A week in March in Venice
Mar 28th, 2026 | 10:27 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,969
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A week in March in Venice
Ciao Ragazzi! Some of you will remember that a couple of weeks ago I started a thread with some questions for my and my mom's upcoming trip to Venice in March. Here is the link, in case someone is interested in the recommendations I got: Venice in late March
Well, we are back and had a wonderful time. A big thanks goes to the Fodorites who answered my questions - you know who you are, every single poster's contribution is appreciated. Special thanks goes to rialtogrl with great recommendations for food, bars, restaurants etc. Grazie mille!
18 March
We decided to travel by train from Germany to Venice. Saver Tickets were bought very soon after the new schedule was published and bookings were possible with Deutsche Bahn. I bought them online through bahn.de and got great deals: All in all we paid (for two persons) roughly 200 € for the round trip including seat reservations and the option to cancel until the day before the journey (only small surcharge.) We started in Dresden at 6.11 am on ICE train, had a yummy breakfast at our table, changed in Erfurt to another ICE train (only seven minutes time, but no delay and same platform) and arrived in Munich in time at 10.45 am. There we had to wait 47 minutes until the departure of our (Austrian) RJ train to Venice. Frankly, Munich main station is a mess. As a post-war construction it is not attractive anyway, but right now it is undergoing major reconstruction works ... crowded, only a small waiting room which smelled odd and was not heated. No seating elsewhere, only snacks available from typical chains like Ditsch etc. and no grocery in the station. We were happy when we could board our train. This RJ train was well booked but we had our seat reservations. The train ride through the Alps was very scenic. There was still a lot of snow at higher elevations, the sky was blue - I was wondering if I should have booked a ski trip instead going to Venice.
Anyway, we realised that it was a long train journey. About seven hours from Munich to Venice. Ugh. We got tired, had coffee at the dining car which helped a bit, then slept after passing Bozen/Bolzano for a while. Another coffee after passing Verona. And - we saw the lagoon, rode on the dam to Venice Santa Lucia. When we arrived at 18.25 (again in time!) it was almost dark. But leaving the train station and seeing the Canal Grande revived our spirits. I bought two Vaporetto passes for a week (65 € each), then we took the boat to Rialto. And we did not forget to tap (validate) the pass. Immediately we were captured by the charm of this unique city. The beautiful facades were nicely lit, boats instead of cars, reflections on the water ...
We had rented an apartment through booking.com - San Marco Central Flat. The booking was made the same day like the train tickets, so we got a very good rate: 626 € for a week plus 40 € city tax. Our host had already sent all the information needed via WhatsApp (we never saw him). The location was perfect for us, not even five minutes to walk from the Rialto boat stop behind church San Salvador in a narrow side alley. When we arrived at the door of the house the owner buzzed us in. We went up one flight of stairs and found the keys in the little box. The apartment was large, had one large bedroom with twin bed (for my mom) with windows to the narrow alley, another smaller bedroom (only tiny window to a funnel, for me), a combined living room/kitchen and a bathroom with shower. The latter two had regular windows to the funnel - hence the apartment got only little daylight. Not really a problem for us, maybe for others. Everything we needed was provided - from towels, soap, shower gel, to olive oil, salt, pepper ... even an iron, hairdryer etc. The apartment was clean, the beds were comfortable (some might say too soft). The electric heater worked quite well, but in combination with cooking the electric power went out twice. With help of a tenant of an apartment on an upper floor I got that solved - the fuse box is downstairs next to the entrance, I just had to turn on the switch.
It was already past 7 pm and we were tired. We pulled ourselves together and went grocery shopping. Fortunately a Despar grocery only steps from Rialto boat stop was nearby (in Palazzo Bembo) and open till 9 pm. We bought salami, prosciutto, cheese, yoghurt, jam and Nocciolata (chocolate spread, much better than Nutella!) as well as some bread, butter and beverages. Back at the apartment we ate a good bit of it, then called it a night.
Sorry, only a few pictures taken that day, snapshots with smartphone.
Breakfast in ICE train
Munich main station waiting room
Munich main station
(North) Tyrol, Inn valley
(North) Tyrol, heading toward Brenner pass
First impression of Venice after exiting train station Santa Lucia
Well, we are back and had a wonderful time. A big thanks goes to the Fodorites who answered my questions - you know who you are, every single poster's contribution is appreciated. Special thanks goes to rialtogrl with great recommendations for food, bars, restaurants etc. Grazie mille!
18 March
We decided to travel by train from Germany to Venice. Saver Tickets were bought very soon after the new schedule was published and bookings were possible with Deutsche Bahn. I bought them online through bahn.de and got great deals: All in all we paid (for two persons) roughly 200 € for the round trip including seat reservations and the option to cancel until the day before the journey (only small surcharge.) We started in Dresden at 6.11 am on ICE train, had a yummy breakfast at our table, changed in Erfurt to another ICE train (only seven minutes time, but no delay and same platform) and arrived in Munich in time at 10.45 am. There we had to wait 47 minutes until the departure of our (Austrian) RJ train to Venice. Frankly, Munich main station is a mess. As a post-war construction it is not attractive anyway, but right now it is undergoing major reconstruction works ... crowded, only a small waiting room which smelled odd and was not heated. No seating elsewhere, only snacks available from typical chains like Ditsch etc. and no grocery in the station. We were happy when we could board our train. This RJ train was well booked but we had our seat reservations. The train ride through the Alps was very scenic. There was still a lot of snow at higher elevations, the sky was blue - I was wondering if I should have booked a ski trip instead going to Venice.
