Ah Venice, I can safely say I share the affection Indiana Jones has for Venice. Remember that moment in “The Last Crusade” as he emerges from the gloomy catacombs through a manhole cover into a sunlit square of surprised afternoon diners. Despite his pressing need to discover clues leading to the Holy Grail, he cannot help but pause to appreciate the Venetian atmosphere. So go on, spend a weekend in Venice starting with these 5 things to do.

And what a treat it is, steeped in remarkable history and flush with breathtaking architecture. Anyone not thinking of putting Venice on their immediate “must visit” list – I would do my upmost to persuade them otherwise.

As with most desirable things in this world, demand is high. People flock to this cultural utopia much like our winged avian friends depart winter lands for warmer shores. At times it can feel oversubscribed and crowded. But, fear not for the month of April is slightly less packed and if you walk around enough you’ll discover the hidden rustic cafes, bars and restaurants that give Venice its inimitable charm.

Airport: Treviso (TSF)

Airline: RyanAir

Bus:

AirBnB:

We did not know it at the time but we could not have picked a more suitable district. Gemma and I are always on the look out for those places that you have to look behind the curtains to find. Cannaregio might not be the majority of travellers first choice, but it holds that raw character we were searching for. In antiquity, it was a gated Venetian Ghetto that enclosed all the Jewish inhabitants, today it’s a quaint and relatively peaceful area with people from all over the world calling it home. I even looked at some of the rental prices for flats and some were fairly reasonable hovering around the 1,000 Euro pcm mark.

We were spoiled on ours jaunts around the Grand Canal. There was barely a cloud in the sky, the sun was beating down and the Vaporetto’s (public ferries) had prime seats available – no other tourists blocking our view. I’d recommend avoiding the Gondola’s for getting around if you don’t want to get stung by a hefty bill. While it’s easy to get lost in the romanticism you’ll be broke in no time if you make them a preferred mode of transport.

This is where Venice gets busy and it’s easy to see why. San Marco is one of the biggest city squares in the world, People appear like mere ants shuffling around to find the perfect spot to get their pictures. It’s a genuine marvel of engineering and design with influences spanning hundreds of years all the way back to 800 AD.

Each building tells a story, you can spend hours absorbing all the intricate details of the artwork, stone masonry and  byzantine architecture. From the Clock tower to the Basilica to Doge’s Palace everywhere you fixate your eyes there something to discover and learn about. For example, the entrance to the Basilica is covered in biblical stories ranging from the creation of man to Noah’s Arc. The christian parables continue all the way through the internal domes.  It’s a hands down must see area when visiting Venice.

Sestiere Cannaregio, a charming area where we spent considerable time strolling around the smaller canals soaking up the local culture and getting to know Venetian life that little bit more intimately.

On our first evening we discovered “Aperol Hour” where almost everyone descends upon whatever bar or cafe they can find at 6pm to socialise with friends at the end of a hard day before stumbling home – a tad inebriated – for dinner. Our favourite place was Bagatella, lovely staff and the best Aperol Spritz I’ve ever imbibed for 2 Euros. Head here to encounter the vibrant cheer and chatter of contemporary Venice. Interestingly, this chatter differs from Italian. I was previously unaware, but Venetian is distinct from the other romance languages and derives from Latin. It has only been influenced by Italian which is supposedly more of a proto-Latin language.

The map below will point you in the right direction to Bagatella – go forth!

Not too much further from Bagatella is Il Paradiso. It’s a hive of activity every night with live music, exceptional wine and phenomenal seafood that would make any omnivore or pescatarian salivate! I couldn’t stop looking at the size of the platters – they’re monumental in stature. Highly recommend an evening here.

A trip to an Italian region’s capital city would not be the same without a glass of prosecco accompanied by a delicious lunchtime Pizza. We made our way to Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro another characterful square with a regular market and an idyllic atmosphere that embraces cafe culture to the upmost extent. Any of the establishments are worth a stop, you’ll be spoilt for choice, with each menu offering an array of delights that could sate the most voracious of appetites.

A quick interesting fact, Campo Santa Margherita is close to the infamous Ponte dei Pugni, a well know bridge frequented in history by rivalling Venetian clans who’d settle their grievances and disagreements via the inelegant art of fist fighting – a darn good punch up!

This is a beautifully designed shopping centre ( I never thought I write that ) and a far cry from the sub-urban monstrosities other western architects seem hellbent on manifesting. It carries the attraction of places like Liberty in London and has pretty much every designer brand fashionistas the world over could hope for. More annoyingly, it oozes the effortless and chic style possessed only by the Italians. To me, it didn’t feel pretentious, I actually enjoyed walking around here trying to pick up tips to improve my own style – which always needs a lot of help.

The best part however is access to the roof to see the entirety of the Venetian skyline. At the time it was cheaper than the San Marco bell tower and the view was still stunning. It’s near the Rialto Bridge, another must see, but it was too crowded to be able to enjoy any length of time there during the day. Also close by is Rosticceria Gislon – if you want to eat a lot of good authentic Venetian food this place is for you.

As we stayed for only 2 nights we’ll definitely need to go back.

If you get this far please don’t hesitate to share you own Venice highlights and tips we could use next time round.

May your travels be long and happy.

J