Venice - where should the gondola take you to?

Venice - where should the gondola take you to?

Laura Dehelean
Venice, also known as the "City of Canals”, “The Floating City” and "Serenissima”, is a place like no other - charming through its intricate alleys and walkways over the canals, with no cars/scooters or traffic noise to spoil the romance in the air. Gondolas floating here and there, idyllic cozy terraces just around every other corner, Italian delicacies all over and relaxed people wandering about. Venice's culinary delights include Sarde in Saor, Risotto al nero di seppia (black squid ink risotto), Bigoli in salsa, Baccalà mantecato (whipped codfish), Fegato alla veneziana (liver with onions), and Risi e bisi. Don't miss cicchetti (small plates) and Tiramisu for dessert. Highlights: 🍾 Bellini is the name of a cocktail invented in Venice about 80 years ago. A Bellini consists of peaches and Prosecco (Italian version of Champagne). The peaches are squeezed and the juice is mixed with Prosecco. The glasses in which the Bellini is served have to be very cold. For the typical Venetian Bellini only white peaches are used. 🛶 A gondola is a traditional narrow and long Venetian rowing boat. The boat is steered by one person called a gondolier with the help of one long oar. Centuries ago, gondolas were the main means of transport in Venice. Now they have become a very popular tourist attraction, and perhaps the most recognisable symbol of Venice. Although a bit expensive (standard gondola rides in Venice have a fixed cost of 80 euros for a private 25-30 minutes tour. At night, however, the cost of a gondola ride is 120 euros for a private 25-30 minutes tour. If you desire to stay longer, tell the gondolier and ask for the price before the start of the tour) a gondola ride might just be the most romantic thing to do in Venice. 🥠Baicoli is a typical Venetian biscuit. The shape of the biscuit resembles that of a sea bass, hence the name - "baicoli" means "sea bass" in the Venetian dialect. Back in the old times, when Venetian sailors prepared for long journeys, the captains made sure to procure a lot of baicoli. The biscuits were used as bread, and because of being very dry, they could survive for a very long time. Baicoli are typically vanilla-flavored, and are sold in metal boxes, easy to transport and keep fresh for long. The metal boxes, in which the baicoli are sold today, carry a picture of Venetian men and women in traditional clothing of olden times. Other traditional sweets to try: Mandorlato di Cologna Veneta (especially at Christmas). 🍘 Frittelle - They are Venetian doughnuts served only during Carnival. They can be stuffed with pistachio cream, zabaione and chocolate.
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Accommodation Info 🛏️

Upon looking for a place to book in the heart of Venice I found out good hotels on the main island are quite expensive and a little bit difficult to get to, especially with some trollers to carry around.

Therefore I chose to book a nice, budget-friendly studio in Mestre - the continental part of Venice. I highly reccomend it! There are several good hotels nearby the station and there are lots of trains that connect Mestre to Santa Lucia on Venice island (around 10 minutes/ride which is about 1,50€/pers).

*My choice was Staycity Aparthotels.

Staycity Aparthotels, Venice, Mestre
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Dining & drinking 🍽️🍷

