Just sit down and relax while enjoying a gelato and other Venice, Italy Off The Beaten Path Tips

Facing the Giudecca island, in the Dorsoduro sestiere, is the Zattere promenade. It's the perfect place to just relax and flee the tourist hordes rampaging through San Marco. It's a long 'street' running along the Canal separating Dorsoduro and Giudecca and it has some really nice cafes as well as 'gelaterie' (ice cream shops). Benches are everywhere and you can always sit by the canal side..

It feels less touristy than some other areas and it seems like it was built so venetians could enjoy a perfect and quiet sunny day..

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Anybody staying in Venice for a couple of days will probably want to tour the islands in the laguna. While Murano and Burano are the main destinations, it would be a shame if you miss Torcello. The vaporetto ride to get there departs from Burano and is less than 10 minutes. The island itself is a real haven of tranquility, It is very green and you wont have to walk a lot to get to the main attractions : the churches and the campanile (bell tower).

The main church holds one of the most impressive mosaic work I've seen and the view from the top of the bell tower is superb. If you are a bit tired, dont worry, the climb up the tower is not that bad (it's a sloped walkway with very few stairs). There are some restaurants/cafes too on the island and they are less crowded than the ones on Burano (but I have no idea about the quality as I did not eat there).

According to historians, Torcello is thought to have been one of the most populated island of the lagoon, even surpassing Venice. But a series of conflicts with its next door rival as well as plague and malaria stopped Torcello on its path to adriatic glory...

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Now here's something nice to do in Venice in the morning : go to the open market. There's a huge market near the Rialto bridge, on the San Polo side, along the Grand Canal. However, it's only open before noon and from Tuesday to Saturday. So plan accordingly.

Get out of the very touristy Rialto shops and keep going right, you're bound to find it. The fish market is really impressive and is worth a look. You'll be amazed at what the sea still offers despite the fact that over-fishing has killed off some species in the Meditteranean. And the fruit market will allow you to buy some goods for lunch on the go.

Tip to photographs : it's very dark in the market itself even during sunny days. I tried to get a good picture of the stands with the Grand Canal as backdrop but didnt come up with anything satisfying. And with all the people around the place, you'll need a lot of patience for the perfect shot. Good luck!

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If you are considering a day trip in the laguna islands, then Burano is a must. This small fishermen village is so different than Venice that it almost feels it is in another country. The houses are all painted in very bright colors making the whole experience of walking in Burano a treat for the eyes.

some tips :

1. Try to get there very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light is warm but not too 'hard'. Your resulting pictures will be the stuff of legend. If you like taking pictures, dont miss Burano at its best (btw, my pic is a bad example.. it was taken around 1pm in May!)

2. on the way to Burano, get out of the vaporetto at the Mazzorbo stop. From there you can walk to Burano (5-10 minutes) and it's a nice quiet way to start your visit of the island (instead of being herded like cattle at the Burano dock)

3. if you can, bring a picnic on Burano and eat it in the park near the vaporetto dockings or on the edge of Mazzorbo island. Restaurants can be found on Burano but they are mainly of the tourist types and are not that great anyways.

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