This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at San Francisco chapter.
With my birthday coming up and midterms winding down, my boyfriend thought a weekend getaway to Venice would make the perfect trip/reward. He wasn’t wrong. After spending four days there, I came to the conclusion that it’s my favorite city so far. Venice seems to exist solely for tourists, as main residents are evacuating due to the water damage and high prices. Although true Venetians may be leaving and family run shops are dwindling, there is no denying the centuries of history visible in the architecture, the brotherly culture of the gondoliers, the craftsmanship of local artisans and the unparalleled water front view. With so much to see, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Here I’ll list five things that must be done or seen in Paris. Everything else is just a bonus.
1) Take a walking tour
I highly recommend this for a couple of different reasons. First, a walking tour allows you to find the hidden gems while hitting the major tourist spots. A tour guide also provides facts that you wouldn’t know otherwise. My tour guide pointed out that Venice was working on a retractable bridge, but construction was halted because half the politicians who were overseeing the project were jailed for corruption. This is a fact you won’t find on a tourist brochure.
2) Check out other islands
Venice was great, but my favorite island was Lido. Lido is known for its beaches. I also visited Murano, known for its beautiful hand blown glass artifacts. The islands are small so you won’t have to waste an entire day exploring, but it introduces you to a different side of Venice, one most people don’t take the time out to see.
3) San Marco Square
This is a major tourist spot, but a definite must. The square has the beautiful Basilica church, famous Clock Tower, the Procuratie Vecchie, Doge’s Palace, Jacopo Sansovino’s Liberary, and more. It’s a great historical landmark that will make you understand what makes it so famous. There’s also a few restaurants that have live bands that play outside. The experience is much more enhanced when you have blues or jazz playing in the back ground.
4) Try out different flavors of gilatto
I ate more gilatto in Venice than pizza and pasta combined. While I never got tired of the basics (chocolate, strawberry and vanilla), I was happy to branch out. There were flavors like pistacchio, yogurt, nutella, cherry and so much more. Gilatto is healthier than ice cream so you don’t need to feel too bad for eating it in bunches. It’s also a major part of Italian culture.
5) Basilica
The “Golden church” will leave you in awe by the end of the tour. You don’t have to be religious to admire the culture, history and architecture of this beautiful building. While you aren’t allowed to take photos inside the church, you’re allowed to snap a photo of the beautiful view of San Marco Square from the church balcony.