Overnight in Venice Sept 30th - Ideas, Please

The lovely bride and I will be in Venice overnight on Sept 30th, because Star Breeze will be in port and sail away at 1600 the next day. When night falls, the possibilities seem endless for a really awesome dinner somewhere, not to mention some great low-key, mainly unscripted entertainment options, and wandering around after the hoards of tourists dwindle. Ideas, please???

Specifically, I'm willing to splurge of a really memorable dining experience (not that Windstar can't put on a great meal, but come on, this is VENICE, for gosh sake!) What places have really blown you away? And is anyone aware of something going on locally we should check out that night?

Venice off the beaten path can be a wonderful thing! Wander the back streets, get lost, find a small out of the way place to eat, buy a bottle of Prosecco and take an evening gondola ride through the back canals, and end your evening strolling St Marks Square wandering from place to place listening to the orchestras play (you can sit on the steps and just listen to the music instead of sitting at a table eating so so food and paying high prices for drinks).

We stayed off the beaten path in an apartment for a week a few years ago and had a wonderful time doing just that!

Venice is magical. Venice can be a night are in the day in the tourist spots. As the previous writer wrote get off the beaten path, get lost, go in every church you pass because that is where the art is.I carry a list of all the art works from each church. Walk and walk. I have spent a good amount of time in Venice never in a gondola. Walk along the water, hope for fog, go to the Railoto Market between 6-7 am. Find a restaurant with no foreigners in it, family run. There is a publication on a Venice website that lists all the musical venues for various dates. Much of it are concerts in the churches, they are spectacular. La Fenice is also beyond memorable what a beautiful building, it is the opera house. Be open to the magic. I am doing the Venice Rome on the Surf. May of 2017 because going out of the city by sail is on the top of the bucket list. Enjoy.

Like Strenz says. One of our most memorable experiences was stumbling into a small church where the evening included a chamber orchestra concert. We happened by about 30 minutes before the start time and discovered that the main piece for the evening was (Venetian native) Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons was being performed.

Wonderful acoustics and highest quality violins playing the solo sections just perfectly.

Adding to the magic, it was a drizzly evening and the concert venue was a cozy room holding only about 80 people.

We had no idea where we were or how to get back to our hotel, but for some reason we really didn't care until the concert was over. Amazingly the church was hidden across the canal from the Accademia where we jumped on the next Vaparetto.

Another adventure on another visit to Venice was touring the entire lagoon by Vaparetto.

Go here for more ideas:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-vaporetto-water-buses.htm

:D Wonderful, fabulous recommendations, everyone! Ski Mom 2, this is exactly my speed, the wander aimlessly approach and just take it all in. I visited Venice as a grad student studying architecture (a Clemson semester abroad studio based in Genoa), and did the gondola thing with pals (aided with too much really cheap red wine). Apart from getting sick later and hugging the porcelain goddess until dawn (such a lame college thing, I know), the whole 2-day immersion was way cool. No agenda, just strolling, sketching the buildings, sipping espresso, that kind of deal.

Later on I returned by myself at the end of the semester, and then a few years after that had a brief stop-over with the wife. So it never gets old, and I learn something new each time. My latest hobby is collecting art-quality masks from various parts of the world. I have the typical Venetian-style masks already, including the mass-produced 'commedia dell'arte' pieces that are relentlessly hawked by vendors. With luck, I hope to find something truly original in leather or some other media that would be artistically distinct, totally different than the typical touristy ware. I'll save my souvenir budget for other places if I come up empty in Venice.

Strenz and Host Walt are in total agreement, so we obviously are on to something. I absolutely love classical music, especially baroque pieces that speak of Venice. So we will do it -- just chill and soak in the culture and music, find a good non-tourist trap place to eat, and maximize the hours making discoveries after dark. Mysterious photos in the fog! The ambiance! No crowds!

Dinner. Hands down Vini da Gigio. http://Www.vinidagigio.com. Not ruined last time we were there. Great food, great wine, the whole experience. Gravitate toward the grilled meats and seafood. Not sure if they still do, but the last time we were there they were using beautiful unique murano glasses for water and they gave us the card for the shop close by where they were sold. We bought many.

Also osteriasanmarco.it. VERY close to Piazza San Marco but not touristy. Great pastas, romantic. Open as an enoteca during the day, then closes for awhile before dinner. We had good luck stopping in during the late afternoon to make a reservation for dinner. Well chosen wines.

