10 Things to do in Venice During the Acqua Alta
Venice is a city internationally renowned for its +400 bridges & numerous canals as well as its annual carnival where people wear masks. Mid-November I had the opportunity to go spend a long weekend in the Floating City with my second cousin who happens to know the city very well. I was a bit worried when I saw on the news that my trip would be happening during Acqua Alta, a natural phenomenon happening every year for a few days and during which the city gets almost fully flooded at high tide. Now that I am back and alive, I can reassure you and tell you that this shouldn’t discourage you from travelling there. In fact, I found it to be something really special to experience. In this blog article, I’ll be sharing some activities to do in Venice, and more specifically a few things to do when there’s Acqua Alta.
Venezia, Italia
Visiting during Acqua Alta
1- Eat, drink, sleep, repeat ∞
I don’t know why, but prior to my trip, I had read a lot of negative reviews about Venice, and more particularly about its food. I guess one of the really good sides of travelling with a local is getting to know all the cool spots most tourists don’t usually go to. Personally, I found that if you’re into fish and seafood, Venice is a real gem. Everything comes in fresh! Here are a few adresses I recommend checking out:
Ristorante Paradiso (1260 Giardini della Biennale) - for fresh pasta
Sina Centurion Palace (173 Dorsoduro) - for the view & drinks
Le Café (2797 S. Marco) - for breakfast
Il Paradiso Perduto (2540 della Misericordia) - for the vibe & seafood
Ristorante do Forni (468 calle Specchieri S. Marco) - for tasty venetian food
Trattoria da Romano (221via Baldassarre Galuppi) - for local food when travelling to Burano Island
2- Go see an art exhibition
Venice has so many museums, it’s quite hard to only pick one. No matter what type of art you’re into, you should definitely find something of interest. I personally visited the city during the last weekend of the annual Biennale Arte 2019 which is a contemporary art exhibition with pieces from all over the world presented in different country pavilions. Aside from that, there are plenty of museums such as: Casa dei Tre Oci, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Doge’s Palace, and many more. The city is also full of churches and old scuolas. For instance, here are two I have visited: Scuola Grande dei Carmini & the church of Santa Maria Assunta.
3- Go to St. Mark’s Square at Dusk or Dawn
This spot is the most famous in all of Venice, and it gets packed very early in the morning. One of the good things during Acqua Alta is that the entire square gets flooded so there are very few people on it. Don’t be afraid of the water. Put your rain boots on and go explore :)
4- Visit Libreria Acqua Alta
I found this gem on Instagram, and thought it was very appropriate to visit during Acqua Alta to see their installations. This place is a library located on the ground level of a building that is right next to a canal, so it gets very much flooded during this yearly phenomenon. In order to protect their books, they have created some elevated book shelves, and put some other books in wooden gondolas. It is a really cool place to visit! Don’t miss out on their back patio too. Also: note that the place is very tiny, and that it got popular due to social media. Always be respectful when you visit, and ideally it is great to encourage local businesses by buying some stuff there :)
5- Take a boat to Burano Island
This is a must-do for anyone visiting Venice, no matter what time of the year. This colourful island used to be just a tiny little fishing village. Now it is one of the most visited spots in Venice due to its colourful houses and charming streets. Definitely put that on the list if you travel to Venice. There are many boats departing daily from Fondamente Nove. You can also pair this visit with a stop to the island of Torcello.
6- Climb up to stay dry (and admire the view)
Whenever I travel somewhere new, I always look for nice rooftop spots to admire the city view. It turns out, there aren’t many in Venice. I found the most beautiful one to be at Fondaco Dei Tedeschi. This place is a luxury shopping mall located in the heart of downtown right next to the Rialto bridge, and it offers amazing views on the Grand Canal. In order to visit this place, you need to make a reservation online and choose a date and time slot. Another place that you can go to if you’d like a different view is Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. Not only the spiral staircase is stunning, but if you climb up to the top, you’ll discover the city from another angle.
7- Ride a gondola
Yes I know, this one is very cliché, but one can’t travel to Venice and not ride a gondola. You’ll probably need to do this one during low tide because when the water is too high, you can’t pass underneath many bridges. The price to pay for a private 40-min gondola tour is €80 (before 7pm, otherwise it’s €100) which, I will admit is very expensive. I was willing to put that much money towards that activity, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t great at all when I visited. Instead, I took one of these public gondolas (traghettos) just to cross the Grand Canal and get a glimpse of the experience. These cost €2 per person, but they literally just last 2 minutes.
8- Attend mass at St. Mark’s basilica
This one is something I wasn’t really expecting to do on this trip. It turns out my cousin has a friend who’s a professional singer, and had a few concerts scheduled during our stay, including the Sunday mass at St. Mark’s Basilica. Whether you’re a believer or not, I really think this experience was worth it. The interior of this place is spectacular, and the acoustic was great! It’s an original way to visit such a prestigious religious monument.
9- Visit San Giorgio Maggiore Island
This tiny island is located right in front of the Grand Canal’s entrance. To get there, you will need to take Vaporetto #2 and stop in San Giorgio. Once you’re there, I suggest visiting the church and climbing up to the top of its bell tower. This costs €6 and they accept cash only! The place has a modern elevator that takes you to the top, so no need to climb up any staircase.
10- Get lost in the city streets
Last but not least is my favourite activity to do in Venice: getting lost in its streets. During your visit, you’ll probably notice how small the city is. In fact, it looks more like a village than anything else. The narrow streets are super charming, and even if you get lost, you’ll 100% find your way back. A few spots to stop by if you have the chance: the Mercato di Rialto, the Basilica della Salute & Ponte dell’Accademia.
