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Italy : Venice - November 2008

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By November the tide of tourists fl ocking to Venice has receded and the city takes on a delightful misty air of unreality. It still enjoys many sunny days, though, when a pearly light suffuses the lagoon. Roderick Conway Morris savours the spectacle

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.

SAN MARCO

Saint Mark’s Square is the epicentre of Venice and sometimes intolerably crowded in high season. But at this time of year, an evening stroll through the piazza and a visit to Florian’s, its most ancient café, can transport you back to the way it once was.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal has an impressive, spacious interior and a restaurant with fantastic views over the Grand Canal.

Culture vultures – The special autumn exhibition at the Correr Civic Museum (Piazza San Marco) features wonderfully atmospheric canvases of Venice by day and by night from the Austrian artist Eduard Angeli.

Shop til you drop – Michel Paciello travels the world in search of the marvellous beads and jewellery that fill his shop Parapamiso (1701 Frezzeria, San Marco), alongside examples of Venice’s own bead-making tradition.

CANNAREGIO

The long Misericordia canal that runs through here is lined with trattorias and late-night bars. It also passes by the edge of the old Jewish Ghetto

Must eat – Picturesque family trattoria Vini da Gigio (3628/A Fondamenta San Felice, Cannaregio. ) is a favourite with discriminating locals and visitors alike, and has a great selection of wines.

DORSODURO

Built on an unusually (for Venice) solid spit of land running westwards from the Old Customs House point at the mouth of the Grand Canal, the name of this district literally means ‘hard back’. The scene varies from the hushed streets around the Salute church – which are temporarily filled with Venetians on and around 21 November for the annual thanksgiving festival – to the lively late-night bars and cafés of Campo Santa Margherita.

Culture vultures – This is a good time of year to visit the Accademia Gallery (1050 Campo de la Carità). Stuffed with masterpieces by the Bellinis, Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto and others, it’s not overwhelming large, but the ratio of quality to quantity is exceptional.

Shop til you drop – Norelene (727 Calle de la Chiesa), Helene Kuhn Ferruzzi’s little shop, near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of modern art (Palazzo Venier dei Leoni), has become a mecca for those in search of vibrant hand-painted scarves, wallhangings and fabrics.

CASTELLO

Venice’s ‘East End’, Castello has a walkable/joggable waterfront that stretches from near Saint Mark’s Square, passing the Arsenale, all the way to the island of Sant’Elena with its wooded park of umbrella pines.

Sleep soundly – A welcoming haven near Saint Mark’s Square, Hotel Metropole (4149 Riva degli Schiavoni, Castello, , hotelmetropole.com, rooms from €200) is one of the last family-run grand hotels, with cosy spaces to relax in and a Michelin-starred restaurant with an adventurous chef and reasonable prices.

Must eat – An intimate local with friendly service, Testiere (5801 Calle del Mondo Novo, Castello, ) is tiny, so you should book to secure a table. It specialises in fish dishes made from only the freshest products and given imaginative twists

Compiled by Roderick Conway Morris