When Claude Monet first arrived in Venice in 1908, he was 68 years old and deeply reluctant to visit what he considered an overcrowded destination that had been painted so many times by others. The Impressionist master had specifically avoided Venice, dismissing it as overhyped and too touristy—a statement that's still quite accurate in today's travel conversations. Yet after seeing the city, Monet was instantly captivated, stating it may be too beautiful to be painted. Though he tried to resist the urge, Monet ended up creating 37 luminous canvases that captured Venice perfectly.
This tension between Venice's magnetic beauty and its tourism challenges reflects the thousand-year story of a city built on contradictions: Venice was the capital of a maritime republic for nearly a millennium (810–1797 CE), controlling territories across the Adriatic and Mediterranean while serving as Europe's first true international financial center. Constructed on over a hundred small islands connected by bridges and canals, Venice was originally established as a safe haven for people fleeing persecution after the Roman Empire's collapse, and evolved into one of the world's greatest cities for trading.
Today, as Venice transforms into a living laboratory during the 2025 Architecture Biennale's exhibition of “natural, artificial, and collective intelligence,” the city continues its long tradition of innovation. Like Monet, who overcame his hesitations to create some of his most beloved works, contemporary visitors who look beyond the crowds discover a Venice that remains what it has always been—118 islands connected by 400-plus bridges where canals replace streets and gondolas are your Uber. The city somehow works despite being built entirely on water, and what makes it irresistible to art and architecture lovers is that you're essentially wandering through a living museum. Byzantine churches house Tintoretto masterpieces and every palazzo tells the stories of Venetians who turned their improbable floating city into one of the world's greatest art collections. Here's where to find it all on your next visit.
How to get around Venice's 100+ islands
Venice's car-free streets mean water transportation is the way to go—the ACTV vaporetto (water bus) system is your most wallet-friendly option, with day passes starting around 25 euros and routes connecting all of the most frequented islands, the airport, and the train station. For a quick canal crossing, hop on a traghetto (shared gondola) for just 2 euros, while private water taxis offer luxury door-to-door service at premium prices (expect 100+ euros for even the shortest of trips). Gondola rides are purely romantic tourist activities, rather than practical transport, typically costing 80–100 euros for 30 minutes, but walking is the best way to discover Venice's magic, if time allows. For touring around, Classic Boats Venice offers many different types of boats and private lagoon tours for those itching to explore Venice's waterways beyond the standard routes.
What to eat and drink in Venice
Ignore anyone who says there's no good food in Venice. The food scene is dialed in—you just have to know where to go and how to separate yourself from the tourists. The lagoon's unique ecosystem provides ingredients that make Venetian cuisine so distinctive: There’s schie (tiny, local shrimp) and moeche (soft-shell crab) that appear seasonally, creating dishes you simply can't find anywhere else. These specialties shine in Venice's culture of cicchetti—small plates served at traditional bacari (wine bars) that let you sample multiple local flavors in one sitting. And don't overlook tramezzini: Venice's answer to tea sandwiches are triangular, crustless bread filled with everything from tuna and artichokes to prosciutto and figs and perfect for a quick lunch between museum visits (head to Bar Alla Toletta for some of the city's best). And when you order a spritz in Venice, you'll get the traditional Venetian version made with Select Aperitivo—the ruby-red, bitter liqueur created by the Pilla brothers in 1920 specifically for Venice with 30 botanicals including juniper and rhubarb. Served with prosecco, soda water, and garnished with a green olive, the original spritz predates the global Aperol phenomenon and delivers a more sophisticated, balanced, and bittersweet profile.
Start your mornings at Rialto Market (mornings only, Monday to Saturday) for the freshest ingredients, then head to Algiubagio restaurant, where the prime over-the-water terrace and the striking Davide Penso vibrant green seaweed Murano glass statement piece signal you've arrived somewhere special. This is home to Venice's most iconic tiramisu, a tribute to Banksy, who allegedly dined here during a previous Biennale season. Chef Daniele Zennaro's commitment to sourcing everything from the lagoon makes this the epicenter of the city's zero-kilometer movement.
Venice's cicchetti culture offers its own form of performance art. Cantina Do Mori, a legendary local hangout dating from 1462, serves traditional Venetian tapas in a standing-room-only atmosphere that hasn't changed in centuries. You can’t go to Venice without hitting a bacaro or three; here are some favorites: Vino Vero, flowing wine pairs with gourmet cicchetti; Ai Do Leoni draws the city's creatives for natural wine and small bites; and La Sete, with lots of natural wine from small producers around the world and obviously cicchetti. Bea Vita in Cannaregio elevates the traditional bacaro concept with live music performances and art exhibitions alongside their menu of seasonal specialties and natural wines.