Anyway, we realised that it was a long train journey. About seven hours from Munich to Venice. Ugh. We got tired, had coffee at the dining car which helped a bit, then slept after passing Bozen/Bolzano for a while. Another coffee after passing Verona. And - we saw the lagoon, rode on the dam to Venice Santa Lucia. When we arrived at 18.25 (again in time!) it was almost dark. But leaving the train station and seeing the Canal Grande revived our spirits. I bought two Vaporetto passes for a week (65 € each), then we took the boat to Rialto. And we did not forget to tap (validate) the pass. Immediately we were captured by the charm of this unique city. The beautiful facades were nicely lit, boats instead of cars, reflections on the water ...
We had rented an apartment through booking.com - San Marco Central Flat. The booking was made the same day like the train tickets, so we got a very good rate: 626 € for a week plus 40 € city tax. Our host had already sent all the information needed via WhatsApp (we never saw him). The location was perfect for us, not even five minutes to walk from the Rialto boat stop behind church San Salvador in a narrow side alley. When we arrived at the door of the house the owner buzzed us in. We went up one flight of stairs and found the keys in the little box. The apartment was large, had one large bedroom with twin bed (for my mom) with windows to the narrow alley, another smaller bedroom (only tiny window to a funnel, for me), a combined living room/kitchen and a bathroom with shower. The latter two had regular windows to the funnel - hence the apartment got only little daylight. Not really a problem for us, maybe for others. Everything we needed was provided - from towels, soap, shower gel, to olive oil, salt, pepper ... even an iron, hairdryer etc. The apartment was clean, the beds were comfortable (some might say too soft). The electric heater worked quite well, but in combination with cooking the electric power went out twice. With help of a tenant of an apartment on an upper floor I got that solved - the fuse box is downstairs next to the entrance, I just had to turn on the switch.
It was already past 7 pm and we were tired. We pulled ourselves together and went grocery shopping. Fortunately a Despar grocery only steps from Rialto boat stop was nearby (in Palazzo Bembo) and open till 9 pm. We bought salami, prosciutto, cheese, yoghurt, jam and Nocciolata (chocolate spread, much better than Nutella!) as well as some bread, butter and beverages. Back at the apartment we ate a good bit of it, then called it a night.
Sorry, only a few pictures taken that day, snapshots with smartphone.
Breakfast in ICE train
Munich main station waiting room
Munich main station
(North) Tyrol, Inn valley
(North) Tyrol, heading toward Brenner pass
First impression of Venice after exiting train station Santa Lucia
Mar 28th, 2026 | 11:57 AM
#2
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,539
Likes: 0
That's a long travel day, but that last image with the reflections on the water says it all: totally worth it!
By the way, we visited Dresden for several days a decade ago and loved it. What a lovely city you have! I look forward to returning some time.
By the way, we visited Dresden for several days a decade ago and loved it. What a lovely city you have! I look forward to returning some time.
Mar 29th, 2026 | 12:48 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,969
Likes: 0
Thank you all for your encouraging words. Trophywife007, I am very glad you liked my home city. Yes, please come back!
19 March
We slept very well and got up early. I went out to get some croissants, sorry, cornetti for breakfast and was happy to find Panificio A. Rosa salva only one minute away. 2 € per cornetto puro was a bit more than at home but still fair. Unfortunately we found out later that they were not good - no buttery taste, not crispy. (Bread in general was a problem - more on that later.) However, I was so fascinated by the narrow alleys, the historic facades with overwhelming decoration that I decided to walk on down to Canal Grande - only one minute away. Whoa! I was blown away seeing it in the daylight now. I had been in Venice once before but that was in the 1990s as a day trip. I remembered the crowds from back then and could not believe how quiet it was right now at 8 am. Only very few people walked by, fast speed and knowing their direction, probably locals heading straight to their workplace.
Rialto, still quiet in the morning
Campo San Bartolomeo in the morning, steps from Rialto bridge
Campo San Salvador in the morning
The alley with our apartment, left side
We took our time for breakfast, started slow. Dress code was a bit tricky - according to the weather forecast the highs would be in the upper 50s F, so nice and warm enough, but in the shade it would still be cool-ish, especially with a light wind blowing. Layers were the perfect solution, with something wind-breaking on top. When we headed to the vaporetto stop the alleys were busy, but not crowded yet. My mom, who had never before been in Venice, was totally blown away, stopped at every other shop and marvelled at the - granted, very beautiful - displays of souvenirs, leather bags, Murano (or Chinese?) glass, shoes, clothes ... The side entrance to Church San Salvador was open, so we went in. Typical for Venice but totally different from churches in Germany. Ooohs and aaaahhhhs! A work of Titian here, Palma Giovane there ... painters we know well from the Picture Gallery Old Masters back home in Dresden. We loved it and spent quite a while in there. Our first Venice church so I felt the need to snap photos of every altar and detail. That urge was gone after the third or fourth church ... We left the church via the main entrance and found ourselves on the small, intimate square Campo San Salvador, enclosed by the beautiful Baroque facades of the church and Scuola Grande di San Teodor plus some typical Venetian houses. Lovely!
San Salvador
San Salvador
Campo San Salvador
Down by Canal Grande it got busier. The whole concept of a city with canals instead of roads was fascinating to us. We stopped and watched the various boats passing by, saw people having coffee and cornetto in bars, others loading and unloading boats ... and walked up to Rialto bridge. We were in awe ... See photos! Totally fascinating was the number of boats bringing parcels of all sizes and how efficient these were handled by the workers. And right next to these boats a tourist couple enjoyed their breakfast while other tourists waited not far away for boats and gondolas.
Rialto bridge
View from Rialto bridge in northern direction
View from Rialto bridge in southern direction
Lots of parcels!
More parcels ...
Having snapped another dozen or so photos more we finally made it to the vaporetto stop and after tapping our passes we took boat #2 along Canal Grande to San Marco. It was now 11 am, about time to set out for real sightseeing! That first vaporetto ride along Canal Grande was positively overwhelming. So many beautiful buildings of different historic styles to see! A local lady next to us heard us talking in German and pointed out (in English) Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti's apartment and terrace to us, mentioning that the palazzo next to it is home of the German Centre for Venetian Studies. (General note: English is widely spoken in Venice, German rarely, but my few Italian language skills were very helpful, especially further out on the islands and remote districts.)
