Top 8 Unusual Visits in Venice (Italy)

After having shown you the must-see places in Venice, places that are very pretty but not unmissable, it is time for me to show you some unusual places that I liked a lot in Venice.

• Jewish quarter of Venice: nice and local atmosphere, even if it is a bit small. Falafel (5€) to fall
• Benedetto Marcello Conservatory of Venice: stay right in front to listen to classical music in each room of the conservatory
• Squero de San Trovaso: Gondola making workshop, to be observed from the other side because you cannot visit the workshop
• Shopping or window-shopping :
  • Acqua Alta Bookstore: where all the books are stored high up or in boats for fear of being flooded
  • Handmade miniature bookcases at La Bottega di Pre
  • Magic Venice Carnival: handcrafted porcelain dolls dressed in traditional clothes
  • More Venezia: beautiful leather bags made in Italy
  • Charta S.n.c. : Exceptional showcase but not at all nice seller

Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Diary

Jewish Quarter

It’s always nice to go to Jewish neighborhoods: we eat well, the atmosphere is very nice, the stores are always too pretty. The Jewish Quarter in Venice is just next to the Arrow Bridge.

Try to find the restaurant Gam Gam, then go into the small street: Calle Ghetto Vecchio and you will see a gentleman selling homemade falafels for 5€. Even the bread is made on the spot and put in the oven only when ordered. It’s too good! Not to be missed! On the same street there are several antique stores, with objects that are more wonderful than each other… and a gallery with very touching works telling the history of the Jewish Quarter.

We cross a small bridge and arrive at the Ghetto Nuovo, which has a very nice place. We couldn’t visit neither the museum nor the synagogue because we always arrive there too late, but the atmosphere is fantastic. There are only locals, we feel peaceful there.

Benedetto Marcello Conservatory of Venice

Not far from the Pont de l’Académie is this beautiful conservatory. I was at the conservatory for years in Vietnam so it moves me a lot to find myself again in front of an Italian conservatory. Of course, you can hear everything: all types of instruments… this hubbub, this mixture of instruments, types of music, voices… is so familiar and so beautiful. You just have to stay in front to enjoy a little free concert.

Squero de San Trovaso

It is an unusual but very well known attraction. From the other side of the canal, you can observe the employees of a gondola workshop making gondolas or other boats by hand. If you are lucky, there may be a gondola launch as well. Gondolas are expensive (5 digits before the decimal point) and are always made by hand.

It is impossible to visit the workshop, that’s why the tourists rather crowd the bar opposite to observe the work, to the great delight of the bar owner.

Acqua Alta Bookstore

I don’t know who said it, or whether they called themselves “the most beautiful bookstore in the world”. This bookstore is very well known but also very original.

Acqua Alta refers to the natural phenomenon where high tide floods a large part of Venice. The bookstore is nicer to visit when all Venice is flooded, but we won’t wish it 😉 Because of many floods, many books have been wet and destroyed. The bookstore uses them to create some nice decoration spaces.

The rest, is protected and put on high shelves, or even … in bathtubs, boats and even a gondola ahahha

The books are second-hand and cheap, they can be stored in any way, and that’s what makes the charm of the bookstore. You will also find some postcards showing the store under 50cm of water. A colorful place to visit absolutely!

La Bottega di Pre

I wish I would have known La Bottega di Pre earlier to drool in front of their window during the 2 weeks I was in Venice. JB and I were speechless in front of this tiny souvenir store. In Venice, there are many handmade miniature bookcases, but these far surpass all the others. They are made with so much love, skill and creativity that you are like a child in front of a toy store. Note: notice the happy dog in the balloon. Genius is in the little details.

Moreover, I really like the attitude of the craftsman. In other stores, they often indicate “no photo no photo”, as if you could easily copy their creations. Here, on the contrary, the craftsman encourages us to take pictures and he is even proud that we like it. So I will show you some more.

Magic Venice Carnival

There are plenty of other artisans in Venice. This porcelain doll store is just incredible. Sorry for the pictures taken with iPhone. In real life, it’s even more beautiful than that. There are dolls of all sizes. My mother bought one in this store it seems to me and the doll has remained beautiful for all these long years.

More Venezia

You can find beautiful leather goods everywhere in Italy, but when I uploaded this picture on Instagram, many of you asked me the name of the store for the 395€ bag. So here it is: More Venezia. You have the eye, because the products are handmade, in an absolutely beautiful leather.

I hope you liked this little notebook. I bring you to Florence now: read the article.

Part 2: Practical Tips

You will find the addresses & places mentioned in this article on the personalized Google Maps I made with my sister for Italy here.