Take a Ghost Tour of Venice

Venice is a city with a vast and illustrious history, and as with any area of this age, there are a number of ghost tales and legends which have been passed down over the years. For those looking to add a different twist to their Venice visit there is the opportunity to embark on one of the organised walks around the sites of the most significant stories. These extremely fun and insightful tours generally cost below twenty Euros and represent great value for money.

The ghost tours of Venice run at night time and allow you to experience some of the best areas of the city by moonlight, making this tour an ideal option for a couple who want something romantic to do, all be it with a twist. Many of the walks will take you along the rialto bridge and sweep off into many of the eery roads alongside it, with the guides doing a fantastic job of setting the scene and delivering stories in a manner which really add to the experience of the walk.

Although many of the stories told are not about specific ghosts, they let you into the secret history of the areas that you would not hear on standard tours, with tales of gruesome prisons and historic conditions getting the mind wondering about what ghosts could be in the area. These tours really are a great way to expand your knowledge of Venice beyond the conventional tourist information. Book a Venice ghost tour online.

Looking to book Venice apartments in Italy for your ghost tour?

Giudecca: Venice’s Least Visited Island

It’s not that easy to escape the hoards in Venice. Popular areas, such the Rialto, Piazza San Marco, the Arsenal and around the Academia are pretty much perpetually thronged, at least during the daylight hours. But there is one haven of peace that’s not too far away.

The skinny, worm-shaped island of Giudecca is only a short vaporetto ride from San Marco (the nucleus of Venice) but world’s away in atmosphere. It was traditionally Venice’s ‘industrial belt’, if you can call artisan fishing and boat making ‘industrial’. Other factories, such as those that belonged to the prestigious watch firm Junghans and Fortuny, the luxury fabric manufacturer have long since gone and the northern side of the island is peppered with more abandoned warehouses and workshops.

The southern side, where the riches of San Marco glisten in the distance, is a little better kept, especially around the enclosed, manicured grounds of the famous hotel the Cipriani. The other two note-worthy sites on Giudecca are the Zitelle and the Redentore, two churches built by Palladio.

But I wouldn’t recommend that you come across to the island for these alone. If, like me, you like to see the more work-a-day side of any city then I would suggest that you take an hour or so simply walking around the island, perhaps stopping to have a drink or coffee in one of its working-class hosterias along the fondmenta. You won’t see any grand palazzi or churches (bar the ones I have just mentioned) but instead local Venetians go about their business in non-alarming streets. For me, this takes the myth out of Venice, and makes it all the more endearing.

Two Day Trips from Venice

Although Venice and its many islands has enough attractions to keep you busy for days, sometimes you may feel the need to escape the crowds and visit other places in the Veneto region. Many great destinations lie with a comfortable day trip by train from Venice’s Santa Lucia station.

Treviso, about 40 minutes by train, is sort of like Venice in miniature, with canals, and elegant townhouses, many decorated with frescoes, within the old city walls. A lively outdoor market is held on Saturday mornings, selling everything from fresh produce and chacuterie to clothing and even some designer bargains. Swish shops and great, local restaurants are another feature of Treviso. After you have wondered around head to the Piazza del Signori and have a glass of prosecco.

Padua (about 35 minutes by train from Venice) is another handsome town with a strong artistic history. Its most famous attraction is the Cappella degli Scrovegni and the rich frescoes by Giotto di Bondone. Markets are held daily in Padua, in the Piazza’s della Fruta and Erbe. In Padua, take a break in the chic Caffé Pedrocchi (Via 8 Febbraio, 15) a meeting place for the city’s intelligentsia for centuries.

Explore Venice’s streets

“Dear old Venice has lost her complexion, her figure, her reputation, her self-respect; and yet, with it all, has so puzzlingly not lost a shred of her distinction.“ Henry James’ thoughts are still as true as they were hundreds of years ago.

Forget about the buildings being threaten by decay and rising tides, forget about the dirty Grand Canal and forget about the pigeon on Piazza San Marco but see the piazza like Napoleon once: as the finest drawing room in Europe!


Walk through the narrow streets and follow the signs to San Marco and Ponte di Rialto, even though they don’t seem to make any sense – What a way to pass the time! 150 canals and about 411 bridges connecting the 117 small islands are waiting to be discovered. Venice always wanted to be a bit different to the rest of the peninsula and so even the street names are still from the 11th century. Surely, the waterways cannot be called ‘streets’ but are ‘canale’ for the bigger ones and ‘rio’ for the most.

Walk along the ‘calle’, ‘fondamente’, ‘Ruga’, ‘rughetta’ and many more small side streets. You will truly enjoy the adventurous exploration of the city. If you don’t feel sure to do it on your own, there are various walking tours offered to either explore the past or some special quarters.