Don’t miss the extraordinary opportunity to enjoy an intimate, authentic Venice, to taste without any rush, moving around among calli, bridges and lonely squares: located south-east of the Grand Canal, the sestiere of Dorsoduro (that is Venice’s art district), is the perfect starting point for discovering Venice. Whether it is at sunrise or sunset, don’t miss a quiet stroll in the sun along the Zattere shore; from here you’ll enjoy a wonderful view on the Giudecca Island: the entrance to our hotel is right here.
St. Mark’s Square is just a ferryboat stop away and only at a fifteen-minute walk: you just have to cross the Ponte dell’Accademia and follow the signs to find yourself in front of the St Mark’s Basilica, its Campanile and the Doge’s Palace. But instead of heading immediately to St. Mark’s Square, take some time to quietly explore the amazing spots of Dorsoduro: the Gallerie dell’Accademia (just a 5-minute walk from our hotel), that keep the biggest worldwide Venetian art collection (including Tintoretto, Canaletto and Tiziano), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (10-minute walk), that pays homage to the biggest art modern painters of the 20th century (with works of Picasso, Dalì, Pollock, Magritte, Fontana), the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, a seventeenth-century masterpiece, and just a little further Punta della Dogana, with its scenic view on St. Mark’s Square and the Pinault Collection, housing international modern and contemporary art pieces.
From the hotel head north: in ten minutes you’ll get to Campo Santa Margherita, a square much loved by tourists and locals in an area full of bars and restaurants, the Chiesa di San Pantalon (that is said to keep the largest painting in the world) and Ca’ Rezzonico, a museum dedicated to 18th-century Venice, with its extraordinary garden. Want to visit something very typical of Venice? Go to the Squero di San Trovaso, only 300 meters from out hotel: dating to the early 17th century, it is one of the fewest “squeri” (Venetian dockyards where gondolas are built and repaired) still in use in Venice.
Or go where only a few tourists dare to go: to the Giudecca, the island in front of Dorsoduro, with its churches (first of all the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore, celebrated in July with the “Festa del Redentore” event), its amazing view on St. Mark’s Square and Fortuny, the last factory in Venice, that creates valuable handcrafted fabrics, with a showroom and garden that can be visited; the Labirinto Borges, on the San Giorgio island, and eventually don’t miss the chance to visit the most famous islands of the lagoon: a visit to Venice isn’t complete without a stop in Murano and Burano.
