A Month In Venice

The Dorsoduro sesteri is by far the largest of the districts in Venice, Italy. Originally this district was the home to starving artists and musicians. However over time this is no longer the case as this is one very expensive district to live or visit. This sesteri is located across the Accademia bridge from San Marco so it is well know for its art museums such as the Accademia Art Museum and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum as well as many other galleries. You will not be without a place to eat here either as this is a great place to use the waterfront cafes that are prevalent here. Also if you like the nightlife you can find it clustered near Campo Santa Margherita which is located here. Perhaps these are some for the reasons for the lack of inexpensive hotel accommodations. However there are some gems to be found.

Below is a listing of some of the better finds if you are on a budget in Venice.

Albergo Hotel Antico Capon
Campo Santa Margherita 3004/B
This hotel is ideal for the bar hopping types that need a place to crash after a heavy night of partying. Located in the heart of the nightclub scene on Campo Santa Margherita. Very reasonably priced considering the location.
Double Rates: 40 to 95 Euros
Phone: +39 041 528 5292
http://www.anticocapon.com/

Antica Locanda Montin
Dorsoduro 1147 - Fondamenta di Borgo
For the true art lover this hotel is just minutes from the Accademia Art Museum and the Guggeheim Art Museum.
Double Rates: 80 to 150 Euros
Phone: +39 041 522 7151

Ca’ Rezzonico Apartment Venice
Dorsoduro 2813 - Fondamenta Gherardini
This is a charming hotel consisting of only 6 rooms. Built and maintained in the style of 16th century Venice this hotel does not disappoint.
Double Rates: 80 to 150 Euros
Phone: +39 041 277 0653
http://www.casarezzonico.it/

Hotel Galleria
Dorsoduro 878 A
For those that want to get away from it all this is the hotel for you. Not a television in sight and furnishing that bring you back to the classic Venice style of living.
Double Rates: 110 to 165 Euros
Phone: +39 041 523 2489
http://www.hotelgalleria.it

Hotel Messner
Dorsoduro 216, Madonna della Salute
Located in the shadow of the Madonna della Salute church this hotel is ideal for the very religious.
Double Rates: 120 to 160 Euros
Phone: +39 041 522 7443

La Calcina
Dorsoduro 780 - Fondamenta de le Zattere ai Gesuati
For those that like to splurge now and then this hotel might just be for you. Since this hotel is so close to the Accademia galleries and other key locations you can really save some steps by reserving a room here.
Double Rates: 99 to 201 Euros
Phone: +3904 115206466
http://www.lacalcina.com/

Locanda Ca Foscari
Calle della Frescada 3887/B
This hotel is very convienient if you are coming from the train station as it is located only 10 minutes away. This hotel is on the border of Santa Croce and Dorsoduro so plan accordingly.
Double Rates: 65 to 98 Euros
Phone: +39 041 710 401
http://www.locandacafoscari.com/

Okay so now you are in Venice, Italy and are a night owl so now what? Is this place designed for the elderly tourists? Does this place have any kicking clubs that I can go to? I am sure that if you are young and still active these are just some of the questions you may have asked if you are planning a trip. The answer to this question is maybe. It really is a crap shoot to find a place that is hip and active in Venice.

I am not trying to dissuade you from going if you are young, rather I just want realistic expectations. The best advice is to find a friend in Venice that shares some of the same interests as you do and follow their advice. Perhaps there is a club where you both can go and have a good time. For each individual this can really vary as much as the bars and nightclubs in the city.

Here is just some of the places that I have discovered in my research on the subject and through exhaustive verification.

Iguana
Cannaregio 2515, Fondamenta della Misericordia
This is a Latin club that serves Mexican food and offers dancing. There is live music on Tuesdays. They are open from Tuesdays to Sunday from 6pm to 2am with a happy hour from 7pm to 9pm.

Bacaro Jazz
San Marco 5546, Salizzadda del Fondaco dei Tedeschi
This is a jazz club that is open from Thursdays to Tuesdays from 11am to 2am. Food and drink is served at this club and you can eat until late at night. Obviously Jazz music is played in this club so if you are not a fan of that type of music stay away.

Il Caffe
Dorsoduro 2963 Campo Santa Margherita
This is a café by day and turns into a open air nightclub. This is a very eclectic place but it is not open as late as others. The hours of operation is from 7am to 1:20am from Monday through Saturday.