Canal Grande
Commissario Brunetti's terrace in the center back.
Accademia bridge
Santa Maria delle Salute church
On our boat ride we passed several sights we knew from pictures, movies or documentaries. However, it is always different to see them in reality - and especially in such beautiful weather! Arrival at San Marco was perfect: Salute church and Punta della Dogana on the right, Campanile and Palazzo Ducale on the left. Another Wow! The mass of tourist was also wow, though, but I am sure it is by far worse in main season. We left the vaporetto at station San Marco Vallaresso, across the entrance to Giardini Reali. We went right into that small park. We walked around (good option for a bathroom stop in the cafe, btw.), enjoyed the blooming trees and spring flowers (even an early azalea!) and took a breather sitting down on a bench. What a beautiful and peaceful place!
Salute church, Punta della Dogana
Campanile, Palazzo Ducale etc.
The promenade by the Giardini Reali park.
Giardini Reali
Giardini Reali
Next on the schedule was Piazza San Marco with all the surrounding major sights. We spent close to an hour walking around, marvelling at the facades of Palazzo Ducale, Sansovino's library, Basilica San Marco, the Procurazie ... so much beauty! My mom was blown away but tired from that alone. We pondered the idea of visiting one of those and decided on the Basilica San Marco. We were in for a big surprise when we found out that tickets were only available online, payment by credit card. I know many of you will say I am overly cautious, but no way I'll buy online by credit card and get the security code to enter at the bank app, all on the same device (smartphone). The Tourist Info at the opposite corner of the piazza confirmed that there is no other way than online booking, so that was out.
Palazzo Ducale
Campanile
Facade detail of Basilica San Marco
clock tower
Basilica San Marco
Piazza San Marco
to be continued ...
19 March
We slept very well and got up early. I went out to get some croissants, sorry, cornetti for breakfast and was happy to find Panificio A. Rosa salva only one minute away. 2 € per cornetto puro was a bit more than at home but still fair. Unfortunately we found out later that they were not good - no buttery taste, not crispy. (Bread in general was a problem - more on that later.) However, I was so fascinated by the narrow alleys, the historic facades with overwhelming decoration that I decided to walk on down to Canal Grande - only one minute away. Whoa! I was blown away seeing it in the daylight now. I had been in Venice once before but that was in the 1990s as a day trip. I remembered the crowds from back then and could not believe how quiet it was right now at 8 am. Only very few people walked by, fast speed and knowing their direction, probably locals heading straight to their workplace.
Rialto, still quiet in the morning
Campo San Bartolomeo in the morning, steps from Rialto bridge
Campo San Salvador in the morning
The alley with our apartment, left side
We took our time for breakfast, started slow. Dress code was a bit tricky - according to the weather forecast the highs would be in the upper 50s F, so nice and warm enough, but in the shade it would still be cool-ish, especially with a light wind blowing. Layers were the perfect solution, with something wind-breaking on top. When we headed to the vaporetto stop the alleys were busy, but not crowded yet. My mom, who had never before been in Venice, was totally blown away, stopped at every other shop and marvelled at the - granted, very beautiful - displays of souvenirs, leather bags, Murano (or Chinese?) glass, shoes, clothes ... The side entrance to Church San Salvador was open, so we went in. Typical for Venice but totally different from churches in Germany. Ooohs and aaaahhhhs! A work of Titian here, Palma Giovane there ... painters we know well from the Picture Gallery Old Masters back home in Dresden. We loved it and spent quite a while in there. Our first Venice church so I felt the need to snap photos of every altar and detail. That urge was gone after the third or fourth church ... We left the church via the main entrance and found ourselves on the small, intimate square Campo San Salvador, enclosed by the beautiful Baroque facades of the church and Scuola Grande di San Teodor plus some typical Venetian houses. Lovely!
San Salvador
San Salvador
Campo San Salvador
Down by Canal Grande it got busier. The whole concept of a city with canals instead of roads was fascinating to us. We stopped and watched the various boats passing by, saw people having coffee and cornetto in bars, others loading and unloading boats ... and walked up to Rialto bridge. We were in awe ... See photos! Totally fascinating was the number of boats bringing parcels of all sizes and how efficient these were handled by the workers. And right next to these boats a tourist couple enjoyed their breakfast while other tourists waited not far away for boats and gondolas.
Rialto bridge
View from Rialto bridge in northern direction
View from Rialto bridge in southern direction
Lots of parcels!
More parcels ...
Having snapped another dozen or so photos more we finally made it to the vaporetto stop and after tapping our passes we took boat #2 along Canal Grande to San Marco. It was now 11 am, about time to set out for real sightseeing! That first vaporetto ride along Canal Grande was positively overwhelming. So many beautiful buildings of different historic styles to see! A local lady next to us heard us talking in German and pointed out (in English) Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti's apartment and terrace to us, mentioning that the palazzo next to it is home of the German Centre for Venetian Studies. (General note: English is widely spoken in Venice, German rarely, but my few Italian language skills were very helpful, especially further out on the islands and remote districts.)
Canal Grande
Commissario Brunetti's terrace in the center back.
Accademia bridge
Santa Maria delle Salute church
On our boat ride we passed several sights we knew from pictures, movies or documentaries. However, it is always different to see them in reality - and especially in such beautiful weather! Arrival at San Marco was perfect: Salute church and Punta della Dogana on the right, Campanile and Palazzo Ducale on the left. Another Wow! The mass of tourist was also wow, though, but I am sure it is by far worse in main season. We left the vaporetto at station San Marco Vallaresso, across the entrance to Giardini Reali. We went right into that small park. We walked around (good option for a bathroom stop in the cafe, btw.), enjoyed the blooming trees and spring flowers (even an early azalea!) and took a breather sitting down on a bench. What a beautiful and peaceful place!
