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One of the most beautiful cities on earth, La Serenissima is an atmospheric maze in which to lose yourself. With most of its buildings right on the water’s edge, Venice hides all the snap-happy sightseers well; drift along the canals by gondola and float back in time as you admire Byzantine, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Give the film-familiar Piazza San Marco a chance to sink in, then follow the locals off the main drags to the best restaurants, hidden churches and lively markets. With so many palazzi and piazze to discover, Venezia is a place for early nights and misty mornings spent wandering charming, traffic-free alleys: it’s the romance capital of the world.
Think Venice and you’ll automatically think theatrical costumes and masked balls. There’s no fee for turning up in town during Carnival time, but you must buy tickets to attend any given party – certainly for the best events. Tragicomica on Calle dei Nomboli (+39 041 721102) is one of the best traditional mascareri (mask makers) and costumiers, and also the organisation behind the Mascheranda ball. Antonia Sautter, another highly respected costume designer, organises the opulent Ballo del Doge. Tickets are expensive, (from €300, up to €600 or thereabouts for the Ballo del Doge), but if you are going to go to the ball, it’s best to go all out.
… having a coffee in Piazza San Marco. The price will get your heart racing faster than a ristretto will, but there’s a reason why the tourists flock here – it’s spectacular. If you’re lucky, you’ll even have an orchestral soundtrack. Il Caffè Florian is legendary (www.caffeflorian.com).
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Venice
With Murano glass chandeliers, flock wallpaper and heavy damask fabrics the Ca Maria Adele hotel in Venice epitomises the city's bohemian and romantic atmosphere.
The DD724 hotel in Venice has an incredible warmth to its modern rooms, and the views reveal a scene that would inspire EM Forster.
Offering serviced apartment living in the centre of Venice, I Qs is a contemporary reinvention of its mediaeval past; a smart and sassy design hotel that boasts views worthy of Canaletto.
Palazzo Barbarigo’s dramatic contemporary decor sends new blood coursing through the chambers of a parquet-floored, high-ceilinged 16th-century palace, blending 1920s deco sleek with ultra-modern boudoir glamour.
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
February Venice Carnival for masked-ball mayhem (www.carnivalofvenice.com; www.carnevale.venezia.it). June The Venice Biennale, an art-world extravaganza held every two years. July Fiesta del Redentore: flamboyant fireworks commemorating the end of the 16th-century plague. September The Regatta Storica boat race, with magnificent gondolas and gondoliers in full regalia. Venice Film Festival – celebs and celluloid on the sands of the Lido.
For a cosy, wine-bottles-along-the-wall kind of osteria, try this restaurant at Castello 5490.
This excellent trattoria on Calle del Mondo Novo specialises in fish.
Ask for a window seat at this popular restaurant on Campo San Giacometto.
This trattoria on Calle Specchieri is very classical; book dinner in the Orient Express room.
This restaurant on Calle del Scaleter is one of the best places in town; book a month in advance.
This place on Rialto Pescheria is Venice’s oldest restaurant, reached by a private bridge.
This is a great pizzeria near the Museum of Modern Art, though not open all year round.
This restaurant on Fondamenta della Sensa, Cannaregio does fabulous fish with subtle spicing.
This pretty place on Fondamenta di Borgo serves great antipasti on a vine-covered terrace.
Close to the Guggenheim and a comfy amble away from Ca Maria Adele, Ai Gondolieri is popular with local and visiting carnivores for its meaty Veneto dishes of game and pork, with gnocchi and polenta featuring on the menu. There's a decent wine list, too. Closed Tuesdays.
366 Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice
A good local eatery for seafood, with an impressive wine cellar. Definitely try to get a seat by the canal in summer – or by the window in winter. Ask the waiter to tell you about the specials, and then trust his recommendations.
San Vio Square, Fondamenta Bragadin, 660–661 Dorsoduro, Venice
Stroll past all the touristy restaurants on your way towards Zattere and you'll find this little Sunday-lunch gem on the banks of the canal. Owner-manager Luca also waits tables, so good service is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Order the seafood and courgette risotto or the tagliatelle with scallops, and wash it down with plenty of the house white. Closed Mondays.
1473 Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice
Large, slick and spread out across a piazza, this Neapolitan restaurant is a favourite with well-to-do Venetians and Italian visitors. Ingredients are sourced from Campania and the Amalfi Coast, and the buffalo mozarella is fresh as fresh can be. Pizzas are tasty but enormous, so you might want to share one with a salad if you're not terribly hungry. Closed Mondays.
Campo Sant'Angelo, 3808–10 San Marco, 30124 Venice
This little café-bar is good for a pre-dinner drink or a quick wine-enhanced lunchtime snack if you’re north of Ponte Rialto or checking out the fish market in the San Polo District (or staying at nearby Palazzo Barbarigo).
213 Sestiere San Polo, Venice 30125
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