Wandering in Venice
Venice is on the bucket list of many travelers, just as it had been on ours for a very long time. To avoid the crowds, we have decided to go there in January, when the Christmas season is over and the carnival season has not started yet. And what a great decision it was!
Getting to Venice is actually quite cheap from both Vienna and Prague and the distance is also quite short. You just have to cross the Alps and that’s it! :) After a very short research Jan found the optimal mean of transportation for us: taking a train from Vienna for the way there and flying back by plane to Prague.
From the people that have already visited Venice during winter, we found out that if you are not very unlucky with the weather, Venice can be a very pleasant break from the ice-cold winter in other parts of Europe. So, on a January Friday we took a day off at work and got on the early Friday Eurocity train from Vienna to Venice Santa Lucia. The train leaves Vienna at about 6 a.m. and passes beautiful alpine sceneries which were even more beautiful when covered in snow.
Thanks to that and some tiny 0.2 l bottles of sparkling wine, the journey passed quite fast. In the early afternoon we stepped out from the Santa Lucia train station directly to the hustle and bustle of this magnificent town. Of course we have read all the stuff that there are no roads and no cars in there, only water channels and boats. Still, we were not ready for the feeling one has once he has entered the city. It kind of feels like a parallel universe where the architecture and style of living took its own distinct way!
As we had only two nights and so many things to see, we went straight off in the direction of the former Venetian ghetto to feel its special atmosphere on our own. The Jewish community even nowadays seems to be well present in this part of the town. We were happy that on a Friday afternoon we found there a quiet and chilled-out atmosphere which was in contrast to the busy Canal Grande right in front of the train station.
After a short stroll in the Jewish quarter, we went in the direction of the famous (and very crowded) Rialto Bridge which was just on the way to our bed and breakfast. The plan was walking as much as possible on the first day and visiting some of the other islands next day.
For tourists, the city transport within Venice is quite expensive (1 day tourist ticket costs about €20), but actually the city is navigable by foot very easily and while walking around you will sure find many unexpectedly nice spots. One of the musts in Venice is trying the local small snacks called cichetti. They often sold in the small bars and usually complemented with a glass of wine. From fresh octopus to fried chicken, there are many types of cichetti. To me they are fairly similar to Spanish tapas and almost all of them are god-damn tasty! On the map on the top of the page you can find a nice bar with great cichetti and other places of interest to complete your perfect trip to Venice.
On the second day, Silvia managed to persuade Jan to go to San Marco square before the breakfast to enjoy it empty and in the early morning light. And it it was definitely worth it. Except of the few groups of well disciplined Asian tourists, there were only locals minding their own business and preparing their shops for the new day.
Much more exciting than the San Marco square was the Rialto market on the early Saturday morning. Already at about 7 a.m. it was very lively and full with sellers offering colorful range of seafood and fruits. We bought some fresh mandarins and regretted we did not have the time and possibility where to cook fish.
Mostly just the walking around the stalls and looking at all the happening around gave us the perfect start to the new day. Yet, the highlight of the trip was yet to come: the visit to the other Venetian islands: Murano, Burano and Torcello.
With the daily tourist pass, one can take a boat to any of the island around. After the breakfast we went straight to the boat terminal, and took the first boat direction Murano. Murano is a traditionally industrial island well known for its glass production. It’s quite nice for a walk, but more importantly it is the gate to the more distant islands of Burano and Torcello.
If you have ever seen a picture of colorful Venetian houses they were from Burano. It takes some time to get there from the city centre of Venice, but once we got there, we were so happy we did this. The atmosphere of the island is so enchanting we had the feeling we want to buy one of the houses there and stay there forever.
If you have some more time we also recommend visiting the one even more distant island of Torcello. Although more than 10,000 people used to live there some 1,000 years ago, nowadays there are only few houses and one ancient church. This island is a great refuge from all the crowds on the other islands-definitely worth visiting!
Check out our Flickr gallery and the summary of our practical tips for your pleasant trip to Venice:
Get in:
Possible by bus, train and plane. Our recommendation: taking train to the San Lucia train station which is directly on the main Venetian island or flying in to one of the airports (Marco Polo or Treviso).
Travel costs from Prague / Vienna:
We can’t tell you as it was a present to Silvia, but it was not that expensive ;)
Getting around:
Easily possible by foot (do not worry about getting lost, in this city its kind of fun and part of the experience) or by public transport, so called vaporettos. Daily ticket for vaporettos which will can take you anywhere around Venice, even to the more distant islands of Burano and Torcello is about €20.
Eating and drinking tips:
(For exact locations check the map in the upper part of the article)
Bacarando in Corte dell’Orso: Tasty snacks, good wine, a bar / restaurant where both locals and tourists hang out and seem to be having fun
Restaurant 6342 a le Tole: Great home-made pasta and other delicious stuff for fair prices. In the evening a reservation is recommended and possible online.
Accomodation:
If you don’t mind shared bathrooms on the corridor than we can heartily recommend B&B Best Holidays Venice as it was very cozy and warm which is very important if you visit during winter like us.
Others:
If you get hungry in Burano you don`t have to spend a lot of many in the expensive tourist restaurants. Check out the small convenience store called “Antica macelleria gastronomia Rosso” close to the “Love Viewing Bridge” which serves perfect sandwiches and other home-made snacks. Buy there a bottle of prosseco and drink it at the seaside for an authentic Italian experience.
For more adventures from our journeys check our Instagram & Facebook.