Salute church, Punta della Dogana
Campanile, Palazzo Ducale etc.
The promenade by the Giardini Reali park.
Giardini Reali
Giardini Reali
Next on the schedule was Piazza San Marco with all the surrounding major sights. We spent close to an hour walking around, marvelling at the facades of Palazzo Ducale, Sansovino's library, Basilica San Marco, the Procurazie ... so much beauty! My mom was blown away but tired from that alone. We pondered the idea of visiting one of those and decided on the Basilica San Marco. We were in for a big surprise when we found out that tickets were only available online, payment by credit card. I know many of you will say I am overly cautious, but no way I'll buy online by credit card and get the security code to enter at the bank app, all on the same device (smartphone). The Tourist Info at the opposite corner of the piazza confirmed that there is no other way than online booking, so that was out.
Palazzo Ducale
Campanile
Facade detail of Basilica San Marco
clock tower
Basilica San Marco
Piazza San Marco
to be continued ...
Mar 29th, 2026 | 01:03 PM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,969
Likes: 0
19 March continued ...
We got a little hungry and needed a break after that (little) disappointment (I had been inside the basilica already years ago and my mom was not too keen on it) and decided to try our luck in a less touristy area. At stop San Zaccaria (a bit confusing with piers A through F) we hopped on a boat direction Lido and got off at the stop Giardini where we found ourselves in a quiet, green area. Very nice! We turned left, walked over bridge Ponte dei Giardini and dropped into Cafe la Serra. This beautiful, simple cafe is located in the greenhouse of the Giardini (Park), the oldest structure of the Biennale exhibit. We picked a table outside, enjoyed the sun and each ordered a quiche (torta), one veggie, one with prosciutto and funghi (5 € per piece). Yummy! We also had a spritz each, Aperol for mom and Campari for me (4 € each), 0,5 l water (1,50 €) and finished with coffee. The check was about 25 € - a steal. Very friendly and attentive service. The place was frequented by locals mostly but to our surprise we also met a German couple here that we had seen on the train to Venice (and chatted some minutes.)
Looking back to San Marco from Giardini station
Giardini delle Biennale park
Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi
Cafe la Serra, Greenhouse
Cafe la Serra
Cafe la Serra
We continued to Via Garibaldi, turned right and followed the Fondamenta Sant'Ana deeper into the Castello district. Less and less people. After crossing Ponte Sant'Ana we were basically alone in the picturesque alleys and small squares. My mom was beyond herself seeing the clothes and linen hanging across the alleys and squares for drying. She loved that
We met one local lady walking her dog and managed to communicate with her - my few Italian language skills helped, she spoke no English. It was so funny!
Via Garibaldi
Fondamenta Sant'Ana
Castello district
Castello district
We arrived at church San Pietro in Castello as planned. Another beautiful, quaint scenery approaching via Ponte di San Pietro with boats right and left, picturesque houses lining the Canale di San Pietro, the church ahead. We dropped down on a bench watching boat owners coming and going. One particular guy with his dog caught our attention. Obviously the dog was afraid of getting on the boat, did not follow him on the wooden landing stage. The guy took his boat to the quayside and somehow convinced the dog to go down some steps from where he picked him up. Too cute!
Ponte di San Pietro
Canale di San Pietro
Canale di San Pietro
The man and the dog
The man and the dog, part 2
to be continued ...
We got a little hungry and needed a break after that (little) disappointment (I had been inside the basilica already years ago and my mom was not too keen on it) and decided to try our luck in a less touristy area. At stop San Zaccaria (a bit confusing with piers A through F) we hopped on a boat direction Lido and got off at the stop Giardini where we found ourselves in a quiet, green area. Very nice! We turned left, walked over bridge Ponte dei Giardini and dropped into Cafe la Serra. This beautiful, simple cafe is located in the greenhouse of the Giardini (Park), the oldest structure of the Biennale exhibit. We picked a table outside, enjoyed the sun and each ordered a quiche (torta), one veggie, one with prosciutto and funghi (5 € per piece). Yummy! We also had a spritz each, Aperol for mom and Campari for me (4 € each), 0,5 l water (1,50 €) and finished with coffee. The check was about 25 € - a steal. Very friendly and attentive service. The place was frequented by locals mostly but to our surprise we also met a German couple here that we had seen on the train to Venice (and chatted some minutes.)
Looking back to San Marco from Giardini station
Giardini delle Biennale park
Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi
Cafe la Serra, Greenhouse
Cafe la Serra
Cafe la Serra
We continued to Via Garibaldi, turned right and followed the Fondamenta Sant'Ana deeper into the Castello district. Less and less people. After crossing Ponte Sant'Ana we were basically alone in the picturesque alleys and small squares. My mom was beyond herself seeing the clothes and linen hanging across the alleys and squares for drying. She loved that
We met one local lady walking her dog and managed to communicate with her - my few Italian language skills helped, she spoke no English. It was so funny!Via Garibaldi
Fondamenta Sant'Ana
Castello district
Castello district
We arrived at church San Pietro in Castello as planned. Another beautiful, quaint scenery approaching via Ponte di San Pietro with boats right and left, picturesque houses lining the Canale di San Pietro, the church ahead. We dropped down on a bench watching boat owners coming and going. One particular guy with his dog caught our attention. Obviously the dog was afraid of getting on the boat, did not follow him on the wooden landing stage. The guy took his boat to the quayside and somehow convinced the dog to go down some steps from where he picked him up. Too cute!
Ponte di San Pietro
Canale di San Pietro
Canale di San Pietro
The man and the dog
The man and the dog, part 2
to be continued ...
