A Guide To 48 Hours In Venice

I was supposed to stay in Venice for no longer than four days, as I was waiting to move to a new apartment in Milan. The four days turned into a month as the interregional travel restrictions intensified across Italy and my moving date got further delayed.

These happy accidents – combined with a generous friend who hosted me in Venice, turned into the ultimate Il Dolce Far Niente experience. Having just finished my third and last year of university, I found myself liberated and curious to uncover the city’s charms during an unusual period with more pigeons than tourists in Piazza San Marco. Indeed, Venice hadn’t been this quiet in over a hundred years.

The city is a true Italian staple, as picturesque in real life as on postcards. While one could easily spend weeks there, people typically stay in Venice for 1-4 nights. The strong sense of timelessness keeps visitors returning multiple times in their lifetime. This 48-hour guide gathers the best spots I discovered during my month in Venice. In full disclosure: it’s heavy on restaurants and bars, since museums were closed, and it’s fair to say that Venice deserves a guide part 2 for culture alone.

DAY 1

The best way to arrive from within Italy is by train or car. If you take a train, book it for the station of Venezia Santa Lucia, which is located just at the foot of the Grand Canal, the major water-traffic channel of the city. If you drive to Venice, you can leave the car in Autorimessa Comunale AVM (in Santa Croce), a secured parking lot with reasonable daily rates, also conveniently located as it’s near the Ponte della Costituzione (a bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava).

As the city is built on lagoons, the lack of cars, trams and other urban structures has an oddly calming effect. The smell of seafood and gasoline from the boat traffic lingers in the air. You’ll find that the most convenient way to go around is by walking or – for longer distances – by taking the Vaporetto (water bus service). The group of islands have over 400 bridges, so you’ll want to pack lightly as you’ll have to cross many canals before you are settled in your AirBnB or hotel. The Gondolas are not the locals’ choice for moving around and they tend to be overpriced, but if you insist on experiencing it, cross the Grand Canal at Palazzo Gritti for only 2 euros.

You’ll notice pretty quickly that the drinking culture in Venice is different to the rest of Italy. It’s not unusual to spot a group of nonnas or nonnos having a Spritz outside at 11am on a Monday. The Spritz in Venice is not made with Aperol but with Select, a native Venetian liquor that is a bit less sweet yet more complex than Aperol. The proper way to enjoy Spritz, or a couple of them is at any time, in any bar, but the typical thing to do is to go on a bacaro tour, meaning a couple of bars in a row, indulging in drinks and cicchetti, small foods served on paper plates. With cicchetti, every bar has a range of little portions from cured meats to cheeses and fish, but the one thing you have to try is Baccala Mantecato – a thick paste made of whipped cod fish often served on white bread. It might not be love at first sight, but you can learn to like it once you appreciate the fish-eating culture of Venice.

If you want to start your bacaro tour upon arrival, walk over to Ciccheteria venexiana da Luca e Fred, 8 minute walk from the train station or a 10 minute walk from Ponte della Costituzione. Everything fried from that place is great.

To continue the bacaro tour or to go for lunch, head to Timon Al Antica Mola. Order the catch of the day or the risotto. The seafood in Venice is next level, but if you’re not a fan, Al Timon also has a great meat restaurant right next to the fish location. To get there, you can walk through the historic Jewish Quarter. Interestingly the term “ghetto” originates from being used to describe this specific area in Venice, as early as in the 16th century.

After lunch, while there’s still daylight, head over to Fondaco dei Tedeschi, now a high-end department store but formerly the German merchants’ living quarter. Take the elevator to their rooftop for a 360 degree panorama of the city.

From there, you can walk to Piazza San Marco, the main square of Venice, and see Basilica di San Marco and Palazzo Ducale. If you look on one of the corners of Basilica, you will notice an often overlooked detail: a sculpture of four Roman emperors fixed to the facade, older than Basilicata itself. The origins of the sculpture date back to the year 300, but it was only brought to Venice from Constantinople in 1204 during the 4th crusade. The four horses on top of Basilicata were also looted by Venetians from Constantinople, although now the ones you see in Venice are copies of the original ones as the real ones have been given back to the city of Istanbul.

If you wish to get aperitivo, Taverna al Remer, on the Grand Canal, has a view on the iconic Rialto bridge, if you walk a couple meters to the edge of the water. If you’re not in the mood for Spritz, order the cocktail Penicillin, the New York originated modern classic which has been hard to find in Italy, but mastered by Al Remer.

For dinner Trattoria Antiche Carampane is exceptional. Order the fish Crudo or Crab Spaghettini. A few steps from Carampane there is a vintage store called Vintageria. The owner blasts Nina Simone and Leonard Cohen and has a wide selection of affordable pieces from Italian and American brands, from the ‘50s to the ‘90s.

DAY 2

If it’s sunny and you want to have your morning coffee outside, behind Banco Giro (one of the first public banks in Europe) there are a couple of cafes where the sun reaches until about 10am. For a quick lunch in the same area there’s a small panino place L’ Bacaro de’ Bischeri, in Venitian style but with a Tuscanese soul. The paninos are served in a brown paper wrap, eaten on the street with a beer or a glass of wine served in a plastic cup.

After lunch you can head to the eastern side of the Dorsoduro area. Go see the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Salute. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Gallerie dell'Accademia are in the same area as well: they might take up a good chunk of your day. Gelateria Nico nearby is great for a coffee or drinks with tables outside and a view on the Giudecca island and sunlight from morning to evening. You can also check out the bookstore Libreria Toletta, Venice’s oldest and possibly largest one. If you want to learn about the history of Venice, get the 100 page “A short history of Venice” (Ortalli, Scarabello), for a solid overview.

For dinner, Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti is a must. Their menu changes every few days and their ingredients are bought every morning from the Mercato di Rialto (which is a sight in itself). Try the natural wine Boschera Winkler. If you’re into natural wines, a place called Estro in San Polo is also worth a visit.

If you’re staying for more than 48 hours, other restaurant recommendations include: Il Ridotto, Poste Vecie and Da Arturo. If you need a spot to study or work go to Combo in the Cannaregio neighbourhood. It’s modern, has Wi-Fi and is free of charge, so you can peacefully work in their courtyard under the orange trees. And lastly: if you’re driving back to Milan, make a stop in Verona to go to Trattoria Al Pompiere.

Venice is truly a masterpiece of a city, in all of its mystery, fragility and history. It’s seductive, well-aged and moody. Let its physical and spiritual complexity enchant you, its pastel colours sooth you, and you’ll find yourself living a 48-hour enigmatic, Italian daydream