For the best dining on the Grand Canal, head to Gritti Terrace (daytime) and Club del Doge (more elevated for the evenings) at The Gritti Palace for executive chef Alberto Fol, who turns to the Dolomites and ultra-local lagoon treasures for dish inspiration. Fol's commitment to local ingredients is standout, particularly his celebrated preparations of castraure—vibrant violet artichoke sprouts from the hotel's private garden on Mazzorbetto island. The tasting menu delivers favorites like spider crab, local eel with sweet and sour tiny onions, and artichokes with goat cheese and mint. Fun fact: Ernest Hemingway, who used the hotel as his setting for Across the River and Into the Trees, was obsessed with their risotto with scampi and called it a cure—it's remained unchanged for 60 years and appears only on the dinner menu.
Some of the city's best-kept secrets remain hidden just before your eyes. Il Piccolo operates like a Venetian supper club where you'll covet every piece of custom dishware and Murano glassware (order anything in crudo form and risotto di gò if the chef has it on the menu). For something more unexpected, head to one of the hottest reservations of the moment in Cannaregio, Osteria Giorgione da MASA, where Japanese-Italian fusion feels effortlessly Venetian. Think Japanese cicchetti and handrolls with local fish. At La Sagra (take the complimentary shuttle from San Marco to the JW Marriott Venice), locals and visitors gather on the breezy rooftop, slurping every last drop of pasta with scampi crudo topped with Italy's answer to fish sauce. Tucked away in Dorsoduro, hit Al Profeta for pizza, but locals will tell you not to miss the otherworldly paccheri tossed with Sicilian pistachio cream, pan-fried prawns, and peppery achiote. And Al Covo, a cozy, intimate, fish-forward restaurant loved by locals, in which chef Cesare Benelli also started Osti in Orto, a farm project with Venetian restaurateurs who grow produce on Sant'Erasmo island.
When the art crowd gathers during Biennale openings, they inevitably end up at Estro, drawn by the restaurant's collection of over 700 organic wines and a Mediterranean menu that changes with the lagoon's seasonal offerings. A hot ticket reservation in town is Michelin-starred Oro at Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, where Chef Vania Ghedini and culinary director Massimo Bottura weave Venetian traditions with global influences—think risotto with seaweed, green tomato extract, and sorrel, or fusillone with "sea truffles" (Venus verrucosa clams), lemon thyme, and horseradish—all served with stunning lagoon views from Giudecca Island.
At Il Palazzo Experimental's Ristorante Adriatica, chef Denis Begiqi brings Mediterranean flair to the Renaissance-era palace setting, where modern Italian cuisine meets Venetian tradition through locally sourced ingredients and bold flavors. Don't miss Osteria l'Orto dei Mori, located in the quiet Cannaregio neighborhood, where chef Lorenzo Cipolla (formerly of Harry Cipriani in New York) serves Venetian and Mediterranean dishes enhanced with Southern Italian influences in a rustic restaurant hung with local art—the historic space once housed the workshop of the painter Tintoretto's father.
Museum buffs will appreciate the art-world café scene. The Museum Café at Peggy Guggenheim Collection offers lagoon views between gallery visits, while Moro Café, just outside Palazzo Franchetti, with its gorgeous green Moorish-style umbrellas, creates the perfect pause for an espresso between masterpieces. And honestly, there's no bad time to hit Caffè Florian—the 1720s institution—although mornings before tourists flood the city, when it's just you, the orchestra, and an espresso, feel like pure paradise (you can also go stand in the bar in the very back for a more locals pricing for a drink).
For dolce cravings, check out Pasticceria Toletta in Dorsoduro, which draws both locals and savvy visitors for their expertly crafted espresso and delicious tiramisu, and Pasticceria Tonolo for some of the city's best pastries. When it's gelato time, head to Bacaro del Gelato for the legitimate stuff rather than the tourist traps with lines spilling into the streets.
No one mentions Venice's cocktail scene without citing Harry's Bar, birthplace of the Bellini, but the city's bar culture extends far beyond, often with a serious side of art. Il Mercante near Campo dei Frari deserves special recognition as Venice's first craft cocktail bar that’s not in a hotel nor a no-frills Venetian bar, housed in a historic 1870s Venetian café where experimental drinks flow with seasonal/local ingredients. At Arts Bar in the St. Regis Venice, sip cocktails inspired by icons like Warhol, Picasso, Monet, Salvador Dali, and Banksy, each drink a creative tribute served in custom Berengo Studio Murano glassware. The Experimental Cocktail Club Venice consistently earns locals' votes as their favorite bar, where Pietro Lorefice's latest menu, "A Venetian Journey," takes you on a poetic trip through distant lands and cultures. His Santa Regina—with Martini Vibrante, hop, tomato, and spiced mix—is as umami as it gets.