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Mar 29th, 2026 | 01:18 PM
#8
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,969
Likes: 0
19 March continued ...
Basilica San Pietro in Castello had been cathedral of Venice until 1807. Somehow it gave us an odd impression, bright, not as much decorated and a bit lacking the charm of other churches in Venice. We liked one side chapel designed by Baldassare Longhena much, though, and also found a very nice picture by Veronese. It was after 4 pm now and my mom felt like she had done enough sightseeing for the first day. We walked to the boat stop, passing some modern houses that fit well into the surroundings, and arrived right in time for a vaporetto # 4.1. The boat ride was interesting, we saw the fascinating art work "Building Bridges", sailed around the Arsenale, passed the hospital and got off at Fondamente Nove.
San Pietro in Castello
San Pietro in Castello
New houses in Castello district
Art work "Building bridges".
Cemetery island San Michele
Our way home led us through the Cannaregio district, at first rather quiet and more busy the closer we got to Rialto/San Marco. Along the way we saw a bakery/pastry shop that had a mouth-watering display in the window, so we decided to try our luck for bread. Yep! They had "dark bread" (not dark by German standards) which turned out to be excellent. We also bought some cookies and an apple cake (shortcrust) - also delicious. This bakery, Panifici Crosera, is located Cannaregio 5335, Calle del Pestrin (off Campiello del Pestrin.) They have another shop, closer to our apartment, Cannaregio 5934, where we bought our bread and pastries the following days. On our walk to our apartment we stopped a couple of times to rest and soak up the special ambience. We also visited the church Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a Renaissance gem, totally amazing.
Cannaregio district
Cannaregio district
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
We arrived slightly past 5 pm, rested for a half hour, then had a problem with power outage (the fuse, it took me a while to find out where it was ...) After that was solved we set out to buy some more food in an organic grocery I had found online, Naturasi at Corte Coppo, about 10 minutes from our apartment. It was not really worth the effort, the nearby Despar had a similar selection. Anyway, in the meantime it had gotten pitch dark, we were hungry and did NOT forward to cook anything, remembering the power outage. So, when we stumbled upon a restaurant on the way back home that looked appealing we just went in.
The name of the restaurant was Ristorante Pizzeria Nuova Valigia (nuovavaligia.it) We both chose the meat menu of the day: Penne Amatriciana first course, second course beef strips and fried potatoes for my mom and fegato veneziano (veal liver with polenta) for me. Both yummy. We shared a half litre of sparkling water and I had a glass of white wine della casa (Lugana, pretty good). Including coperto the check came to 55.50 €. Service was excellent, attentive and friendly. My attempts at speaking Italian were much appreciated ;-) It was only a two minutes walk home.
Naturasi organic grocery store
Gondola by night.
Penne Amatriciana
fegato veneziano (veal liver with polenta)
Our restaurant
Basilica San Pietro in Castello had been cathedral of Venice until 1807. Somehow it gave us an odd impression, bright, not as much decorated and a bit lacking the charm of other churches in Venice. We liked one side chapel designed by Baldassare Longhena much, though, and also found a very nice picture by Veronese. It was after 4 pm now and my mom felt like she had done enough sightseeing for the first day. We walked to the boat stop, passing some modern houses that fit well into the surroundings, and arrived right in time for a vaporetto # 4.1. The boat ride was interesting, we saw the fascinating art work "Building Bridges", sailed around the Arsenale, passed the hospital and got off at Fondamente Nove.
San Pietro in Castello
San Pietro in Castello
New houses in Castello district
Art work "Building bridges".
Cemetery island San Michele
Our way home led us through the Cannaregio district, at first rather quiet and more busy the closer we got to Rialto/San Marco. Along the way we saw a bakery/pastry shop that had a mouth-watering display in the window, so we decided to try our luck for bread. Yep! They had "dark bread" (not dark by German standards) which turned out to be excellent. We also bought some cookies and an apple cake (shortcrust) - also delicious. This bakery, Panifici Crosera, is located Cannaregio 5335, Calle del Pestrin (off Campiello del Pestrin.) They have another shop, closer to our apartment, Cannaregio 5934, where we bought our bread and pastries the following days. On our walk to our apartment we stopped a couple of times to rest and soak up the special ambience. We also visited the church Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a Renaissance gem, totally amazing.
Cannaregio district
Cannaregio district
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
We arrived slightly past 5 pm, rested for a half hour, then had a problem with power outage (the fuse, it took me a while to find out where it was ...) After that was solved we set out to buy some more food in an organic grocery I had found online, Naturasi at Corte Coppo, about 10 minutes from our apartment. It was not really worth the effort, the nearby Despar had a similar selection. Anyway, in the meantime it had gotten pitch dark, we were hungry and did NOT forward to cook anything, remembering the power outage. So, when we stumbled upon a restaurant on the way back home that looked appealing we just went in.
The name of the restaurant was Ristorante Pizzeria Nuova Valigia (nuovavaligia.it) We both chose the meat menu of the day: Penne Amatriciana first course, second course beef strips and fried potatoes for my mom and fegato veneziano (veal liver with polenta) for me. Both yummy. We shared a half litre of sparkling water and I had a glass of white wine della casa (Lugana, pretty good). Including coperto the check came to 55.50 €. Service was excellent, attentive and friendly. My attempts at speaking Italian were much appreciated ;-) It was only a two minutes walk home.
Naturasi organic grocery store
Gondola by night.
Penne Amatriciana
fegato veneziano (veal liver with polenta)
Our restaurant
Mar 29th, 2026 | 01:26 PM
#9
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
These are great photos Ingo ! I am in awe and I appreciate all the details you provide in your text, very informative.
