Going to be in Venice for 3 days in August (know it will be hot!) and since my group of 6 has been there before, can anyone suggest some interesting and/or unusual tours or activities? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Have you toured the outer island. We really love Torcello and most people never get there.

How about learning to row on the canals of Venice?
http://rowvenice.org/

Or watching them make smalti/glass at the boutique Orsoni factory in Cannaregio: orsoni.com.

Try venicekayak.com. We paddled with them last year, and are booked to go with them on 25th April. A great day in Venice.

Or try a topa tour. I can recommend this.

http://vivivenezia.org/vivivenezia.org/Home.html

Stay on Lido and make it a summer holiday: beach, passagiata, plenty of cafe's, and lots of nice vaporetto rides with cool breezes (to San Marco; around Giudecca; to Fonte Nova & Murano; or past Punta Sabbione to Burano & Torcello) and great hotel prices.

Have you been to Burano and Torcello? Even St. Michaels?

Burano is wonderful, colorful and has its own leaning tower along with fabulous ladies making lace. Torcello is the city's birthplace very peaceful. St. Michael's --the whole island is the cemetery.

Going to where they build and repair the gondolas? Or the Arsenale and the naval museum.

Visiting one of the most beautiful staircases in the world at Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo.

Taking all the vaporettos for their distinctive "tours":

82 at San Zaccaria for a great view of San Giorgio Maggiore
1 all the way to the Lido
LN to Murano, Burano, Torcello and St. Michaels.

Watch gondolas being built.

http://www.reidsitaly.com/destinatio...n_trovaso.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...99L0GH20131022

More photos:

http://news.msn.com/world/venice-gon...g-lost#image=1

Take the vap over to San Giorgio, visit the church and ride to the top of the bell tower -- even better views than the bell tower in San Marco. We just did this a couple of weeks ago on our 6th or so visit to Venice.

bkmg

LaFenice Opera House. If you haven't seen it, don't gag at the thought of classical music, ballet, or opera, and would enjoy looking at glitteringly gorgeous interior of a historic place, worth a look.

Also be aware that very often the morning of a concert, there may be a rehearsal underway while you take the tour of the building. We had a magic moment - unable to buy tix to any concert while we were there but determined to see this opulent, historic place -- took the regular tour in early midday (late morning?) and saw a rehearsal for a ballet. The tour leaders let us actually enter one of the boxes and watch for as long as we wanted. Was glorious to see the interior lit up as it would be in the evening, and the ballet was good too.

If that appeals to you in any way, make sure you bone up on the fire that destroyed La Fenice ("The Phoenix") in 1996, think about how to fight a fire in Venice, how the Italians dealt with likely arson, and what it took to completely restore it.

Wikipedia is the short version http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Fenice

If you are a serious history geek, John Berendt's "City of Falling Angels" (not "Fallen") is a wonderful way to get a different view of modern Venice in general and La Fenice specifically.

I, being a boat buff, found the Naval Museum fascinating. http://www.aviewoncities.com/venice/...riconavale.htm My DW nearly had to drag me outof there. I was fascinated by the rich history of Italian naval heroics (who knew?) and the ornate gondolas on the third floor were worth the price of admission by themselves.

Visit this very special glass shop.
I Vetri d'Arte
di Vittorio Costanti
Canareggio, Calle del Fumo, 5311
30121 Venezia

www.vittoriocostantini.com

He is a glass artist who makes lovely realistic objects from nature, including insects, fish, flowers, sea shells, etc. It is a treat to just go look at his shop, even if you don't plan to buy anything. We have a much admired collection of his work in our living room. He is world renowned and goes to the US several times a year to give workshops or attend glass making conferences. He and his wife are very friendly and enjoy talking to people who visit his shop. We were there a couple of weeks ago and brought an insect that had been damaged in our move. He repaired it and mailed it back to us.

His name is Vittorio Costantini. Be sure to look at the gallery on his web site to get an idea of how beautiful his work is.

Seeing one of Rossini's or Verdi's operas performed in a Venetian villa.

http://www.musicapalazzo.com/program/

Thanks so much to each and every one of you. Your information is invaluable. Some great ideas. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. This Forum is the best!!! AAAaries

bookmarking

Very interesting, Saraho, thank you for posting. We did not see his work when we were in Venice, but will when we return. My wife is a glass artist, as well. Hers' is kiln formed and stained glass, so the techniques are different, but the media is the same. Here is a link to her web site.

http://www.lumenaeries.com/

The Arsenal is open to the public on 25th, 26th and 27th April. A rare opportunity to see inside.

No help to the OP, I am afraid, but others might be interested

There is an article in the Washington Post about the rowing lessons I posted above. Here is the link:

http://tinyurl.com/mlhtf6k