For aperitivo with unparalleled views, Bar Longhi serves their famous wild fennel martini overlooking the Grand Canal. Bartender Cristiano Luciani slings over 12,000 martinis each season, making him perhaps Venice's most prolific performance artist—and don’t skip the chance to post up at Londra Palace Venezia’s gorgeous bar for live piano music and OG bartender Marino Lucchetti’s Achille spritz (made with Tabasco for an unexpected and delicious twist on the spritz). An insider tip: Skip crowded Harry's Bar and head to Harry's Dolci on Giudecca for baked ham casserole and bellinis on the water, where you can watch the city's dramatic skyline unfold like a stage set.
Places to stay in Venice
There's no shortage of regal palace hotels filled with history and art. The Venice Venice Hotel—one of Mr & Mrs Smith's top picks, and it's easy to see why—occupies the 13th-century Ca' da Mosto palazzo, one of the Grand Canal's oldest structures. Owners Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, founders of Golden Goose, saved this palazzo from collapse and created what they call "Postvenezianità"—a new Venetian aesthetic that honors the past while looking into the future. Art from the owners' personal collection, like pieces from Bruce Nauman, Arnulf Rainer, and Hanne Darboven dot the rooms and while every room is cool in its own way, the “01 dream different” is home to the city’s only ensuite private pool. Venice M’Art is both a shop in the passageway to the hotel and a cultural hub where the artsy crowd gathers for cart service of moka pot coffee and traditional Venetian fritters on the Grand Canal (and the citrus foam-topped American is a standout for aperitivo).
In the mornings, you can hear gondoliers whistling from the windows of Violino d'Oro, located steps from St. Mark's Square on the San Moisè Canal. Housed in three buildings, the hotel feels like an art collector's private residence with 100% Rubelli fabrics, iconic 1958 Venini chandeliers, and original terrazzo flooring installed by one of Venice's last remaining artisan families—plus stunning Ginori 1735 plates and Micheluzzi glass celebrate both Venice's artistic heritage and today's creative talent. Don't miss the chance to sit down at aperitivo time with bartender Francesco Adragna. His Doge's Fizz is iconic and made with locally produced Gin Venice. Hidden in Venice's busy streets, Nolinski Venezia offers an Art Nouveau and Modernist lover's dream—opt for a junior suite with a mosaic-tiled bathtub and a terrace that feels like it’s more in the countryside, it’s so quiet. Downstairs, imbibe at The Library Bar, with an impressive ceiling fresco by artist Simon Buret alongside over 4,000 books curated by independent bookseller Anatole Desachy.
The Gritti Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel, has remained Venice's ultimate palace hotel for five centuries. The hotel serves as a patron of the arts, featuring works from Titian's workshop to contemporary pieces, while David Downton's "Legends of the Gritti" portraits honor illustrious guests from Hemingway to Grace Kelly. The Patron Canal Suites are for the design detail enthusiasts and range from exquisite 1930s-inspired furnishings surrounded by 20th-century art to a dynamic 1970s vibe complete with rock and soul LPs. For excursions, there’s also a private Aquariva Super speedboat "Il Doge"—allegedly the only authentic Riva boat in all of Venice.
There’s also The St. Regis Venice, where Impressionist Claude Monet once painted (in the former Grand Hotel Britannia), now enhanced by Swiss artist Simon Berger's "Four Icons" collection. Four hammer-etched glass portraits created with Murano artisans depict Monet, St. Regis founder Caroline Astor, architect Carlo Scarpa, and art patron Marchesa Luisa Casati. Art fanatics will want to check into the Monet Suites with artist residences with custom works by Olivier Masmonteil inspired by Monet's Venice paintings, each with its own vibe and killer Grand Canal views.
Insiders flock to the almost-hidden Hotel Flora, run by the Romanelli family for over fifty years, for its peaceful yet refined vibes, while Londra Palace Venezia, a Relais & Châteaux property overlooking the lagoon and San Giorgio island is an intimate literary haven. The hotel’s views inspired Tchaikovsky while composing his Fourth Symphony. Combo, Venice's super hip hostel, occupies a renovated 12th-century monastery with stunning frescoes and, in addition to overnighters, has become a local gathering place for aperitivo. For a tucked away option escape, book Sina Centurion Palace. The hotel regularly hosts contemporary art installations, most recently Andrea Roggi's "L'Equilibrio del Nostro Amore" sculpture, best enjoyed with a Select spritz at their waterside Antinoo's Lounge with some of the best Grand Canal prime real estate you could imagine.
Where to shop in Venice—and see art
Come for St. Mark's Square, the iconic Doge's Palace, the Rialto Bridge, and the magnificent St. Mark's Basilica but there’s so much more to see. The Venice Architecture Biennale, running from May 10 through November 23, presents the 19th International Architecture Exhibition under the theme "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective." Curated by Carlo Ratti, this edition transforms Venice into a living laboratory where 66 national participants explore how different forms of intelligence can reshape its built environment. The exhibition spans the Giardini, Arsenale, and, for the first time, Forte Marghera, with installations that address real-world challenges ranging from climate adaptation to artificial intelligence.