The last time I was in Venice was mid-June 1987 (yes that long!) and even back then the place was a zoo and an exercise in frustration …. and its ridiculously over touristed feeling left us with a rather sour taste since as obvious visitors, we felt we were being exploited down to the last lira. When we left, I swore I would never go back, and indeed have not been since. Your eloquent trip report is making me reconsider ….
The last time I was in Venice was mid-June 1987 (yes that long!) and even back then the place was a zoo and an exercise in frustration …. and its ridiculously over touristed feeling left us with a rather sour taste since as obvious visitors, we felt we were being exploited down to the last lira. When we left, I swore I would never go back, and indeed have not been since. Your eloquent trip report is making me reconsider ….
Mar 29th, 2026 | 06:09 PM
#12
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,460
Likes: 4
Thanks so much for your wonderful Trip Report, Ingo. It brought back lovely memories of my trips to Venice - and reminded me it's high time for a return. I really appreciated your details and photos, so useful for following travellers.
Mar 29th, 2026 | 07:21 PM
#13
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,173
Likes: 0
I am thoroughly enjoying your report and your photos. I love, love Venice! One thing that surprises me is that you mention you can only purchase tickets for St. Mark's Basilica online. Last year, we did purchase our tickets in advance online; however, when I was planning our trip, it was also possible to purchase tickets at the ticket window. It meant standing in line for possibly a long time, though, so that is why we purchased advance tickets online. I guess that isn't possible anymore.
I especially love your photos of Piazza San Marco. There was scaffolding around the Basilica last May, so we weren't able to get such a nice photo of the piazza with the Basilica in the background.
I especially love your photos of Piazza San Marco. There was scaffolding around the Basilica last May, so we weren't able to get such a nice photo of the piazza with the Basilica in the background.
Last edited by KarenWoo; Mar 29th, 2026 at 07:24 PM.
Yesterday | 01:02 PM
#15
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,969
Likes: 0
Thanks everyone for the kind words and comments.
Gomiki - good to hear from you! Hope all is well
KayF - yes, Venice is unique, doesn't compare to any other city I've been to.
Bokhara2 - it's never too early to go back to Venice ;-)
ANUJ - well said. I installed one Venice photo as screensaver.
kanadajin - I had a similar experience in the early 1990s. It was a day trip from Lido di Jesolo, a hot day. Overcrowded, overpriced, we were ripped off in a restaurant. But Basilica San Marco was free, we could see more in Palazzo Ducale. More pigeons on the Piazza, too. I think staying a full week made a huge difference, and also visiting in March.
KarenWoo - It came as a surprise to us, too. I learned it was very new. I think online purchase for a time slot makes sense, but there should be an option to buy tickets from a human, too. Too bad the view of the Basilica was obstructed by that scaffolding when you visited! You must return ...
20 March
Eating breakfast in the apartment I left some room in my stomach for cornetto and cappucino in a bar nearby, just like Italians do it. But again no luck and I gave up on the cornetti after that. We took vaporetto #2 in opposite direction today, from Rialto to the train station (Ferrovia) and continued via industrial zone/harbour to Canale della Giudecca. The contrast between the palazzi at Canal Grande and the modern buildings beyond the train station was, well ..., shocking, but interesting. The people mover is an elegant construction, the parking lots, hotels, piers etc. at Tronchetto are certainly necessary. We were happy when we entered canale della Giudecca, though. The left side, belonging to Dorsoduro district, had a wonderful promenade along the canal. The church Santa Maria del Rosario caught our attention with its Baroque-classical facade. On the right side one of the landmarks was a huge brickstone structure, another the Redentore church - where we got off the vaporetto. This church is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, designed by Andrea Palladio. Bright, clear structures, inventive ground plan plus works of art by Tintoretto and Veronese. We loved it. The plan was to visit the garden, too. Entrance is on the left side of the church facade (signposted.) Communication with the young lady at the entrance was like:
"What can we see?"
<shrugs> "A garden."
"How much is it?"
<smiles sheepishly> "10 €."
"Oh."
<grins widely> "I know."
"Bye."
"Bye."
We hopped on the next vaporetto and got off at the next stop, Zitelle. A beautiful neo-gothic palazzo right by the boat stop, Casa dei tre oci, piqued our interest. It is home of a museum of photography. We marveled at the facade, then walked to Zitelle church. It was under scaffolding, closed, construction works going on. Apparently the church was secularized and will be a luxury hotel, opening later this year. Really another one? On the way back to the boat station we stopped in a tabacchi kiosk and bought a couple of souvenirs, then took the next boat to San Giorgio Maggiore.
Pescheria (Fish market building)
Canal Grande
gondola vs. boat
Scalzi bridge
train station Santa Lucia
bridge between train station and bus terminal
People mover station at Tronchetto
Ferries at Tronchetto
Industrial plants in Marghera in the distance
huge brickstone structure
Dorsoduro quay
Dorsoduro quay
Santa Maria del Rosario church
Santa Maria delle Salute church from canale della Giudecca
view from Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Casa dei tre oci
Casa dei tre oci
Former Zitelle church
Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore was high on my *must* list for sights in Venice. The church itself did not disappoint, but - 1) the Campanile was closed for repair works (short notice) and 2) tours of the convent only at 11 am and 2 pm. We had just missed the former and were way too early for the latter. Anyway, the interior of the church made quite an impression on us - the huge dome in the center, the magnificent woodcarved choir stalls, the works of art (Tintoretto again.) We left the church and walked along the picturesque little port, enclosed by the mole and two lighthouses, passed a (super expensive) cafe and explored the backside of the convent where I could snap one or two more photos with a different view of church and campanile. A lovely little island. Fantastic view of Palazzo Ducale/San Marco also.
