Venice is unlike any place in Italy – or the world. Walking the streets, winding between canals, bridges and ancient archways: it all feels like stepping into a film set or getting lost in a culturally elevated version of Disneyland.
It feels overwhelming at times, and it’s hard to discern the tourist traps from the family businesses that have been part of the city for decades, sometimes centuries, but once you get the hang of things, there is truly nowhere that feels as special as this Italian architectural marvel.
The last time I stayed here for a while was just after the Covid pandemic, when almost all foreign tourists had disappeared from the country. Venice felt silent, calm and “real” then; hardly any English was spoken in the streets, and there were no waiters trying to convince you to eat at their restaurant or queues to take Instagram-worthy shots of the picturesque canals.
This time, however, the atmosphere had shifted entirely. The city was as busy as one could imagine, and walking the streets felt like being on a giant guided tour, but that’s the normality of things in Venice, and I was very glad it was restored.
Venice is one of those rare cities where you don’t want to find something new. The cool coffee shops, avant-garde restaurants and cocktail bars are for metropolises like London, Milan or Berlin – in Venice, you want tradition.
There are many luxurious hotels in the city, but you can’t beat staying in a traditional Venetian palazzo – even better if it has gone through a state-of-the-art restoration.
Palazzo Cristo is a gorgeous 15th-century building tucked away in a small street, steps away from the renowned Piazza San Marco. The first entrance takes you into an intimate garden blooming with pinks and greens, before setting foot inside the design-led space. The five suites are refined and sleek, featuring lavish Italian materials such as Carrara marble and Murano glass, all imagined by the two designers and owners, Venetian Anna Covre and Parisian Frederic Tubau de Cristo. If you ever get the chance to go there, don’t think twice about it.
The mornings are quieter, as many visitors start their days later, so Venice’s most coveted corners are better explored in the early hours. At €6 for a cappuccino and €4 for a cornetto, it’s extremely overpriced, but it’s a delight to start the day sipping a coffee in an elegant traditional café like Pasticceria Al Theatro, located in front of one of the most iconic theatres in Italy, La Fenice. If you are more of a savoury breakfast kind of person, it also makes some exquisite overfilled tramezzini.
A perfect afternoon is spent at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The museum is small but brimming with treasures directly from Peggy Guggenheim’s private art collection – including pieces by Salvador Dalì, Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso. The museum also features a small terrace that opens directly onto the canal, offering a lovely view of the gondolas and the ancient palazzos.
At some point, leaving the busy centre and heading to a slightly calmer area of the city will be necessary – after all, there is never really a “low season” in Venice, and the crowd can be overstimulating. But wandering around the forgotten corners of Dorsoduro, considered the student area, I truly understood why the city is called La Serenissima, or “the most serene” in English.
By 5pm, a spritz is overdue, and there are plenty of spots to enjoy one. In Venice, a spritz is not typically considered a cocktail, but rather a light aperitivo to sip while snacking on some cicchetti – the Venetian version of tapas.
The first stop is Bar Ai Artisti, located in a lovely and usually calm square, frequented mostly by locals and students – and the occasional tourist who accidentally stumbles upon it. Order a refreshing spritz, accompanied by a few cicchetti like little toasts with cured meat on top, Venetian cod or fried delicacies. Just a few minutes away, Osteria Ai Pugni has a similar selection and a few tables right next to the canal.
For a truly exceptional experience, Gio’s Restaurant & Terrace offers an elevated menu featuring a fusion of Venetian and Apulian dishes, local produce and regional wines from small producers, set against the stunning backdrop of the Isle of Saint George and its basilica.
The city might be busy, expensive and hard to navigate for first timers, but there is no denying that Venice is a sight to behold, at least once in a lifetime. Every time I step foot outside the Venezia Santa Lucia train station, I can’t believe a place like Venice is real, and that I am so lucky I can exist in it, even if only for a while.
Alessia Armenise is a travel and lifestyle writer. Her work has appeared in Condé Nast Traveller, British Vogue, Suitcase Magazine, The Independent and Stylist, among others
