Venice is famed for its magnificent architecture and quaint winding streets, making it a cultural hotspot for tourists and history buffs. But as well as the mandatory gondola rides and museum visits, there are plenty of alternative things to see and do in this ever-popular city destination. If you’ve exhausted all the typical tourist sites or just fancy doing something a little different in the city of water, why not give these a try:
Shop ‘til you drop
While Milan may be the more traditionally famous Italian city for shopaholics and fashionistas, Venice boasts a range of one-off and designer shops and boutiques to rival its capital competition. For high-end designer clobber head to the San Marco area near the Piazza, where you’ll find names such as Gucci, Prada and Versace. Alternatively, you can pick up some bargains down the narrow streets of the Rialto area to San Polo, or if antiques are your thing, head for the San Maurizio and Santa Maria Zobenigo areas. Finally, Venice’s main department store, Coin, sells pretty much everything you could wish for all under one roof.
Tee up
Playing a round of golf in Venice may have never crossed your mind but the nearby island resort of Le Lido is home to a fantastic championship golf course which for the past three years has hosted the prestigious Italian Seniors Open. The Venezia Golf Club is popular with all levels of golfer, stretching to an impressive 7,000 yards, making it perfect if you fancy a day off from city sight-seeing.
Build a sandcastle
Golf is not the only thing Venice’s Lido has to offer. If you’d rather take part in a spot of sun-lounging than a round of golf, there are plenty of beaches to relax on which stretch along its coastline. One of the best places to head for is the popular Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta stretch which crosses the island from the vaporetto stop. The sand tends to be quite gravelly along the shores but it can make a welcome contrast if you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of the city.
Enjoy a film in the open air
The annual Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica, also known as the Venice Film Festival is one of the oldest film festivals still in existence today. One of the best ways of experiencing this time-old tradition is at the open air cinema in the Lido area where the outdoor movie festival and major art exhibition, the Venice Biennale takes place. Film buffs can choose from independent Italian cinema and short films, or if you prefer something more mainstream, international feature films are also shown.
