RESPONSIBLE VENICE – WHERE TOURISTS DON’T GO: SECOND DAY TOUR

RESPONSIBLE VENICE – WHERE TOURISTS DON’T GO: SECOND DAY TOUR – CIAO VALENTINA

Yes, it is possible to respect Venice while visiting. Avoiding the main tourist areas is the very first step. In this second day of our venetian tour, we will go around those neighbourhoods not visited by so many tourists.

Here we go again with our 2^nd day tour of Venice, because let’s be honest, the places that we all know are easy to reach, but it’s always possible to find some “pure” and almost “untouched” areas. You can also read about first day of tour in Venice RESPONSIBLE VENICE – WHERE TOURISTS DON’T GO: FIRST DAY TOUR.

Or, you can watch my videos on my YouTube channel:

YouTube – Sustainable Venice Day 1:

YouTube – Sustainable Venice Day 2:

YouTube – Tutto quello che devi sapere prima di visitare Venezia:

WHAT TO SEE AND WHAT TO DO IN THE SESTIERI

DAY 2:  

Cannaregio:

The north-east sestiere, or neighbourhood, is one of my favourite sestiere in Venice. I love it because it’s pretty dynamic, with plenty of shops and restaurants. Tourists, locals and also students, stroll around this area where they can eat typical cicchetti, drink spritz and buy something fashionable.

Jewish ghetto: this is my favourite part of Cannaregio. Here Jewish people have lived since around 1300.  In the main square you can find the old Venetian houses that were taken from Venetian people to be given to Jewish people to help their integration. The Ghetto area is divided into: Ghetto Vecchio (old ghetto), Ghetto Novo (new ghetto) and Ghetto Novissimo (very new ghetto). The names can create some confusion as the New Ghetto is actually the oldest, where the very first Jewish people – called ashkenaziti – lived after coming from Central Europe. The other two ghetti were created to give more space to the Jewish people coming from Portugal, Spain and Greece.  It’s here in the Ghetto Nuovo where there are the oldest synagogues and the Museo Ebraico. The oldest is the synagogue Todesca. If you have some time, I suggest you stop here for the tours that start at 10.30am in Italian and English languages. What is wonderful in here is that you can enjoy genuine Jewish Cuisine.

Castello

I like to call it the “Tail of the Fish”. It’s considered the greenest area of Venice thanks to Giardini della Biennale. The sestiere name Castello comes from the Castle built on San Pietro island.

Giardini della Biennale: enjoy a nice walk in these magnificent gardens. I do not recommend coming here on foot from the train station as it will take more than 40 mins, especially if you are carrying luggage with you. You can take vaporetto line 4.1 and 5.2 from the Train Station Venezia Santa Lucia.

What I love about this area is also the Padiglione delle navi with its unique collection of historic boats including gondolas, racing boats, military vessels, a funeral barge and a royal motorboat. The price is €10 and you need to get off at Arsenale Stop.

I recommend you stop at the Arsenale. Personally, every time I come to Arsenale I soak myself in the fascinating history. In fact, since the beginning of the 12^th century, the Arsenale was the heart of the naval industry of Venice. It occupies a pretty large area of the town reflecting the importance of this industry in Venice. The Arsenale was strategically positioned in the city to protect from enemy attacks, however this period of superior strength did not last forever – during the Regno d’Italia (Reign of Italy 1866) the area became too small for use by modern ships and their transit inside and outside Venice. Today it is a cultural place that keeps the memories of this great period alive.

Via Garibaldi is perfect to start your shopping adventure. Here you can find small, traditional Italian mask shops.

Another thing must see if you are in this area is the Libreria Acqua Alta (‘High Water Bookshop’). I promise you will find it fascinating to see how all the books are stored – on top of gondolas, a row boat and even a bath – to protect the books in case of high water.  

San Marco’s Sestiere

The richest and most lavish sestiere in Venice, with so many monuments, art and history that leaves every tourist astonished!

The name is taken from the Basilica in the square and inside there is the salma (body) of the evangelist Marco, patron of the town.

Piazza San Marco, is also called Salotto del Mondo (the drawing room of Europe) as the centre of political, religious and real Venetian life for many years.

To reach San Marco you can walk for around 40 mins from the train station or you can take the vaporetto line 1 or 2.

You will want to visit Basilica di San Marco which is free to enter. Remember to bring with you a pashmina to cover your shoulders and legs and keep in mind that large bags are not allowed. Remember that it’s not permitted to take photos inside. Construction of Basilica di San Marco started in 1063 under the Doge Domenico Contarini. His successor Domenico Selvo continued with the works that ended with the Doge Vitale Falier in 1094. As a result, you can admire different architectural styles inside such as Romantic, Byzantine and Gothic.

Palazzo Ducale: (Doge’s Palace) is another astonishing building that has seen the evolution of Venice and survived battles and conspiracies including the famous seducer Casanova who escaped from their prison. To enter there is a price of €20 plus €5 for the audio guide.

As you are here don’t forget to climb the 99 meters to the top of the Campanile di San Marco. From the top you will enjoy an amazing view of Venice. Get ready to queue however, especially during sunset.

So, there we have the end of the second day in Venice. It has been a super intense day walking up and down the bridges, visiting different areas and enjoying the non-tourist areas.

It’s like this – to know the real Venice you need to go off the beaten path, knowing that getting lost here is part of the Venetian Adventure!

Read also how to spend your first day in Venice RESPONSIBLE VENICE – WHERE TOURISTS DON’T GO: FIRST DAY TOUR and a lot of other useful information to know before visiting Venice (all you need to know before visiting Venice).

Or watch my videos on YouTube:

YouTube – Sustainable Venice Day 1:

YouTube – Sustainable Venice Day 2:

YouTube – All you need to know before visiting Venice:

My favourite places:

– Jewish Ghetto: because Venice is much more than it seems.

– Acqua Alta Library: for it’s originality.

Responsible and Sustainable Venice:

Venice is a delicate island, forever a victim of “over-tourism”, so please RESPECT VENICE! Avoid going during high season and avoid the heavy tourist areas. You will find other information here: (blog post, all you need to know before visiting Venice).  

Remember: LIVE, TRAVEL, LAUGH AND REPEAT

                              in a responsible way