Marie Monde, Mange et Mode

_{(Funny story, this same guy ended up being our gondola driver later and gave us a great discount!!!)}

I recently saw a news clip regarding the current, alarmingly high, water levels in Venice. The iconic, alluring UNESCO heritage site draws millions of tourists each year has been a thing of wonder for centuries. But the city was built on a series of lagoons , founded on wooden piles in the sediment and secured by impermeable white Istrian stone sea walls. With the help of rising sea levels, the water has started to fight back at an alarming rate.

As the Romantic poet Lord Byron put it, Venice “sinks, like a seaweed, into whence she rose”. Even in the classic tale “Death in Venice”, Thomas Mann made the city a metaphor for decay.

Of note, the average sea level in Venice has risen nearly a foot since 1900. But in the past 20 years, tides have exceeded 110 centimeters more than 150 times. Scientist say that, by 2100, the city of Venice will be underwater.

So the time to visit Venice is now!

But why, you may ask. What’s so special about this Italian waterborne city?! Well, I can think of at least 10 reasons! So check it out, plan a trip, and see for yourself before it’s too late!!

1. Amazing food and wine (Bellini and pizza and ice cream)

In general, this list follows no particular order, as all 10 topics are fairly compelling in my opinion. However, a foodie at heart, I had to make this first on the list.

_{(Had a big ol’ Bellini in the Bellini Birth place, Venice!!!*)}

So this is an obvious one but not to be understated. Venice is an Italian city, so of course there is yummy Italian food and delicious drinks!

I honestly cannot imagine that anything would be a bad option, so you can literally close your eyes, put your finger up to the menu and try a bout of food roulette to decide your food. I actually tried this a few times and was never disappointed!

But while in Italy, you MUST try the basics as well. The pizza, the spaghetti, the Bellinis, the ice cream (gelato), etc. they taste a zillion times better in their homeland.

An easy vegan option is pizza. Italian pizzas are not dripping in cheese like American pizzas. Instead, if you do add cheese, they just add a few mozzarella balls. But since cheese is not the center, it is not missed if omitted.

It’s easy to get bruschetta sans parm, vegan gelato and cheeseless pizza virtually at any Venetian restaurant (and elsewhere in Italy!). Pasta and/or gnocchi is tomato or basil sauce is also an option. Do not underestimate the power of basil and olive oil, especially in Italy. The fresh herb and fresh oil duo will not disappoint! I’m particularly fond of truffle pasta, so much so that I even brought my some home!

Fruit gelato is nearly always vegan as well and is often denoted with a small V on the placard.

_{^{(This may or may not have been my 2nd Gelato of the day)}}

There are also a few vegan restaurants in Venice, like La Tecia Vegana .

As a note, I’d avoid dining in Piazza San Marco, as everything is incredibly overpriced. Venice is small enough that you can walk a block or two and find something. Also, some of the food souvenirs are also sold at the airport, Duty-free. Want to put truffle oil in your carry-on? No worries, just get it at the airport past the secured area.

*Fun Fact, the first Bellini was crafted in Venice by Giuseppe Cipriani in the summer of 1948 just off the Grand Canal at Harry’s Bar.

2. Carnival 🎭

Originating around the 12th Century, the Carnevale di Venezia is world-famous for its elaborate costumes and masks. At its inception centuries ago, Carnival consisted of weeks full of Senate-sanctioned city-wide festivities and fun, during which people could indulge in music, dances, parties, and musical merriment and, best of all, very minimal work hours. Wearing masks and costumes made allowed the masses to come together while concealing any differences of class or status. People were even allowed to mock the aristocracy through plays and dances. Under the Most Serene Republic of Venice, the senate sanctioned these regulated social outburst as a means of control, allowing them to maintain order and power throughout the rest of the year.

Since then, the tradition has survived French conquest and Austrian occupation. Though it was at one point forbidden and only conducted in private, the ancient tradition went back in the open in the 1970s and has been restored as a delightful public city tradition ever since.

Today, carnival is definitely still a sight to see and masks are definitely still very popular. I’ve never been, but I hear that there are also Venetian masquerade balls.

Though carnival lasts a couple of weeks, the most important days are the last Thursday ( giovedì grasso ‘fat Thursday’ ) and the very last day, Tuesday (martedì grasso, ‘fat Tuesday’), as they mark the final days before Ash Wednesday and beginning of Lent (a period traditionally dedicated to fast in the Catholic tradition).

You can purchase a plastic mask at a pop up city cart for only a few euros. However, if you want the real deal, the hole-in-the-wall ancient shops (ateliers) still produce masks with papier-mâché and ribbons, true to the ancient art. Each mask is a hand-crafted, unique masterpiece.