Piccolo Mondo
Dorsoduro 1056 CAlle Contrarini Corfu
This is a very small place that will be an acquired taste to many. The hours of operation for
this club is from Tuesday to Sunday from 10pm to 4am. Since this club stays open later I am sure there will be more drunk people around in the area.
This is just a small sample of what is available as the city has a variety of places that caters
to each and every desire that either the locals or tourists could desire. I would be extremely careful when visiting these places to start. Always be cautious and use some common sense and you should be alright.

You may be wondering if you are planning on a trip to Venice, Italy what is there to see? Well hopefully I have already given you some ideas already however I think a good list is in order here.

Here is my list in no particular order of some of the top sights to see while staying in Venice.

• Doges Palace
• St Marks Basilica (and St. Mark’s Square)
• St. Mark’s Campanille
• Harry’s Bar
• Palazzo Dandolo
• La Fenice Theater
• The Accademia Gallery
• Peggy Guggenheim Museum
• Santa della Maria Salute Church
• Campo Santa Margherita

I am not going to number these sights as each and every person has their particular preference for what they want to see whenever they visit a city. However a visit to Venice will not be complete unless you go to each and every one of these places in my opinion.

Also since these are the most visited parts of Venice keep in mind there will be crowds of tourists in the area and you will not get a true taste of the city if you only hang out in these areas. Rather it is much better to find out where the locals go to for fun and see where they hang out. This is the only way to get a feel for the true city of Venice and not what they show to the public.

The Dorsoduro district of Venice, Italy is in roughly the center of the city. This district is located on the opposite side of the Grand Canal from the San Marco district. This is one of the highest places in the entire city of Venice so it is safe from the sinking that the rest of the city is experiencing, at least for the time being. Now this is actually a very popular place to visit in Venice. This district boasts many tourist attractions including the following:

The Accademia Gallery
The Gallery was founded in 1750 and was built as a school of sculpture, painting and architecture. Currently the Gallery serves more as a museum and displays artists such as the following Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, Bernardo Bellotto, Pacino di Bonaguida, Canaletto, Carpaccio, Giulio Carpioni, Rosalba Carriera, Cima da Conegliano, Fetti, Pietro Gaspari, Michele Giambono, Luca Giordano, Francesco Guardi, Giorgione, Johann Liss, Charles Le Brun, Pietro Longhi, Lorenzo Lotto, Mantegna, Rocco Marconi, Michele Marieschi, Antonello da Messina, Piazzetta, Giovanni Battista Pittoni, Preti, Giambattista Tiepolo, Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese, Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci, Alvise Vivarini, and Giuseppe Zais. So obviously for the art lovers out there you will not be disappointed by what this museum has to offer.

Peggy Guggenheim Museum
This art museum contains mostly the collection of Peggy Guggenheim, hence the name. This museum focuses more on the American modernists and Italian futurists. Works in this collection come from a variety of artistic styles including Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. Artists such as Dali, Picasso and Brancuzi can be found here. The museum is housed in an unfinished 18th century palazzo called Palazzo Venier dei Leoni.

Santa della Maria Salute Church
This is perhaps one of the most photographed churches in all of Italy. Being directly across the Piazza San Marco it is hard to miss. This church carries the status of a minor basilica.

Campo Santa Margherita
One of the largest and most attractive squares in the entire city of Venice. Named after one of the churches that fronts it on one side. Currently the church is being used as an auditorium for the nearby University. Since there is a nearby University and this is located so close to the residential district you get to see what the true locals of the city are up to. This makes this area free of the trinket shops you see all around the tourist areas of Venice.

When is the best time to visit Venice, Italy? Well that is kind of dependent upon when you can make the time to go and your budget. For true Venetophilles there is no inappropriate time as the city is always rich in culture and events that are sure to delight everyone. In my opinion if you do not like Venice, Italy then there is something seriously wrong with you.

Venice’s peak tourist season is from June through September. Now this usually means higher priced hotels and plenty of crowds. For some this is okay as some are used to throngs of tourists when ever they visit any place.

To avoid the high crowds of the peak tourist season the best time to go is from November through March however as Carnevale occurs in February for ten days avoiding the city then might also be a good idea.

I could go to Venice tomorrow if I had the opportunity to do so. For me there is no time that I would not want to visit. I am just simply enthralled by this wonderful city.