La Serenissima has always entranced me. There are few places I have visited that hold the same captivating allure – the city seems to float on inky canal-ribboned waters. The patina-rich buildings in earthy shades of ochre, terracotta, dusty pinks, and soft cream walls with winking green or blue painted wooden shutters, showcase the remarkable mix of Gothic, Byzantine and Renaissance architectural styles. From the Gotico Veneziano of the Palazzo Ducale with its pointed arches and delicate stone work with Moorish flourishes, to the Byzantine domes and mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica imported from the East, to the classical facades of the Baroque and Renaissance and the Palladian lines of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice is a wonder. All balanced on wooden foundations in order to withstand the lagoon tides.
It is an exuberant, almost impossible city, stretching back to its early origins in 5th century, soon growing into a renowned Maritime power, now bursting at the seams with collections of stunning art – from the Titian’s and Tintoretto’s of the Gallerie dell’Accademia, to the rich modern art collection of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (full of works by Picasso, Dalí, Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock), to spectacular large-scale artworks adorning the Palazzo Ducale and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. The floating city with its gondolas and historic bridges, ironwork balconies and impossibly romantic setting is full of glamour and drama – from the annual Venice Film Festival to the Carnivale di Venezia, with its lavish costumes and ornate masquerade balls. The faded grandeur and sense of drama envelopes every street corner, and the city over the centuries has inspired and captivated many a writer – from Byron to Proust, Hemingway to Henry James. Painter Canaletto perhaps captured the city best in his dreamlike cityscapes of the canals and architecture and the life of the city. For this is indeed Venice, a city of dreams.
It is also a fragile city under threat, groaning under the collective weight of mass tourism and the erratic impacts of climate change. A victim of its own beauty, armies of tourists flock there every year. In the summer months, the city stinks, the charming arched bridges creak under the weight of selfie-taking tourists, Busy waterside restaurants churn out half-baked pizza and soggy pasta dishes with an air of disdain towards their patrons. Hotels are fully booked, swarming queues form everywhere, and an air of resignation and indignation sinks over the city.
The locals are migrating, living out by Mestre or Marghera, the city centre is becoming a living museum. A sinking museum that one day will be swallowed up by the Acqua Alta (high water) of the rising tides and seasonal flooding.
Outliers, Murano and Burano, have also captured the tourist hunger – boatloads of day-trippers descending upon these small islands to snap endless photos of unbelievably brightly-painted houses in Burano, and row upon row of glass-making workshops and boutiques in Murano.
So given all this, why visit and why include Venice in a Green Travel Guide? Surely it would be better to advise people to never visit, to leave the city in peace. This is of course true. Don’t go. No really don’t! Or visit virtually (see the virtual guide below).
But if you insist on visiting La Serenissima, then do it like this – visit in the winter months or early Spring (bring waterproof boots should the waters rise and watch the gondolas float over St.Mark’s Square).
Travel by train rather than a short-haul flight to reduce your carbon footprint. With the high-speed rail services of Trenitalia and Italo you can enjoy a comfortable and scenic journey straight to Santa Lucía Station, right on the Grand Canal. Venice is a car-free city – so be prepared to walk a lot, and to travel between the islands of the lagoon by boat, taking the vaporetto (water bus).
Increasingly you can find eco-conscious hotels and guesthouses in Venice. Seek out places with an EcoLabel certification (or Green Key) to ensure you’re staying somewhere that encourages responsible energy use, water conservation and waste reduction. Eco-hotel Ca’ di Dio, former monastery We_Crociferi and sustainable design hostel Generator Venice all are eco-friendly options for your stay in Venice.
Explore the city on foot, wander its quiet backstreets and get lost in the twisting alleyways that often end in dead-ends, roped off by lines of washing, or an overgrown courtyard hidden behind iron railings. Drink your espresso paired with a sweet, flakey cornetto by the bar in Cannaregio or Dorsoduro in a hidden piazza, listening to the Venetian chatter. Read the evocative accounts of Jan Morris’ Venice or Venice: The Lion, the City and the Water by Cees Nooteboom, following the routes they describe, navigating your way through the city chapter by chapter, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Explore the floating city by vaporetto, Venice’s public transport system. The city is working to make the fleet more eco-friendly with more electric and hybrid boats, and it is a more sustainable alternative to taking private boats or taxis. If you insist on a gondola experience, opt for one rowed by hand, and ask to explore lesser-known canals. To visit Murano and Burano take the hybrid-electric ferries. Better still, get off the beaten path and explore the stunning Byzantine mosaics in Torcello, take in the views of Venice at sunset from Giudecca, or go cycling on Sant’Erasmo, the ‘Garden of Venice’, supplying much of the fresh produce to Venice’s markets. But mostly, just walk the streets of this incredible theatrical cityscape.
