Travel Recap: Venice, Italy

Of all the countries I've visited, Italy is at the top of my list to see more of. As of writing this, I've only been to Rome and Venice, and both cities had so much culture and history but felt so different from each other while still feeling distinctly Italian.

I loved the atmosphere of Venice (though I'm thankful my husband is good at navigating, as I would have gotten lost nonstop on my own), I appreciated learning about its history, and as a Catholic just beginning to genuinely come into my faith, I enjoyed visiting all the basilicas. Plus, the gelato and seafood were amazing!

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tips and advice:

  • We visited Venice in mid/late April as part of a 3-country trip; we flew to Prague (Czech Republic) from the United States for a few days, then spent a few days in Venice, and finished our trip in Amsterdam (Netherlands).
  • Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) is worth the visit, but watch out for pigeons -- I don't think I've ever seen so many in my life. Also, while St. Mark's Square is definitely worth seeing, I wouldn't buy anything (food, drinks, or souvenirs) in the area, as it's very touristy and likely overpriced.
  • Venice can get extremely crowded, so I'd try to plan your trip before or after tourist season. (And since Venice is small, even a little crowded can quickly feel like very crowded. Even in April, it felt crowded, so I can't imagine it at peak tourist season!)
  • Like Amsterdam, Venice is a city of canals, but unlike Amsterdam, there are no cars in Venice. We walked 99% of the time and took water taxis the other times (like to and from the airport). In my experience, the gondolas are too expensive and inconvenient to use regularly, so I'd recommend doing one once just for the novelty/experience.
  • I'd avoid restaurants that have an employee or their menu in English outside as they are likely tourist traps and/or overpriced.
  • Take advantage of all the fresh seafood. I ate some of the best seafood of my life in Venice!
  • I personally recommend using luggage that's easy to carry or maneuver, as you'll likely be hauling them on and off of the water taxis, your hotel may not have an elevator (ours did not), and there are a lot of bridges (with steps) and uneven walking paths.
  • Relatedly, we did a lot of walking in Venice -- it's small, so we were able to see so much of it during our 3-day visit!

itinerary:

  • Hotel: AD Place. This boutique hotel was conveniently located and had a lot of personality! The staff were all friendly and helpful; there are umbrellas on hand to borrow (which we really appreciated because we hadn't packed any!); and there was a breakfast buffet and a rooftop terrace. There's no elevator, so keep that in mind and request a ground floor if necessary. And apparently guests receive a free trip to the Murano glass factory, which I wish I'd known at the time!
  • Day 1
  • Day 2
    • It was drizzling, so we took the opportunity to tour Museo Ebraico di Venezia (the Jewish Museum of Venice). We purchased tickets for the guided walking tour of 3 synagogues, one of which was still in use. I wasn't aware of any of the history regarding Venice's Jews, so I learned a lot and it felt like a really worthwhile use of time.
    • Lunch at Farini (which was very tasty, but there wasn't a ton of space, so it's definitely not somewhere to mill around; I was the lookout for any free seats while my husband stood in line).
    • Toured the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It's enormous -- I didn't realize at the time that it's the largest church in the city! This basilica also contains a chapel dedicated to Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who volunteered to die in place of another prisoner at Auschwitz, the German death camp. Learn more about his life here.
    • Dinner at Ai Mercanti, which I promptly raved about to all my friends. So delicious!
  • Day 3
    • Walked to the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) for photos and wandered the markets nearby.
    • Took a gondola ride.
    • Lunch at La Terrazza.
    • Gelato from Gelateria Nico (again!).
    • Toured the Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute (Saint Mary of Health).
    • Walked back to St. Mark's Square and toured the Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark's Basilica).

photo diary:


In St. Mark's Square.
Jacket: Express | Shirt: Express | Purse: Kate Spade










The Bridge of Sighs.

The Bridge of Sighs from the other side.

My husband and I joked that one of the main reasons we ended up at this restaurant was because of its cell phone usage rule ;-)

Another restaurant, another tasting menu, another great decision!

The fior di granseola (spider crab wafer, artichokes, aromatic herbs).

The risi bisi e ostrica (pea risotto and Scardovari oyster)

Gelateria Nico -- not only was it delicious but the presentation was adorable.

Earrings: Bauble Bar | Jacket: North Face rain jacket (affiliate link) | Jeans: For All Mankind

Beginning our tour of Jewish synagogues through the Jewish Museum of Venice.









Next we visited the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.












Ending every day with gelato was a vacation tradition :-)



At the Ponte di Rialto.



Sorry for the extreme close-up... my arms are not long enough for selfies! My husband purchased a pop socket (affiliate link) after this trip and it immensely improved our selfie game.



I look like Two-Face because of the shadows. It's remarkable I made it to 30+ years without figuring out out how the sun and shadows work.



Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute.

Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren (affiliate link) | Shirt: Express | Jeans: Loft






And our final basilica of the day and of our trip -- the Basilica di San Marco.







The entrance of our hotel.


where to eat and drink:

Note: Italian restaurants often have names beginning with "osteria," "trattoria," and "ristorante." A general rule of thumb is that an "osteria" offers a more bar-like, informal experience; a "trattoria" means casual; and a "ristorante" means more upscale and elegant. You may also see "pasticceria" (a bakery or pastry shop) and "enoteca" (wine bar). However, keep in mind that these terms aren't as clearly defined as they used to be, so always check the menu and/or website.

what to do:

  • Look into purchasing skip-the-line tickets (or even guided tours!) to try to avoid spending long waits in line.
  • Visit St. Mark's Square: Tour St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace and go to the top of the Campanile di San Marco (the bell tower). (But I'd go early to try to avoid the crowds, as it's one of the busiest places in Venice!)
  • The Bridge of Sighs is very famous, but at the time I found it a little depressing because of its history -- it allegedly got its name because it led to the city's prison and convicts would sigh upon taking in their last view of Venice before being imprisoned. However, I'm not sure that's historically accurate.
  • Visit the Rialto Bridge and Market.
  • Tour the basilicas! There are so many to choose from.
  • Take a water taxi to Burano, an island known for its colorful buildings.
  • Walk along the Grand Canal.
  • Climb the Campanile di San Giorgio Maggiore (the bell tower).
  • Visit the Museo Ebraico di Venezia, the Jewish Museum of Venice. As I said before, I didn't know all of the history regarding Venice's Jewish population; for example, in the early 16th century, Jews in Venice were forced into a small area of the island, which is considered the world's first ghetto (the word ghetto actually comes from the Venetian word geto, which is pronounced with a soft g), and their freedoms were restricted (such as only being allowed to leave the ghetto during the day). Learning this gave me additional context about William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which is (obviously) set in Venice, features a Jewish moneylender, and was written in the late 16th century.

links I used or recommend:

The Marvel movie Spiderman: Far From Home came out just a few months after our trip, and I always love watching it now because our trip itinerary included Prague, Venice, and Amsterdam, and the movie takes place in Prague, Venice, and London. So whenever I'm missing travel or want to relive this trip, I put it on! Just writing this recap made me want to plan a return trip to Venice -- which means I'll probably end up putting on Far From Home tonight, haha!

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