First time in Venice and you have little time to visit it? Here is what you must not miss in 24 hours in the city of Veneto. Where to eat, what to see and where to have an aperitif, all low cost.
Venice is a city that dazzles and leaves you stunned. It has a reputation that precedes it and everyone knows the particularities that make it so famous. We Italians are lucky enough to be so close that at least once in a lifetime it is a must to visit it and be enchanted by its beauty.
Here is an itinerary that could be a good solution for those arriving in the Lagoon for the first time but have little time and want to be sure to see the “juice” of the city that lives on the water.
The first place worth visiting, in this case simply by crossing it, is the Jewish ghetto, is located in the Cannaregio district, a few steps from the Ponte delle Guglie and not far from the train station. Passing through this area is also a good tactic to get away from the chaos of Strada Nuova and be able to see a “slice” of Venetian life.
This is the oldest Ghetto in Europe, which dates back to the 500s and is the origin of the word with which it is currently identified, in fact it derives from the verb ghetto and means "sharpen the iron with a gaiter", this was in fact the area of ​​the foundries. In these streets there are, even if they are well hidden, four synagogues and also the Jewish museum, while the buildings have the particularity of reaching even eight floors, a unique case in all of Venice, because with the increase in population the only solution is was to build in height.
After reaching the bridge at the end of Campo del Ghetto Novo, where once there were the gates that were closed every evening to isolate the area, you reach Fondamenta degli Ormesini and Fondamenta della Misericordia, famous for the great life that crowds them at aperitif time. In the morning and during the day they are the right place to mingle with the Venetians and enjoy the atmosphere of the Cannaregio district.
At the end of these foundations a few tens of meters are enough to reach Strada Nuova the main artery that leads to the heart of the city, often chaotic but which is still the easiest to travel to reach Campo San Bartolomio and then the Rialto Bridge.
Rialto it is probably the most famous of the bridges that cross the Grand Canal. What we see and cross now dates back to the end of the 500th century, the first version was a very simple floating boat bridge and was called “della Moneta”, due to its proximity to the mint. When the crowd that went to the Rialto Market increased a wooden bridge was built which took its name from the market.
Only at the end of the 500th century, after several collapses, the current structure was built. The advice I give you at this point is not to cross the bridge (even if, in case you are hungry, a stop at Pronto Pesce would be a great idea!) But enjoy the view from above and retrace your steps to go into the streets : do not panic.
Taking one of the porticoes (the one with the directions for Gislon rotisserie, where I recommend you stop to taste perhaps the best mozzarella in a carriage in the city: a quick and really super cheap lunch) from Campo San Bartolomio you can immerse yourself for a moment in the true Venetian atmosphere, and in a short time get to Santa Maria Formosa and the famous Acqua Alta bookshop.
From here it is not difficult to get to the artistic / cultural heart of Venice: in fact in a short time you will arrive in Riva degli Schiavoni, right next to the Bridge of Sighs, so called because the window that characterizes it was the last ray of light that the prisoners of the Serenissima saw before being locked in the prisons and for this reason they sighed, but also a stone's throw from the famous and luxurious Hotel Danieli.
From here of course in a moment you are in St. Mark's Square, the only one in a city where all the open spaces are called "fields". Obviously at this point at least some time is to be devoted to Basilica with its golden mosaics, you can visit it for free by queuing to enter (usually quite smooth, if you have backpacks you can leave them in a free luggage storage in a nearby calle, ask the kids at the entrance to the church for info or read the signs) or by purchasing a ticket online , which allows direct access.
I also recommend you to walk under the arcades of the Procuratie to browse in the elegant historic cafes overlooking the square. If you want a coffee or even simply prefer to stop and go to the bathroom, I recommend choosing Caffè Quadri, where with € 1,10 you can drink an excellent coffee at the counter and consequently you can also go to the services!
At this point there are two options: if you prefer to rest your feet and see the Grand Canal from the water, the best solution is to take a vaporetto, choosing line 1 or 2 towards Stazione FS / Piazzale Roma; otherwise you can head towards the Accademia bridge, along Salizada san Moisè and Calle Larga XXII Marzo, what are considered the "shopping streets" of Venice.
Also from here there are two possibilities: reach the Fondamenta Zattere from which you can always see a wonderful sunset, taking a long walk “vista Giudecca” up to San Basilio and from which you can easily reach Piazzale Roma; the alternative is to go into the streets that, from the right of the bridge, lead to Campo Santa Margherita, heart of university Venice, where you can join students and local residents to have a spritz in the bars overlooking the field, then return to piazzale Roma or the train station.