view of San Marco from San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
little port at San Giorgio Maggiore
view from the backside
San Giorgio Maggiore, cafe and port
We took the vaporetto to San Marco. Walking along the promenade we got hungry and wondered if it was a good idea to have lunch there. It was not so much the price that scared us off but more the crowds (lots of tours now with guides holding up little flags - red flag for me) and the noise. So we jumped on a boat that went to Lido island (that weekly vaporetto pass surely paid off!), hoping to find a nice place for lunch there. We liked Lido from the first moment on. No matter how unique Venice is, it somehow felt good to see bicycles, buses and even cars again. LOL So *normal* ... Anyway, we did not look far, dropped into ristorante/snack bar Belvedere right opposite the boat station. It was self service, frequented by locals mostly, and cheap. My mom had risotto with seafood and orange juice, I had lasagne bolognese and a beer. 25.70 € for everything. Pretty good, filling, but nothing to write home about. When we left the restaurant we saw a bus #11 waiting. Quick decision made, we hopped in and enjoyed a ride over the island. On that ride we saw the beaches of Lido, the famous Hotels Des Baines and Excelsior, the Palazzo del Cinema and passed through beautiful residential areas. Farther south it got less touristy and more rural. Malamocco looked nice (we returned later), ditto Alberoni. At Alberoni Faro Rocchetta stop the bus went on a ferry, we were shipped to the next island, Isola di Pellestrina, and the bus continued on the road again. We were wondering if we should go all the way to the terminal station of the bus where we could have taken the ferry to Chioggia (all covered by our vaporetto pass), but decided we did not have enough time. So we got off the bus in the small town Pellestrina, stop Tre Rose. What a contrast to Venice, Lido as well! Small, colourful family houses, rarely a soul to see. Some kids played soccer on the main square in front of the church - which, btw, was nice - and we dropped down on a bench and watched for a while. Then we walked in northern direction, exploring more of the tiny town. Definitely cute. We found a bicycle shop (rental) and noticed several cyclers passing us. Seems to be quite popular in this area. One bar was open, restaurant and another bar opened later in the evening. We crossed the main road and went to the beach. The Adriatic sea! The season would probably begin with Easter holidays, but a few locals walked their dogs or just enjoyed the sun. We found a wooden construction that served as table plus benches, sat down and soaked up the fresh air for a while. It was too cold for sunbathing, though, so we left after a while and took the next bus back to Lido. Here we joined the Italians in their "passegiata", found a gelato place (Gelateria Snack Bar Dolcezze) and each had a strawberry sundae (to die for!) and coffee, continued our walk after that and finally dropped into a bar, ordered spritz and did some people watching. Did I mention we loved Lido?? Back home with a vaporetto via San Marco, from where we walked to our apartment (faster than taking the boat to Rialto with all the stops along the way.)
arriving at Lido
Lido station
Pellestrina
Pellestrina
Pellestrina
Pellestrina, Ognissanti church
Pellestrina, Ognissanti church
Pellestrina, Ognissanti church
Pellestrina beach
Pellestrina beach
back in Lido
passegiata at Lido's main street
Ansonia Palace Hotel in Lido, style Liberty (Art Nouveau)
Ansonia Palace Hotel in Lido, style Liberty (Art Nouveau), detail
Strawberry sundae
Have a Spritz!
View from Lido station back to San Marco
Sunset going back to San Marco
Arrival at San Marco
We rested for a while, then decided to follow rialtogrl's advice and head to Casa Mia. We did not regret it. Fantastic ambience and yummy food! It was packed but they found a table for us. A bit noisy, but that's the price you pay for mingling with locals ;-) We started with cichetti Veneziani di mare which we shared (I am allergic to seafood but can eat fish) - delicious! This was followed by Pizza (Tonnara for me, Capricciosa for mom), also very good. We had a half litre of vino della casa (really good!) and a bottle of sparkling water. Unfortunately there was no room for dessert. But for coffee, of course. The check was, if I recall correctly, something between 60 and 70 €, very reasonable. Wonderful, thanks for recommendation! Thank God the walk home was not too long ...
Gomiki - good to hear from you! Hope all is well
KayF - yes, Venice is unique, doesn't compare to any other city I've been to.
Bokhara2 - it's never too early to go back to Venice ;-)
ANUJ - well said. I installed one Venice photo as screensaver.
kanadajin - I had a similar experience in the early 1990s. It was a day trip from Lido di Jesolo, a hot day. Overcrowded, overpriced, we were ripped off in a restaurant. But Basilica San Marco was free, we could see more in Palazzo Ducale. More pigeons on the Piazza, too. I think staying a full week made a huge difference, and also visiting in March.
KarenWoo - It came as a surprise to us, too. I learned it was very new. I think online purchase for a time slot makes sense, but there should be an option to buy tickets from a human, too. Too bad the view of the Basilica was obstructed by that scaffolding when you visited! You must return ...
20 March
Eating breakfast in the apartment I left some room in my stomach for cornetto and cappucino in a bar nearby, just like Italians do it. But again no luck and I gave up on the cornetti after that. We took vaporetto #2 in opposite direction today, from Rialto to the train station (Ferrovia) and continued via industrial zone/harbour to Canale della Giudecca. The contrast between the palazzi at Canal Grande and the modern buildings beyond the train station was, well ..., shocking, but interesting. The people mover is an elegant construction, the parking lots, hotels, piers etc. at Tronchetto are certainly necessary. We were happy when we entered canale della Giudecca, though. The left side, belonging to Dorsoduro district, had a wonderful promenade along the canal. The church Santa Maria del Rosario caught our attention with its Baroque-classical facade. On the right side one of the landmarks was a huge brickstone structure, another the Redentore church - where we got off the vaporetto. This church is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, designed by Andrea Palladio. Bright, clear structures, inventive ground plan plus works of art by Tintoretto and Veronese. We loved it. The plan was to visit the garden, too. Entrance is on the left side of the church facade (signposted.) Communication with the young lady at the entrance was like:
"What can we see?"
<shrugs> "A garden."
"How much is it?"
<smiles sheepishly> "10 €."
