La Serenissima- One of the most important ports of the Mediterranean and home to some incredible art,food and wine. It's an open air museum. 
The Rialto Market is right on the Grand Canal.
It can be really crowded on these tiny streets, watch your wallets.

I❤️ Markets: Venice

Venice is one of the 4 major ports in Italy. As you walk through you can feel the wealth which built the city, the city is a living museum. Venice is actually made of 126 island and connected by over 400 bridges. The city is divided up into 6 "sestieries", neighborhoods.

 I broke up the map into the sestieries as it's the best way to discover Venice more deeply. To visit Venice, I get the vaporetto pass and hop on and off, the walk the neighborhood. 

Getting To Venice:You don't drive in Venice!

If you do drive up, there is a parking lot and then you can take the vaporetto or a water taxi. I hate schlepping my luggage in Venice, so pick the location carefully if you don't travel light.

They have an airport and a train station which are the main ways to arrive.

Taxi 314 - The most convenient and fastest way to reach and visit Venice

When choosing your hotel remember you have to get your luggage there on your own. Walking through Venice with luggage can be hard.

When you come out of the station there are porters waiting to help with your luggage. On the vaporetto's you are allowed one bag per person.

I like to pick a place near a vaporetta stop or access from a canal where I don't have to cross a bridge carrying my bags. Think ahead.

Venice has all sorts of options from small pensiones to 5 star hotels as well as Air B/B's.  I say price check online. 

Off season you can get some wonderful deals.

The Rialto is the main city market. Under the building is the fish market and outside in the piazza are the fruit and vegetable stands. Some of the stands have switched over to more "gift items" like in Florence. As there are fewer residents, there is less demand.

The area around the market also has more fish shops, cheese, bakeries and many places to eat and drink.  I like to check out the markets when i arrive to see what is seasonal and local. When you read a few menus you also can see the regional recipes which tend to repeat themselves in most places as most people go out to eat dishes they might not create at home. 

There are a few weekly markets in Venice as well, which bring in housewares and clothing in the various neighborhoods. We saw a couple of smaller stands around town. On a couple of the canals you often find a shop on a barge.

First courses can be rice, pasta or polenta based. Risotto and Polenta are traditionaly from the northern regions.

Being on a lagune, there is a lot of fresh fish. Whole fish is often served by weight, so when you look at  a menu if it says 8 euro an etto.. that means 80 a kilo and they will weigh the fish and probably will be around 40 euro or more.

The Bacari are famous for small dishes. Seasonal specialities.

Sarde in Saor- lightly fried fresh sardines then marinated in sweet and sour pickled onions

Moeche- Soft shelled crabs. Only available a few months a year. These were tiny and delicious.

Polpette- These meatballs are made from mashed potatoes, ground mortadella, ground beef and parmigiano. ( Trattoria Ca d'oro- Alla Vedova)

Baccala Mantecata- Often the cod mousse is served on grilled or fried Polenta.

Insalata di Polpo ( folipo)- Octopus salad. Delicate not chewy with celery

 Tramezzini -White bread sandwiches. The bread is crustless and cut into long strips and you get these "stuffed" panini. Many different flavors. Most of the people I saw ordered Tuna.

Radicchio di Treviso-This is a beautiful and mild radicchio, you will find it raw in salads but also cooked.

 Fritto Misto- Simple fried calamari and prawns. Sometimes will include some vegetables.

Risotto al Nero di Seppie- Cuttlefish Risotto with it's ink. You will find black pasta or the cuttlefish simply served in it's sauce, with polenta on the side

Baccala alla Vicentina- Warm stew of cod cooked in milk a speciality of Vicenza.

When I plan these guides, I like to make it a destination. Find things to see and do and then pair a place to eat or drink nearby. 

Open the "map" button on the top right to see where you are, the blue dot, and then you can click on the places near by.

A Bacaro is a wine bar where often you can simply stand and order a glass of wine and a little something to eat, sort of like a tapas bar. Some have tables or a counter to eat at.

Osteria, Trattoria and Ristorante are all sit down places. What changes is the tableware which also reflects on the prices usually.

Years ago I started using this website to find fine dining: I have been to several of them and always enjoyed the meals. They hold themselves to a high level and also to treat clients well. Buona Accoglienza- Welcoming.

Associazione dei Ristoranti della Buona Accoglienza

Fancier tablecloths and the number and quality of wine glasses makes a place more expensive usually. Prices are also based on the quality of ingredients and location.