Mr. Milepig, thanks! You ARE the man! I really appreciate the tips for a couple great places to check out. :D

Mr. Milepig, thanks! You ARE the man! I really appreciate the tips for a couple great places to check out. :D

You're very welcome. The street osteria San Marco is on is very wonderful, and you wouldn't believe you're like 30 seconds from the piazza. But Vivi da Gigia still calls.

Venice off the beaten path can be a wonderful thing! Wander the back streets, get lost, find a small out of the way place to eat, buy a bottle of Prosecco and take an evening gondola ride through the back canals, and end your evening strolling St Marks Square wandering from place to place listening to the orchestras play (you can sit on the steps and just listen to the music instead of sitting at a table eating so so food and paying high prices for drinks).

 

We stayed off the beaten path in an apartment for a week a few years ago and had a wonderful time doing just that!

Ski Mom 2 has it nicely tied up. Couldn't agree more. One side note concerning a potential romantic evening gondola ride would be that unless you have pockets full of money and can afford a day as well as an evening gondola ride you are likely better off doing the gondola ride in the day. You'll see more of the famous sights in daylight and your camera will be much happier. Best time? Early sunset.

By the way, last September a 30 minute gondola ride cost about $100.00 (plus tip) per couple. Venice isn't cheap.

You might enjoy taking a vaporetto out to Torcello. It is the original Venice, founded in the 5th century. Not much there any more but a delightful little restaurant, a quiet nature preserve and wonderful Byzantine mosaics in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Dell'Assunta. Change vaparetto on Burano, so you can easily make a half day out of it.

Torcello and the ride out is beautiful. Cipriani's restaurant is there georgeous, having lunch in the gardens spectacular, not cheap, spectacular, Hannibal's throne is there. The mosaics are beautiful. I am passionate for Venice, I have been there many times. I would never take a gondola, so touristy, really not authentic, they sing songs from Naples, lovely yes, authentic no. So many better ways to see the magic. Take the # 1 Vaparotto around the entire circuit,jump on the tragettos that cross the canal for 50 cents. Walk along quay side, spend your money on a great meal. Venice can be a huge disappointment if you stick with the real touristy things but so glorious if you go beyond the touristy areas. St. Marks yes, The Academia if you adore art yes, otherwise there is so much more. Enjoy.

Thanks, Strenz, rockdoctor, and Magnum60. I did the gondola thing a long time ago with college pals and split the cost about six ways, so it wasn't bad. Not too memorable, but been there and done that at least. Not worth repeating this time around. I love the idea of Tortello, and Caprini's sounds wonderful.

A special memory of mine...Going to Sunday Service at St. Marks Basilica. I'm not Catholic and don't understand a lick of Latin. BUT the bells before the service are outstanding, oh my goodness, makes me shiver thinking about it. Just before service line up and enter from the left of the Basilica, thru the "exit door". We did so with the choir and were able to bypass the line of tourists. I think Rick Steves gave this advice. Anyway, they light up the Basilica during Service and the gold mosaics should not be missed.

Also the Venice Biennale is going on at that time, excellent art installations in various church's, free admittance. Go to http://www.labiennale.org to see all the events going on while you are there. (Sorry I don't know how to post a real link). Venice is magic as others have said, especially for walking. There is a vaparetto stop right across a small canal from the San Basilio Terminal. Easy to return after a day/night of exploring.

MTJtraveller, thanks for the post. I'm sure the various Biennale events will be awesome, but since we'll be in Venice for just a couple days, we'll go with the flow and find whatever presents itself. Venice is magical, and always delights.

Venice is a wonderful place to wander but also many of the restaurants are touristy and not very welcoming. Do some research for good restaurants before you go. I highly recommend using a walking tour. I have used ijourneys Venice tour and found it excellent. You go at your own speed, stop when you want and find some hidden gems you might not find otherwise. Her map which is included is also great. Will be back in Venice in a couple of weeks and can't wait.

Hi ViennaLover. Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely go to the website you mentioned and do some research. Better yet, make sure to tell all of us your latest experiences in Venice when you go in a couple weeks. You're going in an exceptionally nice period, weather-wise. (Oops, now I've gone and jinxed it.)