"Oh."
<grins widely> "I know."
"Bye."
"Bye."
We hopped on the next vaporetto and got off at the next stop, Zitelle. A beautiful neo-gothic palazzo right by the boat stop, Casa dei tre oci, piqued our interest. It is home of a museum of photography. We marveled at the facade, then walked to Zitelle church. It was under scaffolding, closed, construction works going on. Apparently the church was secularized and will be a luxury hotel, opening later this year. Really another one? On the way back to the boat station we stopped in a tabacchi kiosk and bought a couple of souvenirs, then took the next boat to San Giorgio Maggiore.
Pescheria (Fish market building)
Canal Grande
gondola vs. boat
Scalzi bridge
train station Santa Lucia
bridge between train station and bus terminal
People mover station at Tronchetto
Ferries at Tronchetto
Industrial plants in Marghera in the distance
huge brickstone structure
Dorsoduro quay
Dorsoduro quay
Santa Maria del Rosario church
Santa Maria delle Salute church from canale della Giudecca
view from Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Il Redentore church
Casa dei tre oci
Casa dei tre oci
Former Zitelle church
Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore was high on my *must* list for sights in Venice. The church itself did not disappoint, but - 1) the Campanile was closed for repair works (short notice) and 2) tours of the convent only at 11 am and 2 pm. We had just missed the former and were way too early for the latter. Anyway, the interior of the church made quite an impression on us - the huge dome in the center, the magnificent woodcarved choir stalls, the works of art (Tintoretto again.) We left the church and walked along the picturesque little port, enclosed by the mole and two lighthouses, passed a (super expensive) cafe and explored the backside of the convent where I could snap one or two more photos with a different view of church and campanile. A lovely little island. Fantastic view of Palazzo Ducale/San Marco also.
view of San Marco from San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore
little port at San Giorgio Maggiore
view from the backside
San Giorgio Maggiore, cafe and port
We took the vaporetto to San Marco. Walking along the promenade we got hungry and wondered if it was a good idea to have lunch there. It was not so much the price that scared us off but more the crowds (lots of tours now with guides holding up little flags - red flag for me) and the noise. So we jumped on a boat that went to Lido island (that weekly vaporetto pass surely paid off!), hoping to find a nice place for lunch there. We liked Lido from the first moment on. No matter how unique Venice is, it somehow felt good to see bicycles, buses and even cars again. LOL So *normal* ... Anyway, we did not look far, dropped into ristorante/snack bar Belvedere right opposite the boat station. It was self service, frequented by locals mostly, and cheap. My mom had risotto with seafood and orange juice, I had lasagne bolognese and a beer. 25.70 € for everything. Pretty good, filling, but nothing to write home about. When we left the restaurant we saw a bus #11 waiting. Quick decision made, we hopped in and enjoyed a ride over the island. On that ride we saw the beaches of Lido, the famous Hotels Des Baines and Excelsior, the Palazzo del Cinema and passed through beautiful residential areas. Farther south it got less touristy and more rural. Malamocco looked nice (we returned later), ditto Alberoni. At Alberoni Faro Rocchetta stop the bus went on a ferry, we were shipped to the next island, Isola di Pellestrina, and the bus continued on the road again. We were wondering if we should go all the way to the terminal station of the bus where we could have taken the ferry to Chioggia (all covered by our vaporetto pass), but decided we did not have enough time. So we got off the bus in the small town Pellestrina, stop Tre Rose. What a contrast to Venice, Lido as well! Small, colourful family houses, rarely a soul to see. Some kids played soccer on the main square in front of the church - which, btw, was nice - and we dropped down on a bench and watched for a while. Then we walked in northern direction, exploring more of the tiny town. Definitely cute. We found a bicycle shop (rental) and noticed several cyclers passing us. Seems to be quite popular in this area. One bar was open, restaurant and another bar opened later in the evening. We crossed the main road and went to the beach. The Adriatic sea! The season would probably begin with Easter holidays, but a few locals walked their dogs or just enjoyed the sun. We found a wooden construction that served as table plus benches, sat down and soaked up the fresh air for a while. It was too cold for sunbathing, though, so we left after a while and took the next bus back to Lido. Here we joined the Italians in their "passegiata", found a gelato place (Gelateria Snack Bar Dolcezze) and each had a strawberry sundae (to die for!) and coffee, continued our walk after that and finally dropped into a bar, ordered spritz and did some people watching. Did I mention we loved Lido?? Back home with a vaporetto via San Marco, from where we walked to our apartment (faster than taking the boat to Rialto with all the stops along the way.)
arriving at Lido
Lido station
Pellestrina
Pellestrina
Pellestrina
Pellestrina, Ognissanti church
Pellestrina, Ognissanti church
Pellestrina, Ognissanti church
Pellestrina beach
Pellestrina beach
back in Lido
passegiata at Lido's main street
Ansonia Palace Hotel in Lido, style Liberty (Art Nouveau)
Ansonia Palace Hotel in Lido, style Liberty (Art Nouveau), detail
Strawberry sundae
Have a Spritz!
View from Lido station back to San Marco
Sunset going back to San Marco
Arrival at San Marco
We rested for a while, then decided to follow rialtogrl's advice and head to Casa Mia. We did not regret it. Fantastic ambience and yummy food! It was packed but they found a table for us. A bit noisy, but that's the price you pay for mingling with locals ;-) We started with cichetti Veneziani di mare which we shared (I am allergic to seafood but can eat fish) - delicious! This was followed by Pizza (Tonnara for me, Capricciosa for mom), also very good. We had a half litre of vino della casa (really good!) and a bottle of sparkling water. Unfortunately there was no room for dessert. But for coffee, of course. The check was, if I recall correctly, something between 60 and 70 €, very reasonable. Wonderful, thanks for recommendation! Thank God the walk home was not too long ...
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