This last trip I saw more and more places offering pizza at restaurants which is odd. The Pizza culture comes from down south and are pizzerias or a bakery specializing in pizza and or breads.

Probably the most famous drink from Venice is Lo Spritz. The original Spritz was made with a vermouth called Select. It is much milder than the more modern versions with Aperol and Campari.

I love Campari  but prefer my spritz with Select.

The other Spritz which is very mild and refreshing is a drink called HUGO.

When you sit in Piazza San Marco or anything, ask for a menu to see the prices first. It is the most expensive place probably to sit and some bars have live music and it costs more when the bands are playing.

Many of the Bacari offer a spritz and a couple of cicchetti for 4  euro. Sitting in piazza San Marco can be up to 6 euro. Ask around who has a nice happy hour with snacks as well. It's fun to sit and people watch as well.

Cantina Do Spade

Al Timon

Amadi Bruno

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Getting to Venice from the Airport

Venice Airport

Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia

Campo Santa Margherita

Hotel Santa Chiara

Il Diavolo E L'acqua Santa

El Sbarlefo San Pantalon

Rialto Market

Libreria Acqua Alta

Bar All'Arco

Pane Vino e San Daniele Rialto

Cantina Do Mori

Enoteca Mascareta 

Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Pantalon

The Migrant Child by Banksy

Scuola Grande di San Rocco

San Michele Cemetery

Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore

Visiting the museum

Museo del Manicomio - La Follia reclusa

Robe da Matti Restaurant

Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Squero di San Trovaso

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Mercato Sacca Fisola

Casa Reclusione Femminile Venezia “Giudecca”

Osteria Al Squero

Cà D'oro "Alla Vedova"

Museo Fortuny

Saint Mark's Basilica

Aciugheta

Mystic Garden of the Santa Maria of Nazareth Church

Santa Maria from Nazareth Church and Giardino Mistico 

Jewish Museum of Venice

Ghetto Ebraico - Comunità Ebraica di Venezia

Al Mariner

Row Venice

Atelier Marega

Antica Locanda Montin

Foscari Palace

Labirinto Borges

Gelateria Alaska

L' Bacaro de' Bischeri

Constitution Bridge

Osteria Cicchetteria "Aea Canevassa" Venezia

Vini da Gigio

La Zucca

Vino Vero

Il Paradiso Perduto

El Sbarlefo

Building Bridges Lorenzo Quinn

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Venetian Arsenal

Corte Sconta

Ai Gondolieri

Museo Storico Navale di Venezia

Hotel Metropole

Hotel L'Orologio Venezia

Al Covo

Osteria Al Portego

Il Ridotto Restaurant

St. Mark's Square

Basilica San Marco  The campanile

St Mark's Campanile

Visit the Neoclassical Rooms, the historical collections about the Serenissima and great examples of Venetian painting until the early 16th century.

Museo Correr, Venice | Official Website

Museo Correr

Caffè Florian

Bridge of Sighs

Bacaro e Trattoria da Fiore

Teatro La Fenice

Mercatino dell'Antiquariato Campo San Maurizio

Rosa Salva - San Marco

Terrazza Aperol

Enoteca Al Volto

Rialto Bridge

Caffè Quadri

Ombre e ciccheti da Pinto 

Ca' Rezzonico is one of the most fascinating palazzos in Venice. It currently houses the Museum of eighteenth century Venice.

Ca' Rezzonico - Opening hours, tickets and location of the palazzo

Ca' Rezzonico

Discover the wonderful Accademia Gallery with their fascinating history, curiosities, useful information and other magnificent museums of Venice.

Accademia Gallery of Venice - Useful Information – Venice Museums

Museo dell'Accademia 

Rosa Salva - Sts. John and Paul

Al Mercà

Le Pietre di Venezia

Campo San Barnaba

The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute is one of the most popular churches in Venice. It has an impressive dome, which can be seen from all the city.

Santa María della Salute - Opening hour, ticket & location, Venice

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

Church of Saint Mary of the Rosary 'Gesuati'

Osteria Da Codroma

Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore

Murano

Burano

Torcello

13 Venetian restaurant owners have signed a lease for a plot of land in Sant’Erasmo to cultivate vegetables, spices and seasonings: all raw materials which will be used in their dishes. This is how Osti in Orto was born.

I❤️ Markets: Venice

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