Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Italy : Venice - May 2008

Country Code: Dial for Italy

Getting around

Marco Polo International Airport.

Taxi: A road taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma costs about €30. A water taxi will cost approximately €90.
Tourist information: The most helpful tourist office is the Venice Pavilion on the St Mark’s waterfront (, www.turismovenezia.it).
Ferry: Alilaguna ferries go from the airport to Piazza San Marco for €12 (or €25 for the fast, direct service on the Alilaguna Oro). Alternatively, buses cost €3 and stop at Piazzale Roma, opposite the train station. From here, hop on a vaporetto (water bus) to your hotel. One ticket costs €6. The 24-hour pass costs €15.

DORSODURO

Located on the south-western side of town, Dorsoduro is dotted with galleries and secret gardens, but sill manages to retain its residential charm.

Sleep soundly – DD.724 is a stylish design hotel, named after its postcode. The Guggenheim is right next door, so expect arty conversation over a cappuccino.

Culture vultures – Ca’ Rezzonico (Grand Canal, right bank) is a magnificent baroque palace and an enchanting museum of 18th-century decorative arts.

Must eat – Cantinone (Rio di San Trovaso) is an old-fashioned canal-side inn, the perfect place to ponder life over a glass of Prosecco and a plate of artichoke hearts and baccala (salted cod).

Must drink – El Chioschetto (1406/a Fondamenta Zattere waterfront) is a summery hotspot, a glorified kiosk that dispenses salads and spritz (a lurid blend of white wine and bitters).

THE LAGOON ISLANDS

The islands are utterly distinctive – from the remote-feeling Torcello to the pastel-painted quaintness of Burano.

Sleep soundly – Casa Santa Caterina is a restored fishermen’s cottage that comes with its own (free) boat –useful as you’d otherwise be marooned.

Culture vultures – Torcello is the evocative island where Venice began. Its basilica – reminiscent of a storm refuge – is the oldest monument in the lagoon.

Must eat – Il Gatto Nero (88 Fondamenta della Giudecca, Burano, tel. ) is a family-run seafood trattoria that typifies the mood on this homely fishing island. Linger over a supper of fresh pasta and lagoon crab and expect to see few outsiders.

Shop til you drop – Gianni Seguso (3 Fondamenta Serenelle, Murano) is a prestigious glass-making firm.

THE RIALTO, SAN POLO & SANTA CROCE

The teeming, mercantile, rough-and-ready Rialto market stands in stark contrast to the retrospective opulence of cafés round St Mark’s.

Sleep soundly – Oltre il Giardino (Fondamenta Contarini, , www.oltreilgiardinovenezia.com, rooms from €180) is an art-filled family villa

Must eat – Naranzaria (off Campo San Giacometto, ) is a cool, cosmopolitan sushi bar that opens late and pays tribute to Venice’s melting-pot past, when La Serenissima was one of the leading trading nations.

Must drink – Do Mori (Calle de Do Mori, off Ruga Vecchia) is an unreconstructed bacaro, a cramped, cheap-and-cheerful wine bar doling out tiny dishes of tapas.

Shop til you drop – Casa del Parmigiano (Erberia Rialto, by the vegetable market) sells the city’s best cheeses, as well as ham and olive oils.

SAN MARCO

The St Mark’s area may increasingly resemble a theme park but beyond the stage-set square the crowds fade away and you can hear your own footsteps.

Sleep soundly – Monaco & Grand Canal (1332 San Marco, , www.hotelmonaco.it, rooms from €250) is a stately palazzo with a contemporary twist. It still encompasses the Ridotto, the legendary former casino linked to Casanova.

Culture vultures – The ‘Secret Itinerary’ in the Doge’s Palace (1 San Marco) provides a fascinating insight into the power struggles and murders that were once condoned by the sinister Venetian state.

Must eat – Vino Vino (Calle delle Veste, ) is tucked away in an alley close to La Fenice opera house, and is a grumpily run inn that nonetheless appeals to gondoliers, grandees, music students and stars. All come to guzzle fine wines and graze on cheap cicchetti (Venetian tapas).

Must drink – B Bar Lounge (1459 San Marco) is a glamorous cocktail bar with a retro look and live music.

Compiled by Lisa Gerard-Sharp