A Rough Guide To Venice
Updated: June 2023
Venice is a city for wanderers, rewarding every minute spent exploring its maze of intertwined lanes. Built on 117 small islands, the city is divided into six districts or sestieri: Cannaregio, Castello, San Marco, San Polo, Dorsoduro, and Santa Croce. With around 150 canals and 410 bridges, Venice is best enjoyed by venturing beyond the well-trodden paths of popular attractions like the Basilica di San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and Gallerie dell’Accademia. Take time to discover lesser-known sights like Ca’Rezzonico, Ca’Pesaro, and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.
The busiest times to visit Venice are between May and September, Christmas and New Year, February, and Easter. In September, a film festival is held on the Lido. The best times to visit are early spring and late autumn when the crowds are thinner. Summer is also a good time to visit with fine weather and long days perfect for visiting churches and museums in the afternoon, going on excursions and picnics, and watching concerts and operas. Between June and September many hotels are full so be sure to book at least two months in advance if you plan to visit during these months.
Public transportation in Venice is by vaporetto or small passenger ferry along the canals. Streets in Venice have their own unique names: a street beside a canal is called a fondamenta; a smaller street flanked by houses and shops is called a ruga or rughetta; a tiny side lane connecting two larger streets is called a ramo; and a quay is called a riva. Venice also has its own style of street numbering with each district having a long series of numbers. To avoid confusion when navigating the city, rely on street names rather than numbers.
For up-to-date practical information, consult the current issue of Un ospite di Venezia which can be obtained from the Azienda Promozione Turistica in Piazza San Marco or from the reception desk of most hotels and pensioni. It lists the opening times of museums, scuole or schools, chiesa or churches, cathedrals, and more which vary from season to season.
Trattorie or restaurants are more numerous than hotels in Venice. For excellent international cuisine dine at Antico Martini near the Fenice. For local color and good inexpensive Venetian food try Locanda Montin with its modern art-filled rooms and large shady garden. Venetian cuisine offers many dishes that do not rely on seafood such as risi e bisi or risotto made with peas and ham. Among cheeses try the rather dry Asiago. Most of the wines served in Venice come from Veneto including Tokai from Friuli, Soave di Verona, and Pinot Nero. Soave, grappa, prosecco are among the top local wines of Venice.
It’s worth noting that imported drinks are more expensive than Italian ones in all cafes. If you sit down at a table you’ll pay much more than if you stand at the bar so follow the locals’ lead and enjoy your coffee or glass of wine standing up.
