4 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Venice, Italy
This floating island group isn’t exactly one of Italy’s hidden gems. It can be hard to experience Venice beyond postcard places unless you know a local. Worry not — there’s much more to Venezia than gondoliers and the Grand Canal! Another city thrives just off the beaten path here. Unearth 4 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Venice below — they’re 100% local-approved:
Non-Touristy Venice: The Rialto Market
Venice’s cuisine pays homage to the sea — teaming with fish, shrimp, and shellfish. To find the freshest seafood in Venice, you need to stroll the aisles of the Rialto Market. Dating back to the 11th century, the Rialto Market is Venice’s main open-air mercato.
Located just west of the famed Rialto Bridge, this market bustles with vendors selling fruits/vegetables (Erberia), spices (Speziali), and fish (Pescaria). The fish vendors are found in a covered area called the pescheria. You can still encounter Venetian grandmothers bartering here with their trusted pescivendolo –– fishmonger.
Expert Italy Travel Tip:
Food-loving travelers can shop for ingredients in the market with a local before enjoying a hands-on cooking class.
Non-Touristy Venice: The Jewish Ghetto
The word “ghetto” in English actually comes from the Venetian language. Historically, the term was used to refer to the city districts where the Jewish people were allowed to live. As of 1516, the rulers of Venice confined the city’s Jewish residents to the “Ghetto Nuovo” — the island where the present-day community still resides. Jews of German, Spanish, Middle-Eastern, and Italian origin each inhabited Venice’s Jewish ghetto, each building their own synagogue.
To this day, Venice is home to a small but active Jewish community, numbering around 500. Found near the Venice main train station, the Jewish quarter is a quiet refuge — scarcely known to outside tourists. Here, visitors will find five historic synagogues, quiet kosher restaurants, a Jewish bookshop, and a stunning museum tracing the neighborhood’s 500 years of history.
Expert Italy Travel Tip:
Visitors can enjoy a guided visit through Venice’s rich Jewish history, including entry into the spectacular synagogues.
Non-Touristy Venice: Cichetti Bars
Cichetti is to Venice as tapas are to Spain. After a day’s work, Venetians gather in their favorite bacaro — a neighborhood bar serving drinks and bite-sized eats. Traditional cichetti (pronounced chi-ket-ee) includes crostini, fried seafood, and other savory morsels served on a toothpick.
Venetians like to enjoy their happy-hour nibbles with a glass of wine or a spritz cocktail. Locals abound in these establishments, sharing the latest in neighborhood gossip or a hearty laugh among friends. The bacaro bar is basically the exact opposite of a tourist trap – it’s a home away from home for Venetians, brimming with tasty bites and affordable tipples.
Expert Italy Travel Tip:
Travelers who want to discover the real Venice can take a tasting tour of neighborhood cichetti – you’ll savor the local flavor in the company of our Venice-born-and-raised guide.
Non-Touristy Venice: Venetian Artisan Workshop
Walking the streets, you’ll see ornate Carnival masks hanging in shop windows. Strolling along the city’s canals, you’ll eye gondolas gliding past. These iconic images of Venice hide centuries of history behind them. Today, master artisans still craft Carnival masks and Venetian gondolas by hand. It’s even possible to go behind the scenes at their workshops, observing how they take materials like wood and paper and transform them into objects of beauty.
Expert Italy Travel Tip:
In the company of a private guide, it’s possible to enjoy a Venetian Carnival mask-making class or to tour the workshops in Venice, Italy, where gondolas are built. Both activities are kid-friendly and hands-on.
Where to Find the Non-Touristy Sites?
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