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Shopping Overview

Bring an extra suitcase for all your newfound treasures, because Venice is a paradise for shoppers of all varieties. There's no better place for gifts and souvenirs, from kitschy to one-of-a-kind. The hunting ground is vast, and while warrens in the city center are devoted to high fashion, glass artwork, and antiques, quieter parts of town are home to a number of artisans' shops, where paper is glued, pressed, and shaped into masks, and gilded cherubs are born from the hands of wood-carvers.

Alluring shops abound. You'll find countless vendors of trademark Venetian wares such as glass and lace; the authenticity of some goods can be suspect, but they're often pleasing to the eye regardless of their heritage. For more sophisticated tastes (and deeper pockets), there are jewelers, antiques dealers, and high-fashion boutiques on a par with those in Italy's larger cities but often maintaining a uniquely Venetian flair. It's always a good idea to mark the location of a shop that interests you on your map; otherwise you may not be able to find it again in the maze of tiny streets.