Venice Travel Guide

Walking around Venice feels like a dream. The impossible blue of the canals, the fine mist that sometimes hangs over the city, the experience of turning a corner and seeing an all-white church on an island of its own, or a spindly tree sprouting directly out of the lagoon, give the place a “wait, is this real?” quality that’s hard to shake. It’s also a city of contrasts: You can see Renaissance masterpieces in dark, moody churches or cutting-edge contemporary art on the repurposed grounds of a Byzantine shipyard, drink prosecco on the terrace of a Grand Dame hotel or sip plastic cups of Cynar spritz across the canal from a gondola repair shop. And although it’s notoriously easy to get lost, that’s part of the joy of discovery. You never know where you might find the next romantically crumbling palazzo, secret garden, or plate of perfect ciccheti.