Places I Have NOT Visited (#1)
Venice/Veneto
In addition to writing posts about my favorite Italian food and travel experiences, I also offer specific advice to folks interested in their own plans to visit Italy. While I’ve traveled the country widely, it’s often the case that I research and recommend places that I have not actually been to myself. I have a process that has always worked well for me; so I trust it to help folks looking to go somewhere I have not been to or who want to stay in a type of place that wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice. But I trust my process for researching and vetting locations; and my instincts have never led me too far astray.
So when an old friend recently asked me to recommend some farmstays and hotels in and around the Venice area, I thought it might be an opportunity to pass them on to FTI readers. I adore Venice and have been many times, but I am never a fan of her almost constant crowds. What’s more, those crowds can make getting any type of authentic experience almost impossible. But these nearby agriturismos offer a chance to see the area beyond the lagoon while being close enough to make day trips into the city easy. The hotels I found are selected as a hedge against the crowds. They look to me to offer a chance to see Venice more like a local than a tourist. So if you like my reviews and my approach, here are a few recommendations for Venice and the Veneto region. If you’d like more, please reach out and let’s see how I can be of assistance.
AGRITURISMOS
Ca’Orologio
Email: [email protected]
Address: Via Ca’Orologio 7a Baone, Veneto 35030 (near Padua)
Website | Google Maps
An elegant-looking wine resort in Baone (Veneto wine country) close to Venice with a harmonious courtyard and a variety of room options including traditional camere (rooms) as well as larger apartments. Breakfast is included, but there’s not a restaurant on-site. But that just provides the opportunity to explore nearby Padua (35km), Vicenza (50km), or Ferrara (60km) for more northern Italian cuisine and culture.
I love the vibe nestled among the wine-growing hills of southern Veneto. The proximity to Venice means that you can use it as an escape from the crowds there or as a countryside base to explore Veneto and take a day trip or two to La Serenissima -- which is often enough for most people.
Col delle Rane
Email: [email protected]
Address: Via Mercato Vecchio, 18, 31031 Caerano di San Marco (near Treviso)
Website | Google Maps
Another welcoming spot not far from Venice that caught my eye is Col delle Rane. Whereas Ca’Orologio is located to the West of Venice, Col dell Rane is more north in the area that includes Treviso (with its canals), Bassano del Grappa (natural beauty and a gateway to its renowned grappa and to the Prosecco wine region), and Marostica (home of the famous cherry festival.)
Col delle Ranne offers a variety of accommodations including doubles, twins, and family sized rooms; they also offer full apartments with refrigerators and even a camping area with electrical hook-ups, bathrooms, showers, & laundry facilities. Enjoy daily breakfast featuring farm-sourced and local products.
HOTELS
Normally, I tend towards AirBNBs when I’m staying in a city because they’re much more economical and enable you to pick a neighborhood and experience the area more like a local. But sometimes, hotels are a better choice … or simply a nice splurge. In Venice, these hotels caught my eye and I’d happily try any of them:
Hotel Huereka (Cannaregio)
Email: [email protected]
Address: Fondamenta Gasparo Contarini, 3534, 30121 Venezia VE
Website | Google Maps
Lovely location in Cannaregio -- the historic Jewish ghetto sestieri (neighborhood) in Venice -- that includes a beautiful enclosed garden and artfully designed & decorated rooms … all charmingly Venetian. Nearby is the Gothic, 16th century home of Tintoretto, the master Renaissance painter of the Venetian style. Nicknamed Il Furioso for his dynamic and rapid painting style, Tintoretto’s works can be seen across the city. His tomb is located in the Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto which is also close to the Hotel Huereka.
Hotel NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa (Murano)
Email: [email protected]
Address: Fondamenta Andrea Navagero, 29, 30141 Venezia VE
Website | Google Maps
Murano is far from tourist-free, but the Venezia Murano Villa looks like a winner to me; convenient to the Venice airport but tucked away from the main tourist canal in Murano, it looks like the best of both convenience and location. A 15 minute vaporetto ride will bring you back to the heart of the sights at San Marco & the Grand Canal.
Maison Boutique Al Redentore (Guidecca)
Email: [email protected]
Address: Calle Cape, 866/T, 30133 Venezia VE
Website | Google Maps
A final hotel that I would definitely investigate in the Guidecca neighborhood is Maison Boutique Al Redentore. The hotel is located next to the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore (cathedral and adjacent convent) with its lovely and serene garden. Giudecca is on the far south side of the Venetian archipelago. Just remote enough from the tourist core to experience a bit of serenity, it’s a great area to walk and is still conveniently 2 stops from San Marco square.
BONUS
Ristorante La Bitta
Phone: +39 041 523 0531
Address: C. Lunga S. Barnaba, 2753/A, 30123 Venezia VE
Google Maps
If you’re in Venice and would like a restaurant recommendation, try La Bitta. (Say ‘hi’ to Debora who, I believe, still runs the restaurant.) I met her many years ago on a fateful evening. We had a lovely meal and for dessert, her signature panna cotta. (Debora even generously shared her recipe with my sister.) The restuarant is located in the Dorsoduro neighborhood across the Grand Canal from San Marco. If you’re on the San Marco side, take a traghetto (a gondola ferry) to cross the canal. The most convenient one is located here; or simply get off at the Ca’Rezzonico vaporetto stop. The hours at La Bitta can be unpredictable, so check ahead of time and do call for a reservation. They do two seatings (one early around 7pm; one late around 9pm.) They feature a rare meat-oriented menu in a city where most restaurants naturally focus on fish.
Italy never disappoints, especially with an intuitive voice.. adventures await. Don’t forget dessert with Deborah ….