When you’ve worked up an appetite ignore all the mass tourism restaurants (menus in English and early diners are usually a good sign to avoid!) and opt instead for chilometro zero (zero-km) restaurants. Vegetarians will love La Zucca, locally sourced produce and creative Venetian-style fare. L’Osteria Alle Testiere is a tiny seafood restaurant with a policy of sourcing fish responsibly from the Venetian Lagoon. For something special visit Ristorante Quadri, a Michelin-starred restaurant committed to serving organic, sustainable dishes.
By travelling off-season you won’t be contributing to the mass crowds of peak summer months and you will get to enjoy the beauty of the city in a quieter, more authentic way without overloading local infrastructure.
Likewise, slow down your travels. Far too many people head to Venice as day-trippers, ticking it off their bucket list of must-see places, yet never take the time to linger, explore and soak up the beauty of the city in a more meaningful way.
If you are mindful of local residents (no loitering on bridges or church steps, keep your noise levels down especially late at night in residential neighbourhoods, and opt to support local artisans instead of making for the mass-produced souvenir shops), you’ll find a warmer welcome from the understandably jaded locals.
Use the fontanelle, the public water fountains, to refill your drinking water bottle and avoid single-use plastic. Waste management is a real challenge for the floating city. Ditto disposable items – bring your own bag to carry anything you need or buy. And if you must bring something home with you, look for genuine hand-blown Murano glass or Burano lace.
By respecting Venice and its people, making better green choices, and travelling in a slow, mindful manner, you can help protect and preserve this remarkable living city.
And if you really want to reduce your carbon footprint and avoid the overcrowding, why not immerse in a virtual visit instead:
VIRTUAL VENICE VISIT
Check out a Venice 360 Tour (YouTube) for aerial views and to ‘walk’ around major sites like Rialto Bridge, St.Mark’s Square and Burano Island.
Check out the live webcam views of the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge or see the beauty of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Campanile without having to navigate the crowds from the St.Mark’s Square Live Cam.
Google Arts & Culture: Venice will take you on tours of landmarks like St.Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and the Grand Canal, immersing you in exhibits on Venetian art, history and architecture.
Take a virtual tour of St.Mark’s Basilica for a 3D exploration of the golden mosaics, domes and intricate interiors without the crowds.
Wander around the Palazzo Ducale – discover its grand halls, secret chambers and the Bridge of Sighs.
Curious about glassmaking? Take a live Zoom tour to watch artisans create intricate glass masterpieces in real-time on a Murano Glass Virtual Tour.
For culture buffs, get a taste of the Venice Carnival through the Carnevale di Venezia website, to watch masked balls and live performances streamed online during Carnival. Head to Teatro La Fenice Digital Concerts to sample streaming of concerts and opera performances from the legendary opera house. Art lovers can get their fill of latest art at the Venice Biennale Online – hosting digital galleries, interviews with artists and live-streamed art performances.
Make a movie night of it, and watch Summertime (1955) for 1950s Venice, The Tourist (2010) for Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in a stylish thriller, or Casino Royale (2006) for James Bond in Venice.
Or let writers transport you there – read Jan Morris’s wonderful Venice, a beautifully and lovingly written portrait of the city, or The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt to delve into the city’s secrets. For a definitive historical deep dive, read A History of Venice by John Julius Norwich, or the engaging Venice: The Biography of a City by Christopher Hibbert. For a read that brings the city to life through the story of Peggy Guggenheim, legendary art collector and bon vivant, read Peggy Guggenheim: The Shock of the Modern by Francine Prose.
Don’t forget your gondola tour. AirPano Venice 360 Tour will let you ‘float’ through Venice, or take a VR-Compatible immersive experience (like Oculus, PlayStation VR or Google Cardboard) and take a Grand Canal Gondola Ride – VR 4K (YouTube VR) or for the romantics, try out a Venice Night Gondola Ride with the city lights shimmering on the water as you glide around the arteries of the floating city.
