip is short, but you are likely to have to wait for the vaporetto. It takes quite some time even to get to Burano from Venice proper, so I'd advise you to stick to Burano alone.
The mosaics at Santa Maria Assunta on Torcello are lovely, but I was disappointed to find they were not allowing any photographs in 2022. And they weren't selling postcards, either. I was pretty bummed about that and was very glad I had seen (and photographed) the mosaics in Ravenna earlier in my trip.