VENICE

Stay:

  • Hotel Bisanzio. 4* hotel close to Piazza San Marco and the Biennale fair grounds. You can book it here.
  • Hotel al Sole. Basic 3* hotel with high ceilings. You can book it here.
  • Foresteria Levi. 3* hotel in the Palazzo Giustinian, located right at the Canal Grande next to Accademia bridge. You can book it here.
  • Hotel Bauer. For a luxurious 5* stay right at the Canal Grande. You can book it here.

Eat:

  • Ristorante Wildner. Delicious food and fish soup, located right by the water.
  • Antiche Carampane. Close to Rialto bridge and absolutely great sea food.
  • Ai Barbacani. Small restaurant at a small canal with nice appetizers, great fish platters and friendly service. They have a cute two-seater table right at the canal.
  • Hostaria da Franz. Elegant fish restaurant with a very good wine selection.
  • Corte Sconta. A real gem – don‘t miss the seafood appetizer plates!
  • Al Covo. Charming family-owned restaurant close to the Arsenale area.
  • Campo Santo Stefano is a nice and tranquil square close to Accademia. At Ristorante Santo Stefano you can get Pizza, Spaghetti alle vongole and more.
  • On the way between the Biennale locations of Giardini and Arsenale you can find a lot of restaurants and bars on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Drink:

  • For drinks before dinner: Under the arcades of Campo San Giacomo di Rialto you will find various bars, e.g. Osteria Bancogiro.
  • The pretty square in front of the church Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista in Bragora has a lot of outdoor bars, e.g. Osteria alla Bandiera.
  • For cocktails check out the Oriental Bar at the Hotel Metropole, which is open even late in the night.

Do & See:

  • Teatro La Fenice. If you do not have time to see a play, it is possible to visit the impressive interiors of the building as a tour. 
  • Main sights of Venice (beside its beautiful streets, bridges and canals): Basilica San Marco (get there by 11.30h to see it in best light), Doge`s Palace, Rialto bridge (great view on Canal Grande), Bridge of Sighs.
  • Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Peggy Guggenheim‘s former home with her personal collections and a beautiful garden.
  • Palazzo Franchetti. A pretty palazzo by the Canal Grande with changing exhibitions.
  • Palazzo Fortuny. Museum set in an old gothic palazzo and former atelier of artist Mariano Fortuny.
  • Fondazione Prada. Since 2011 the Fondazione in Venice has its headquarter in this old palazzo.
  • Scuola di San Rocco. Confraternity building with impressive ceiling paintings by Jacopo Tintoretto.
  • Cà d Oro. Best known gothic facade at Canal Grande, nowadays a gallery.
  • Venice Biennale. Very recommended to get a guided tour when you visit the exhibitions at Arsenale and Giardini.
  • Scala Contarini del Bovolo, San Marco, 4299. Lovely spiral staircase.
  • Fondaco dei Tedeschi. The former headquarter of the German merchants has been transformed into a luxurious department store by architects from OMA. The roof terrace has a nice view over the Canal Grande.
  • For fans of Italian architect Carlo Scarpa there are two highlights: The store Negozio Olivetti right at San Marco square and the Fondazione Querini Stampalia with its garden.
  • The islands around Venice are also very beautiful, e.g. Murano with its glass museum and San Giorgio Maggiore with its church by Andrea Palladio.

Tip:

  • To take a water taxi from the airport costs around €100-150 per boat, with a group of people it is a beautiful way to enter Venice.
  • Getting around in Venice usually means on foot or on water. There are comfortable day passes for the water buses known as "vaporetto". Note: When Venetians celebrate the Regatta Storica on the first weekend of September, you cannot use them.