By Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

Exploring the side canals of Venice
Exploring the side canals of Venice

Even before you've crossed the lagoon and set foot on the uneven stones of Venice, you have seen its sights a dozen times. The Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, the Campanile, the Bridge of Sighs, Rialto, curved prows of gondolas bobbing against candy-stick striped mooring posts -- these sights have been so popularly painted, photographed and rhapsodized that they are already familiar. You could spend a whole day sightseeing without encountering something that seems new.

To escape this sense of déjà vu and discover your own personal Venice, head for the less trammeled streets of Dorsoduro, San Polo or Cannaregio. Instead of other tourists, you'll meet craftsmen in their studios, Venetians shopping for their dinner, nannies and nonnas watching children play and couples drinking Prosecco in canal-side cafes.

Along with the obvious activities -- St. Mark's, a ride along the Grand Canal, a visit to the glass-blowers of Murano -- explore the back corners to experience the real Venice that you won't find in the designer shops and tourist crush between St. Mark's and Rialto. Choose the indirect routes between the sights -- getting lost several times a day is one of Venice's must-do experiences.

Saint Mark's, Venice

Kids usually don't do churches with great enthusiasm, but take them to St. Mark's. There's enough cool stuff inside to keep their attention. Walls, domes and columns are covered in mosaics -- a big picture version of the Bible painted of tiny glass bits that reflect the light at different angles to bring the pictures to life. Beyond the columns in the wing nearest the Doge's Palace, our kids found the picture story of St. Mark's missing bones, hidden then lost for centuries. Tired of obscurity, the story goes, St. Mark thrust his arm through a wall to signal his hiding place -- can your kids find the mosaic of the arm?

Don't miss the altar behind the main one, all gold and encrusted with 3,000 precious stones, said to be the most valuable altar in the world. Few visitors know that they can ask permission to descend into the impressive 11th-century crypt below the main altar.

Remember the horses that overlook Piazza San Marco from above the basilica's doors? They are copies, but you can climb up to see the originals, then go outside onto the loggia to get a horse's-eye view of the entire piazza and a straight-on look at the famous clock tower, where two Moors strike the bells.

Seeing the Sights in Venice

Our favorite getaway is to cross Rialto Bridge to the San Polo neighborhood. In the morning you'll walk right into the food market along the Grand Canal. Our kids love the funny-looking fish, displayed there along with octopi and other sea creatures. Although it's a bit overwhelming for younger children, adults appreciate the magnificent paintings by Tintoretto that cover the ceilings and walls of Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Look for the hand mirrors that make it easier to see the ceilings.

San Polo leads on into Cannaregio and the Venetians' favorite little church. Santa Maria dei Miracoli was built in 1481-89, with all the magnificence of a cathedral, but on a very intimate scale. This is one kids will like; its interior walls are geometric patterns of pink, green and white inlaid marble.

You may not want to tour all three of the grand palaces -- Ca' d'Oro, Ca' Pesaro and Ca' Rezzonico -- but you should see at least one. We suggest the latter, for its view of 18th-century Venetian life. Inside are paintings by all the greats, a complete apothecary, rooms exploring women's life in noble families and a ballroom that stretches from one side of the grand palazzo to the other.

Wander from San Polo to Campo San Barnaba. On the Ponte dei Pugni ("Bridge of Fists") kids can see footprints in the white stone, reminders of fierce fistfights here in the 1600s. Disputes between neighborhoods were fought in a very organized way on the bridge, and the footprints mark the "ready, set, go" line for beginning the fight. Contemplate this custom from a table at nearby Pasticceria Colussi.

Just off the square is a barge stacked with fruit and vegetables -- a little floating grocery store. How many other unusual boats can your kids find? Who can find the coolest one? Our youngest won when she spotted a brown UPS boat loading as our vaporetto passed the docks. When there is a funeral, the hearse that carries the casket to the cemetery island is a specially built gondola.

Romantic Venice

Venice loves lovers. Few places are as perfect for strolling hand-in-hand, and a ride in a gondola is pure romance, especially in the evening when windows of the palazzi glow from the light of crystal chandeliers and the colors of their façades deepen in the fading light.

If you're in Venice near a full moon, check the tide schedule and go to Piazza San Marco in the evening if the tide is high. Be prepared to take your shoes off and wade across, or just walk around the edges to see the basilica's lighted façade reflected in the water. It's dazzling, and the strains of violins from the two orchestras in the cafés waft through the air. It's worth the high price to sit in one of them and savor an espresso or grappa.

The most romantic lodging in town is in the lusciously decorated rooms of Ca' Maria Adele, across a tiny canal from Santa Maria Salute in Dorsoduro. Arrive by boat to its canal-side door or take the vaporetto to within a few steps. The charming palazzo has been beautifully adapted to an inn, with inviting rooms and lavish breakfasts.

Venice can wear you out quickly. Most families find, as we have, that a few days in the city is best followed by a day or two exploring the nearby region. Break up stays with day or overnight trips to other places -- Verona, Padua, the Brenta Canal or Lake Garda. On your return you'll be delighted by the warm sense of "coming home" to Venice.

Venice: Family Vacations

 

Related:

Venice Beyond St. Mark's

Pizza, Pesci and Produce in Naples

Tuscan Treats: Pisa and Lucca

Riding the Eurostar Train: Your Ears Won't Even Pop

 

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Vacation Travel - Venice: Italian Magic on the Adriatic