Caffè Vergnano 1882
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The best coffee in town! It looks like a small coffee shop located nearby Ponte Rialto, but it has a beautiful wide terrace towards the canals. The prices are higher if you choose to have your coffee there compared to a take away.
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Caffè Florian
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Have breakfast here, even just for the experience itself! Caffè Florian is a coffee house situated in the Procuratie Nuove of Piazza San Marco, Venice. It was established in 1720 and is the oldest coffee house in continuous operation in Italy. The coffee itself is not the greatest one I’ve ever tasted, but the location and the service indeed make up for everything. You might be just lucky enough to have an orchestra band playing on the terrace (this implies an extra fee of 6€/pers. on your first order but still, it is worth the experience).
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Amorino
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Fancy a great tasting aaand looking gelato? This is the place to get it! A sweet flower-shaped surprise for your tasting buds. This venue is just around the corner from Ponte Rialto.
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Pasticceria Tonolo
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VizioVirtù
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GELATOTECA SUSO
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I Tre Mercanti
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The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice
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Have lunch on the terrace! Take pleasure in a unique Grand Canal experience with delicious al-fresco dining on The Gritti Terrace. Stretching along the waterfront, this popular place offers one of the most spectacular views in town over Punta della Dogana and the Santa Maria della Salute Basilica. Observe the Venetian water life and sleek gondolas glide by while enjoying a light lunch, informal snacks, and refreshing drinks from noon until 10.30 p.m.
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Gio's Restaurant & Terrace
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Bistrot de Venise
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Dinner here (ask for an outside table)
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Restaurant Terrazza Danieli
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Located on top of the luxurious Hotel Danieli, just a short walk from from St. Mark's Square, you find this romantic rooftop bar / restaurant with a magical, postcard-worthy view of Venice and the beautiful lagoon. Here you can enjoy Italian fine dining for lunch and dinner year round, and during the warmer months out on the terrace, which then also is open for afternoon drinks, serving fantastic mixologist cocktails, apertevi and a wide range of martini's (among alot of other things). Expect great service in a fantastic and luxurious setting.
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Sagra Rooftop Restaurant and bar
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Not a venue you just happen to stumble upon, as it is set on top of the JW Marriott Venice, found at the Isola delle Rose, a private island about a 20 minutes boat ride from Venice. Very stylish in decoration, the Sagra rooftop offers some amazing 360-degree views, over the island park, the lagoon and the Venice skyline. The rooftop restaurant serves a menu that takes you on a culinary journey through Italy, while the poolside rooftop bar also offers everything from crafted cocktails to some of the best champagne's in the world.
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Club del Doge
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Zanze XVI
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Fine dining
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Algiubagio Restaurant
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Ristorante Sempione
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Ristorante ai Barbacani
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Trattoria Bar Pontini
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Trattoria Bandierette
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Trattoria alla Rivetta SAN MARCO
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Trattoria San Basilio
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La Calcina
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Cip's Club
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Trattoria Da Ignazio
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Osteria Da Carla
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Cantina Do Spade
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Impronta
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Trattoria Dona Onesta
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Trattoria-Pizzeria All'Anfora
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Trattoria Al Gatto Nero
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Trattoria Al Gazzettino
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Trattoria da Remigio
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Trattoria ai Cugnai dal 1911
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Trattoria da Mimmo
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Trattoria Alle Burchielle
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Trattoria Da Jonny
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Trattoria da Nino Venezia
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Trattoria Antiche Carampane
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Poste Vecie
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Rossopomodoro Venezia San Marco
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Stappo-Enoteca con cucina
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Ristorante Pizzería Al Faro
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Pizzeria Ae Oche Santa Lucia
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Antico Forno
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Pizza al Volo
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Corner Pub
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Osteria Al Squero
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Basegó
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Go for Cicchetti
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Terrazza Panoramica Rooftop bar at Ca‘Sagredo Hotel
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Set in a 14th century Venetian palace along the Grand Canal, the luxurious Ca' Sagredo Hotel comes with a lovely rooftop terrace, called Terrazza Panoramica. Open during the warmer months, this is a fantastic venue to enjoy a relaxing and sophisticated aperitif, all to some amazing views over the Venice rooftops and the action on the canal. Lush and charming in setting, the rooftop bar offers a variety of drinks, ranging from traditional Spritz and Bellini to refreshing fruit cocktails.
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Bar Gabbiano
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Harry's Bar
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Bellini was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of the world famous Harry's Bar. The bar itself is located close to San Marco square, at Calle Vallaresso, 1323. Over the years, it has been frequented by the world celebrities, such as Charlie Chaplin, Aristotle Onassis, Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Orson Welles – just to name a few. Even today, VIPs frequent Harry's Bar to enjoy their Bellini. Remarkably enough, the cocktail had no name for nearly 20 years. It wasn't until 1948, when an exhibition by Venetian artist Bellini took place, that Mr. Cipriani decided to call his cocktail "Bellini" in honour of the great painter. In older times, there was one employee at Harry's Bar who's only job was to squeeze peaches for the cocktail. One can say that Bellini is a kind of synonym for Harry's Bar itself and that Harry's Bar, in turn, is a synonym for Venice. No wonder that Bellini is very popular as a gift and a greeting from Venice.
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28.5 Rooftop
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Found on the northern part of Lido, the 5-star hotel Ausonia Hungaria Wellness & Lifestyle offers a refined and unique rooftop to enjoy Lido and Venice from above. Called 28.5 Rooftop, this stylish venue blends contemporary lifestyle with 110 years of history. Suspended between the sparkling sea and the charm of Venice, here you get panoramic views over the lagoon, Lido and the Venice skyline. The 28.5 Rooftop menu includes crafted cocktails, wines, champagne, as well as elevated Italian cuisine.
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Settimo Cielo B & B
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A spectacular and elevated Venice rooftop bar, perched on top of the five star hotel Bauer Palazzo, here you can enjoy a some truly magical views of the lagoon and the city. Settimo Cielo used to be a venue exclusive to hotel guests, but since 2019, the rooftop bar and restaurant is also open to the public, so nightly anyone can enjoy a cocktail and/or a gastronomic experience proposed by Michelin-Starred Chef Cristiano Tomei.
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Wine Bar 5000
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H10 Palazzo Canova
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You can stay the night or go for the rooftop. Located on the Grand Canal, in the heart of Venice and just a few meters from the Rialto Bridge, the H10 Palazzo Canova comes with a charming and elegant rooftop bar, called La Terrazza Bar. The rooftop features two different areas, one covered and stylish indoor lounge and an open-air terrace, offering spectacular views over the water in the canal and the Rialto Bridge. Open to all during summer nights to enjoy a glass of wine or a mixed drink in a romantic atmosphere.
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FerroWine
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One of the best wineries, very close to Venice - about an hour away (by car). It worths the trip for a special experience!
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Blind Spot - Cocktail Bar Venezia
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Blind Spot is a chic and stylish rooftop cocktail bar, perched on the 19th floor of the HTM Hybrid Tower in Mestre on the mainland part of Venice. Part sleek and dark indoor lounge with panoramic windows, and part sprawling open-air terrace, here you get some really impressive views over Venice and the surrounding area. The ever-changing rooftop menu focuses on a fine selection of modern and refreshing cocktails, and one floor below you also find the Asian-inspired AKI Rooftop Restaurant.
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Skyline Rooftop Bar
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Attractions 📸

Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro
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Murano
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Murano glass is world famous and there is only one place in the world where it is manufactured - the small island of Murano, near Venice. If you want to visit the island - take a boat (the so-called "Vaporetto"); the journey takes only a few minutes. Being there, you'll have the opportunity to watch the process of Murano glass creation (as well as to buy it) in many of the local factories open for visitors. (By the way, some Venice hotels organize visits to the island for free). Observing Murano glass in the making is as fascinating a process as enjoying its beauty ready-made. The process of manufacturing is far cry from mass production. It starts by workers melting two or more pieces of different glass. Oftentimes, some precious materials, such as gold or silver, are also added. The results are marvelous objects: animals, lamps, candlesticks, jewelry, cups, vases, etc. - practically of any color and size. Each one of these items is really unique.
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Fondaco dei Tedeschi
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Your shopping experience at Fondaco dei Tedeschi would not be complete without a visit to the panoramic terrace that offers an extraordinary perspective of the lagoon city. Online reservation is required. BOOK YOUR VISIT • Access to the terrace is free of charge. • Online reservations for visits are mandatory, and it is not possible to access the terrace otherwise. • Reservations for visiting the terrace is mandatory and can only be made online. • Each visit has a maximum duration of 15 minutes. • The printed or electronic reservation is checked at the entrance. They cannot guarantee access to the terrace outside of the reserved timeslot. • Please arrive on time. They cannot guarantee access to the terrace if you arrive late. • In case of bad weather, the manager reserves the right to close the terrace without prior notice to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the staff and customers. HOW TO GET THERE The terrace is located on the fourth floor and can be reached using the escalators, the monumental stairs and the elevators. OPENING HOURS The rooftop is open from 10:15AM to 6PM.
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Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo
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Serra dei Giardini Nonsoloverde Soc.Coop. Sociale Onlus
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Calle Varisco
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A narrow street - 53 cm wide
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Museo di Palazzo Grimani
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traghetto service
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Instead of paying €80+ for a gondola ride in Venice, you pay €2 for the Traghetto Traghetti are large gondolas that are used by locals and tourists to cross the Grand Canal, especially where the Canal isn’t connected by any of its four bridges. Traghetti or traghetto (singular) means ferry in Italian. An inexpensive option The price to cross the Grand Canal is € 0.50/€2, the perfect alternative to a gondola if you are traveling on a budget. You will even be able to take a photo of the two gondoliers that steer the traghetto, so as not to miss out on any experience. Schedule Note that the traghetti are designed for the Venetian workers, so they only run certain times a day and some do not run during the weekends.
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Shopping 🛍️