The cultural calendar reaches its cinematic crescendo with the 82nd Venice International Film Festival from August 27 through September 6. Directed by Alberto Barbera and presided over by American filmmaker Alexander Payne, this year's festival honors Werner Herzog and Kim Novak with Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement awards, while premiering works from luminaries including Jim Jarmusch, Paolo Sorrentino, and Guillermo del Toro. Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort has been the heart of the festival since 1932, its Moorish architecture serving as the glamorous backdrop for red carpet events, exclusive parties, and private screenings that continue the tradition after all these years.
François Pinault's contemporary art empire anchors Venice's year-round cultural offerings through Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana. This year, Tatiana Trouvé is the prized collection, with the largest exhibition to date at Palazzo Grassi, while Punta della Dogana hosts Thomas Schütte's first major Italian retrospective.
One of the coolest art spaces in Venice today is Ocean Space, housed in the restored 9th-century Church of San Lorenzo, allegedly Marco Polo's burial site. This "embassy for the oceans" addresses climate change through art, with a light installation on the facade marking the projected 2100 sea level—a stark reminder of Venice's vulnerability. The Fondazione Prada showcases Rem Koolhaas's AMO/OMA, which showcases the visual communication of data as a valuable tool of exploration. On the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, check out Le Stanze del Vetro, a free exhibit of historic Murano glass pieces that launched the first Biennale exhibitions, Le Stanze della Fotografia (currently showing a super cool Mapplethorpe photography retrospective showcasing some of his rare photos), and Luc Tuymans’ vibrant commission for the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore.
Don't miss the Ca' Rezzonico, a museum that's often overlooked by tourists, offering a tranquil garden to escape the city's hustle and bustle while surrounded by authentic Venetian greenery. The palace houses the Museum of 18th-century Venice with period furniture, paintings, and sculptures, built originally for the Bon family, one of Venice's old noble families who commissioned this masterpiece of Venetian Baroque architecture. Always ask locals in passing for recommendations. Pietro Rusconi, executive adviser to the Fondazione delle Arti - Venezia, suggests following the work of the Fiorucci sisters, Nicolette and Silvia, who have respectively started their own projects: Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation and La Società delle Api, and of course Palazzo Diedo, set up by Berggruen Arts & Culture (a foundation from the notable philanthropist, Nicolas Berggruen)—and Giacomo Gandola, gallery assistant for Galleria Lorcan O'Neill Venezia, recommends popping by Tommaso Calabro, Michele Barbati, and Marignana Arte.
Venice Design Week, running October 11-19, 2025, transforms the city into a design laboratory where international designers and companies showcase exhibitions throughout historic palazzos and contemporary spaces, creating an intimate counterpoint to the massive Biennale events.
Shopping in Venice extends far beyond touristy souvenirs when you know where to look. The city's artisan tradition continues to evolve in workshops scattered throughout the residential neighborhoods. At Cavalier near Chiesa San Vidal, Alberto Cavalier represents the last generation of master frame makers and gilders, crafting custom pieces in a tiny studio where techniques haven't changed for centuries. In Barberia offers hand-carved eyewear custom-fitted to your face (starting at 1,200 euros), where you can watch the owner craft each piece in real-time. Luigi Bevilacqua srl Weaving operates as the last remaining velvet producer in Venice, where 19th-century handworked machines still create one-of-a-kind textiles on 18th-century looms. Attilio Codognato, established in 1866, has been a destination for jewelry lovers from Coco Chanel, Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, and Elizabeth Taylor—keeping OG status as one of Venice's most prestigious jewelers. For friulane slippers, hit Quorami (these caught the eye of the late Iris Apfel) and Teod'amar, Norma Marzà's atelier, in which she uses fabrics and decorations from the Serenissima to create slippers and gorgeous accessories.
In Campo dei Frari, Legatoria Polliero specializes in handcrafted papers and traditional bookbinding; Kartaruga, tucked away in Campo San Marina, is still considered one of the most important mask ateliers in Venice; Rubelli’s showroom is where you should go to drool over fabrics that honor tradition; Danghyra makes coveted espresso cups and ceramics, designing pieces for Italy's finest hotels; and dip into the 17th-century Spezeria all'Ercole d'Oro, a preserved 17th-century pharmacy where you can shop potions and olfactory delights. The famous Libreria Acqua Alta stores books in gondolas and bathtubs as protection against flooding—a response to Venice's ongoing negotiation with water. These ateliers represent Venice's living culture—spaces where traditional techniques meet contemporary vision, far from the manufactured souvenirs that flood tourist areas. Venice also has its own soccer team, and yes, you have to travel by boat to Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Sant'Elena island (across from the Biennale park) for a game.
