Venice
Ah, Venice. What a beautiful city you are!
This time we were in Venice with glorious sunshine warming us, sparkling canals and people who always seemed happy. I adore Italy's energy; something here makes you reluctant to leave once you arrive. We deliberately timed the trip to coincide with the Architecture Biennale, met friends, explored the city and visited the exhibitions.
This time we were in Venice with glorious sunshine warming us, sparkling canals and people who always seemed happy. I adore Italy's energy; something here makes you reluctant to leave once you arrive. We deliberately timed the trip to coincide with the Architecture Biennale, met friends, explored the city and visited the exhibitions.
To tell the truth, I did not actually go in. I dropped Tuğçe and our friends at the Arsenale, home to some of the Biennale's most extensive exhibitions, and escaped to wander the streets. I even found a back entrance and tried it, but could not get in. In fact, all the men in our group invented excuses and disappeared somewhere, so you could say only the women visited the Biennale. That event deserves a separate post. The best thing about going during the Biennale, however, was discovering areas away from the tourist crowds. If you are planning a current visit, note that the 2026 Venice Art Biennale runs from 9 May to 22 November.
|
|
Walk only 200 metres from St Mark's Square and you can find yourself alone with the city. The crowds, noise and selfies fall away, and Venice embraces you in all its splendour. There is a lovely park here, along with narrow streets made for photographs.
|
|
We hesitated briefly after leaving the train, but thanks to Tuğçe's excellent map-reading skills and instincts—and I am not joking—we found our room. We were staying in Dorsoduro, right in the heart of the city. I had read that it has more continuous land than many Venetian districts, which helps explain its strong local community and the number of schools and university buildings nearby. Apart from our landlady keeping us outside for fifteen minutes with classic Mediterranean nonchalance, everything was perfect. We dropped our bags and went straight out into the streets—or rather, the canals. Autumn sunshine warmed our bones as we began walking without a plan. What is the first thing to do in Italy? Drink an Italian coffee and wake up. We sat at the first café we saw, Al Canton, a popular haunt for nearby university students. If you are in the area, stop for a coffee.
What Did We See?
St Mark's Square is unquestionably Venice's best-known place. I will not tell you not to leave without seeing it, because it is almost impossible to visit Venice and miss it. For a city with so little land, the square is astonishingly large. Luxury cafés and restaurants line both sides, with live music throughout the day—and what music. At one you may hear arias with grand piano and violin; at another, beautiful classical pieces played by a string ensemble. Be warned: these are not particularly wallet-friendly places. The building in the photograph has shops all along its ground floor. Some belong to the cafés and restaurants I mentioned, while others are museum-shops associated with major Italian names such as Olivetti. The Olivetti showroom, designed by the celebrated Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in the late 1950s, remains a particular attraction for architecture lovers.
|
|
One of the square's most famous buildings is St Mark's Basilica, decorated with horse statues taken from Byzantine Constantinople. The story is complicated. The horses once stood at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, in the area now known as Sultanahmet Square. They were brought to Venice in 1204, carried to Paris by Napoleon in 1797 and returned in 1815. The horses outside the basilica today are replicas; the originals are displayed inside the museum. One important update: standard admission to St Mark's Basilica is no longer free. The official 2026 price is €3, with separate tickets for the Pala d'Oro and the museum/loggia.
Among Venice's hundreds of bridges, the most famous are probably the Rialto Bridge across the Grand Canal and the Bridge of Sighs. The latter has a melancholy story: this enclosed bridge carried prisoners to their cells, and tradition says they sighed at their last view of Venice through its windows. Those are the only two names I clearly remember. After a while we stopped trying to learn them all and referred instead to the wooden bridge, the steep bridge and the short bridge.
What Did We Eat?
|
|
Italian food is so influential in Turkey and around the world that it is difficult to surprise anyone, yet Venice still offers distinctive treats. We ate small cuttlefish and calamari from a paper cone, a brilliant idea and delicious too. Even a slice from an unassuming neighbourhood pizzeria—especially one topped with aubergine—may change how you judge pizza elsewhere. And do not leave without trying a Bellini.
Where Did We Stay?
We booked a place in Dorsoduro through Airbnb. It was really a house run as a guesthouse, but with high ceilings and an antique oven in the kitchen, it felt like a typical Venetian apartment. Accommodation in Venice is often expensive because space is limited, so staying in Mestre, around twenty minutes away by train, is another option.
What Did We Buy?
Although our dates did not coincide with it, the Venice Carnival is another world-famous event. Original masks and replicas are sold as souvenirs everywhere. Do not forget the glassware and gifts produced on Murano, one of the lagoon's best-known islands, or the gondoliers' striped shirts. We bought none of them—but perhaps you will.
If You Have Upcoming Travel Plans...
When you make a purchase by clicking our links, we get to earn a small commission but you still pay the same price. So, it's a win-win for everyone!
Book hotels via Booking.com
|
Find Cheap Flights via Skyscanner
|
Get a Travel Insurance via World Nomads
|
Make International Money Transfer via Wise
|
Book Tours & Attractions via Getyourguide
|
Book a Cruise
|
Book Bus/Ferry/Train/Transfer via 12goAsia
|
Find free accommodation in exchange for petsitting
|