Designer Outlet Noventa di Piave
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This place is reachable by bus - there are several departure hours/day and a trip there from Mestre takes around 80 minutes.
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Signor Blum - Bottega artigiana Venezia
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casanova mask artisan workshop
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La Bottega Dei Mascareri
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Emilio Ceccato
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For authentic Venetian product, visit the shop of Emilio Ceccato, specialized in gondolier's outfits. It is situated very close to the Rialto Bridge (address: "Sotoportego di Rialto"). Many Venetian gondoliers shop there - not only for the hats, but also, for example, for those typical sweaters with crosswise stripes. The price of a hat is 27 EUR.
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Gilberto Penzo
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The owner, Gilberto Penzo, is an internationally recognized expert in Venetian ships. He sells his models nearly all over the world to both private customers and museums. Each of his models is handmade and unique – made with utmost care for detail. The shop is a true haven for anyone passionate about maritime history in general and Venetian shipbuilding in particular. The shop offers not only ready-made models, but also kits for building some models (e.g. Venetian gondolas) yourself. One such kit - for a 50-cm long gondola, scale 1:20 - contains 42 pieces. The shop is situated at San Polo, Calle II dei Saoneri 2681, just about 300 meters away from the famous Campo San Margherita. If you go there by water-bus, get off at the San Toma stop. Prices start at about 35 EUR for a gondola kit. For bigger models, which are very detailed, you may have to pay up to several hundred Euros.
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The Merchant of Venice
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The Merchant of Venice store - Spezieria all'Ercole d'Oro
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Golden Goose Venezia
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Golden Goose is a well know brand, founded in Venice.
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The Merchant Of Venice
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Carbaline Venezia
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Bespoke perfumes, skincare and home fragrances.
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Libreria Acqua Alta
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Piedàterre
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Piedàterre
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Giuliana Longo - Modisteria a Venezia
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ANTONIAMILETTO Venezia
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Walking down Calle Delle Botteghe, it's impossible to miss Antonia Miletto Gioielli—the jewelry boutique has orange-silk walls that make it look like a lantern glowing from within. Inside, you'll find gorgeous, handmade pieces in unconventional material pairings, like ebony and diamonds or coral and amber. Miletto is known for using wood, carving it into smooth, organic shapes, and pairing it with gold or pave diamonds. Don't leave without trying on a pair of feather-shaped earrings.
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Vaccari Antonio & C.
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Gioielleria Artigiana Boncompagni Valeria
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Authentic and bespoke jewellery
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SFRISO by Kryos Gioielli
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Il Grifone
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Scriba Venice
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Karisma
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The most amazing stationery items I have ever seen! Still, the owner/seller seems to be a little bit rude, which is a pity.
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Caigo Venezia
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Cavalier Venice
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Sabbie e Nebbie Venezia
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Martinuzzi S.n.c.
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Danghyra
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Attombri
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Arte di Murano
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Ragazzi Umberto
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Pasta Di Giacomo Rizzo A. And R. Rizzo Snc
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In Venice, there is a pasta shop whois owner's family have been in business of hand-making pasta for over a century. There you can even buy coloured pasta: green or red, resulting from the dough mixed with spinach or tomatoes. But the highlight in their collection is the pasta shaped in the form of a gondola. A Venetian masterpiece.
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Drogheria Màscari
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Everything about Antica Drogheria Mascari, a spice shop, makes you feel like you're in another century. All prices are handwritten, every label is more retro chic than the last, jars of candy line the shelves behind the register, and loose spices are arranged in neat, medina-style piles in the window. You'll also find beautifully packaged candies and biscuits, dried fruit and nuts, and niche booze, including cases of Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella.
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Despar Teatro Italia
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MOST BEAUTIFUL SUPERMARKET IN ITALY Located in the Cannaregio neighborhood in Venice, you'll find this impressive supermarket called Despar Teatro Italia. This used to be a theater back then. It was only on December 2016 that they converted the theater into a supermarket.
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* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Dehelean
Hi! 🤗 I’m Laura - born and grown nearby the Romanian coasts of the Black Sea, in Constanta (a city with great history which I invite you all to visit and enjoy). This city and its surroundings, with beautiful, wide beaches have always drawn lots of tourists, thus… I have been working in the hospitality industry for quite a while now. Of course, I enjoy more being a tourist myself 😁(or perhaps…should I say “a traveler”?). In the past few years I have travelled across Europe (and most of its capitals and big cities) and found out many special places which I longed to share with others (it would have been a pity not being able to do so nowadays). So, thanks to Thatch I can provide some lists to help me and my friends out along our journeys - and, hopefully, other Thatchers as well. P.S.1 I am always open to suggestions or feedback on how to improve the info that I’m sharing. P.S.2 I am passionate about my shopping, therefore all my guides shall always include shopping venues that mainly sell authentic brands - bespoke souvenirs are what we want to take home with us, right? P.S.3 My guides shall always include many venues/places because I like options. Personally, I wouldn’t cross half a city just to get to a specific restaurant…after a long day, in particular, I would rather find a good spot close to the hotel that I’m staying at (or somewhere in that area). Moreover, different trips in the same city could target a totally different area and wouldn’t it be nice to explore its best by knowing all the variety of services/products available around?
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