“Show and Tell”: Venice off-the-beaten path

Earlier this week, I spent a few days in Venice with family after a long absence. The last time I was in Venice, it was, unfortunately, an experience worth forgetting – sweltering heat, hordes of people at Piazza San Marco, exorbitant prices and I could go on. But that was 15 years ago and it was all our fault as we decided last-minute, in August, to visit Venice with no planning whatsoever.

This time around I wanted to right a wrong. I knew there was more to Venice than just the main attractions, crowds and ridiculous prices. And without too much effort, I found the real Venice. It is the Venice that has me swoon and while there will be a detailed post about our trip in the near future, here’s a glimpse of Venice off-the-beaten path.

6 Favorite Photos of Venice off-the-beaten-path

1. As we walked through the streets of Venice, often getting lost, we would somehow still come across a gondola in the smaller canals – after all this is Venice.

2. It was fantastic that our hotel, UNA Hotel Venezia, situated in Cannaregio sestriere (district), sits on a lovely, tranquil street that’s easy to reach from Ca d’Oro vaporetto stop and only a 15-minute walk to Piazza San Marco. Have you ever seen Venice this deserted?

UNA Hotel Venezia sits in this lovely, tranquil street

3. As we walked around Cannaregio, there were signs of people going about their daily life. We saw kids playing football in their neighborhood, and not at all the Disneyland-like atmosphere we had experienced in the past. This is the Venice I’ve been looking for.

4. Every gondolier needs a break after all. This one needs to take a call.

5. When in Venice, don’t miss out on the cicchetti scene. We were fortunate to have a local, Monica Cesarato, take us on a cicchetti “crawl” through Venice, sampling the best the city has to offer. Monica has written a few articles for this site, one covering “10 Unusual Facts about the Venice Carnival” and “4 Unique experiences in Venice“.

6. Burano was a must-see on this trip to Venice. I’ve read about the town and seen photos of its colorful homes that I had to see it for myself. I was just in awe at the riot of colors and couldn’t get enough of them.

Seriously, I could have spent an entire day taking my time browsing through its alleys lined with brightly-painted homes. Burano is a 40-minute vaporetto ride from Venice but absolutely worth the visit.

I’ve a newfound love for Venice and already planning another trip back this year. While I did visit St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, both fascinating, I can’t wait to be back to discover even more hidden corners.

Have you been to Venice? What did you enjoy most about the city?