Perfect Trips

Perfect Trip

Adriatic Odyssey

Introduction
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Venice

Venice

DAYS 1–3: VENICE
There’s a ton to see in this city of 117 islands, 409 bridges, and 60,000 people, so we recommend you put aside 3 days to soak up what many consider to be the most romantic environs in the world.

The best place to start is St. Mark’s Square, or Piazza San Marco. Lined with Renaissance arcades and a picturesque gondola “parking lot” at the end, St. Mark’s is one of the most captivating public spaces in Europe. (In other words, it’s usually loaded with tourists and the morning or dusk are the only reasonably sane times to see it.) The square is home to some of Venice’s most famous landmarks, including St. Mark’s Basilica. With its arches, clusters of columns, five golden domes, and countless spires, it looks more like a Disney confection than a real-life homage to Saint Mark. Across the square, the Campanile, rising to 325 feet, is the tallest structure in Venice and helps form the city’s famous silhouette. For $8 and a good workout, climb to the top of the bell tower for a captivating aerial view of Venice.

As you leave the square, turn right or left down one of the many narrow alleyways. Contrary to what people say, you can still get a sense of real life in Venice. Cannaregio, Venice’s second largest sestiere (district), wedged between the Rialto Bridge and the railway station in the northwestern part of the city, is far enough away from the bustle to offer a glimpse of a different city—one where wide canals are silent save for the chatting locals and the ringing church bells. While you’re there, it’s worth visiting Ca’d’Oro (Cannaregio 3912; 39/41-528-5324), a neighborhood favorite for its fresh seafood dishes (arrive early and try anything with cuttlefish ink).

Across the Grand Canal, the neighborhoods of San Polo and Dorsoduro are more cramped, with narrower maze-like alleyways. In San Polo, visit the Frari, recognizable by its striking redbrick bell tower. Inside this Gothic church is some of the city’s most compelling art: paintings by Giovanni Bellini and Titian are scattered throughout the high-ceilinged building.

Dorsoduro is further away from the tourist buzz and boasts one of Venice’s best squares: the Campo Santa Margherita. The long, T-shaped space is home to a weekday-morning market. At night, the adjacent restaurants and cafés come alive. Osteria ai Carmini’s (Campo Santa Margherita, 39/41-523-1115) no-frills interior belies the sumptuous fare from the kitchen: pasta dishes loaded with fresh lagoon fish and cicchetti, the Italian version of tapas, like fried cuttlefish or meatballs in tomato sauce.

Wandering around Venice’s twisting alleyways can be disorienting, which is one reason to stay at a hotel near St. Mark’s Square. The city’s strategically located street signs (that read “Per San Marco” or “To St. Mark’s”) help the misplaced and mystified find their way back to the city’s main tourist draw. Hidden in an intimate courtyard near the Grand Canal and St. Mark’s Square is the Westin Europa & Regina (San Marco 2159; 39/41-240-0001; www.westin.com), a stately 5-star hotel made up of five different (but connecting) palaces, offering plush rooms decked out with traditional Versailles-meets-Venice furniture and flatscreen TVs. Another option is the Al Ponte Mocenigo (Santa Croce 2063; 39/41-524-4797; www.alpontemocenigo.com) overlooking the Rio San Stae. With 18th-century Venetian decor accompanied by modern conveniences, the hotel is both sophisticated and traditional.