Venice

VENEZIA

Like Florence and Rome, also Venice is a target for mass tourism and many who's been there tend to warn you not to go there. But often those, who warn you haven't been elswhere than the most touristic spots. Venice really surprises of its size and possibilities to explore the fascinating town in peace.

Rialto and Piazza San Marco are the most popular spots in Venice and it is good to see them in the beginning of your trip so that you can reserve more time to adventure not so crowdy areas.

Take vaporetto - a water bus to the Island of Murano. It is known for the centuries old glass industry. In the Middle Ages the glassmakers were all forced to move to Murano not to risk the other parts of town with the fire. Murano glassmakers were onot allowed to leave the island as that could have jeopardized the secrets of special glass making. 

Murano is absolutely filled with the glassware shops. The amount of supply makes you quickly confused. To find more contemporary and playful glass, visit Nason Moretti glassware shop in Calle Dietro Gli Orti 12. It is impossible not to buy something...

There is lots to shop in Venice. In addition to glassware, Venice is known for the paper products. The speciality is the handmade marbled paper. It is rather expensive but such a great present to take home. And even if you wouldn't be a masquarade fan, after seeing thousands different masks, you cannot resist bying one..or two. 

Harry's Bar in Calle Vallaresso 1323 is a fenomen. Serving international and well known clientele since 1931, the bar attracts visitors to sense the atmosphere of which Ernest Hemingway, Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles, Truman Capote and Peggy Guggenheim, among many others, also enjoyed. The drink of Harry's is Bellini, one of Italy's most popular coctails. The cocktail was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry's Bar and named after Giovanni Bellini - a Venetian renaissance painter. 


Try to make Belllini at home: Prepare it with ripe peaches and Prosecco sparkling wine. Peel and remove the stone of the peaches. Purée the peaches totally smooth in a blender. Let the purée to cool in the fridge. Spoon purée into a chilled champagne glass and slowly pour cold Prosecco on the top, stirring simultaneously (1/3 of purée and 2/3 of Prosecco).

Escape the hubbub of the centre and take a vaporetto to the Island of Giudecca. Have a nice relaxing walk along quiet streets and sit down for a dinner at I Figli delle Stelle restaurant by the water and enjoy the picturesque silhuet of Venice in the sun set, while dining.