Even if it’s not carnival season, you’ll find at least a dozen mask shops in town with alluring creations.

At a mask shop, I learned that the moretta muta mask got its name because the wearer is literally unable to speak in the dark velvet mask held in place by a button in the mouth. And the iconic baùta mask (a particular white pointy, beak-like mask, typically worn under a black hat and a black cloak) Was used back in the day even outside of carnival for the purpose of dating someone anonymously. Talk about a blind date, am I right?

Each mask both tells and masks a story. So…what’s yours?? 👀 🎭

3. Gondola Rides

Need I say more? Is your visit to Venice complete if you didn’t partake in a Gondola ride? I think not.

4. Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs famously connects the Doge’s Palace with a former prison. Named quite literally, the Bridge of Sighs is where prisoners would have one last long look at beautiful Venice while crossing the bridge before their sentencing. In more modern times, it’s more of a romantic sight viewed from a afar or by gondola. Look closely to see the vented squares which served as windows fir prisoners’ last glimpse.

4. Water Bus Rides

A Vaporetto is a traditional, small water ferry/bus. Most are first introduced to this mode of transit upon leaving the airport. I took an Alilaguna vaporetto from Marco Polo Airport to Piazza San Marco. They have three lines, so just select the one closes to your hotel. And boom! Just like that, you’re already experiencing Venetian culture within minutes of your arrival! It works both ways btw, you can get a Vaporetto Water Bus to Venice Airport as well.

Traveling around Venice by Vaporetto is one of the best ways of getting to the mainland and to the popular towns of nearby Murano and Burano. Ticket prices for a single trip start at $12/€12.

6. Murano Glass

Murano is an island located in the Venetian Lagoon world-renowned for its incredible glass-making. In addition to the shopping that you will inevitably do in Murano (because the items truly are a marvel), there are some cool attractions to see in Murano. For example, at the Glass Museum, you can learn about the history and techniques of glass-making. I highly recommend watching a glass-blowing demonstration at one of the many Murano factories. It’s so cool and soothing to watch.

Pro tip: if the factory offers the option to ship the beautiful glass creation you purchase, say yes. This should go without saying, but glass is very fragile. Even exceptional packaging carried by the most careful traveler can get damaged. This is especially true if for any reason your commute home involves passage through airports like London Heathrow, where super careful, multi-wrapped packaging is an invitation for security to aggressively rifle through your package to ensure that it is indeed just a (now broken) Murano vase.

I hear Burano is another cool island located within the Venetian Lagoon. I’ve never been to Burano, but it is on my list for my next Venice trip. The island is famous for its brightly colored houses and lace-making industry. Custom delicates and brightly colored buildings? Yes please!

7. St. Mark’s Basilica

St Mark’s Basilica is a Byzantine-style church and is one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. It’s located in the heart of the city and is a symbol of Venetian culture, history and identity. It is an architectural masterpiece inside and out. In the inside, the Basilica has many masterpieces, including the Pala d’Oro and the gilded mosaics.

To tour the inside of St Mark’s Basilica, it’s best to purchase tickets in advance, especially in the summer months, as the lines get rather long. The outside is stunning as well and does include some literature (via a sign) about the church’s history.

8. Piazza San Marco

The landmark known in English as St. Mark’s Square and colloquially in Italian as merely Piazza, is in the heart of Venice. It is the city’s main public square and is home to both the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Bascillica. The Piazza is regularly flood by acqua alta, high water events caused by abnormally high tides. Thus, this must-see location is particularly urgent.

9. Canals & Bridges

Though a small city, Venice boasts 177 Canals and 391 Bridges. Both come in handy while exploring the lovely enchanted city.

Venice is home to some of the most famous bridges in the world, such as the Rialto Bridge (and the Bridge of Sighs, which I’ve given its own post).

10. Duration/Size

Three words: Weekend. Trip. Potential.

Due to the small size of the city, one can easily fit a full tour of all the city has to offer into 2-3 days. Added bonus: the City is very walkable (which is convenient for burning off the calories gained with all the pizza, pasta and gelato).

After I marked off everything on my list, I still had time to get done this from locals regarding cool places to visit before my trip ended.

Although my visit was fairly self-guided, there are many tours available. Pre-planning and booking a tour is a helpful way to stay on schedule for a weekend trip as well. I recently learned about this cool new tour site called where you can book tours with locals. I haven’t tried it out yet, but it seems like a really cool way to experience a city. I find that locals provide an authentic perspective and can often teach so much more about a city’s current, colloquial culture, something you may not get from a traditional tour.