Explore​ Venice and Verona in One Weekend

I’m so happy that so many people loved my updated version of Cinque Terre. It’s been about three years since I studied abroad in Italy, and it was time for these posts to get a major update. This time, my destination is Venice and Verona.

Before I get into what you need to see in Venice and Verona, let me explain how excited I was before I went to Venice. My first real introduction to Italy was learning about Venice and the canals. I remember watching movie after movie about the beautiful scenery. As a result of this, seeing Venice in person was by far one of my favorite parts of studying abroad in Italy. If you ever get a chance, you need to see Venice and all its glory. And… not to be morbid but you need to see it soon. With rising waters, Venice and all its glory will not be lasting much longer. Just another excuse to book that plane ticket now!

Venice

The best advice I can give you for seeing Venice is to wander aimlessly. Every color of this beautiful city is incredible. Venice has a captivating charm with its bright colored buildings, tiny boats, and alluring bridges. The thing about Venice is that it isn’t a city where you can plan every inch of your itinerary. We walked for hours just trying to capture every inch of this incredible city and I hope you do too.

The last picture is actually an overhang to the old Venetian prison. When prisoners were sent to jail, the last sunlight they would see was on this bridge. A very morbid and sad thought, but it makes for an interesting picture.

Besides walking aimlessly, try to plan a trip to glassblower. The glass made in Venice is world renowned for its captivating colors and rich quality.  When you see the glass being molded like playdough you’ll be happy you made the effort.

Tip: The best view of Venice is the top of St. Mark’s Campanile. My friend, Courtney, and I were able to see it during sunset and it was surreal. Three years later, I can still remember the overwhelming feeling of seeing that view.

Murano

You can pick up a water taxi to both Murano and Burano from St. Marks Square. Once you’re in Murano there are tons of little glass shops to pick up Murano glass. To make sure that you have real Murano glass and not cheap Chinese counterfeits, you can look for the “Vetro Murano Artistico” trademark decal in the windows in the shops and showrooms that sell authentic Murano glass.

Campo Santo Stefano: In the middle of the campo is Simone Cenedese’s ‘Comet Glass Star,’ an abstract blue glass starburst sculpture. When you’re wandering Murano this is definitely something you should stop and see so you can see how beautiful Murano glass really is.

Burano

When you google Venice and see bright, colorful houses they are most likely from Burano. Burno was my favorite part of Venice because every single house looked like they belonged in a candy shop. Also, the pathways were much cleaner than the center of Venice.

What to buy from Burano: handmade lace and embroidery. This is the perfect island to pick up doilies. Make sure you look in all the shops before you buy something! My friend bought something and wanted to return it after she found something she liked more. The shopkeeper gave her a hard time when she wanted to return it. It all worked out in the end but just be extra sure that you want the item.

Verona

On our journey back to Siena, we stopped by Verona. Verona is the famous city where Shakespeare based three plays after. This balcony is staged to show the famous words where Juliet says “Romeo, O Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo.” Underneath the balcony is a bronze statue of Juliet. There is an old folktale that says that you are supposed to rub her right breast for good luck. Mickey and I were confused out of our minds but we wouldn’t pass up a chance to get extra luck in our lives.

Famous for the movie Letts to Juliet, you can also write letters to Juliet. The reason gum is plastered all over these walls is because letters to Juliet would be stuck to the wall. You can also put them in a red box and actually receive a letter back! A perfectly free souvenir.

Have you ever been to Venice or Verona? Is it on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments down below. 

As always,

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