Is there a real hidden Venice, a secret Venice? Or is it all about finding a different approach for a tour??
Recently, all you read about in the web is the best way to visit the most popular art cities, where crowds of tourists already go all the time, by ignoring what the guide books or the tourist experts suggest and by turning away from the main touristic attractions and rather visit the so-called “secret” or “hidden” parts.
But be careful!
That’s how so many people have got lost in the maze of streets of Venice and have never come back!
It is said that last summer a cruise traveler left his comfortable cabin to explore all by himself the less frequented neighborhoods of Venice and he happened to open by mistake the secret door in the Corte Sconta described by Corto Maltese in one of Hugo Pratt’s comics and ended up in an alternate dimension! Then, it seems that a few years ago, one misty November night, a guy who wanted to look cool in front of two beautiful girls, got too close to the marble lion, guarding the entrance of the ancient Arsenal of Venice, which started running after him all around Venice and nobody’s seen or heard from him since….
Another Venice
Of course I’m kidding! Venice is still rather quiet, compared to the big cities and, for heaven’s sake, I myself suggest to my clients to go beyond the highlights. But all this constant quest for the “new”, the “alternative” the “unknown”, the “unique”…. well, frankly, I’m stumped. It is true that at certain times of the year, St Mark’s Square is packed with tourists, while around the corner there are wonderful museums that are struggling to make ends meet.
Of course I’m kidding! Venice is still rather quiet, compared to the big cities and, for heaven’s sake, I myself suggest to my clients to go beyond the highlights. But all this constant quest for the “new”, the “alternative” the “unknown”, the “unique”…. well, frankly, I’m stumped. It is true that at certain times of the year, St Mark’s Square is packed with tourists, while around the corner there are wonderful museums that are struggling to make ends meet.
The added value to your stay in Venice
Now, take Ca’ Rezzonico for example, that is an amazing monument, a 18th century dwelling of a noble family, full of works of art of inestimable value: it is true that if you visit it freely, on your own, you won’t know much of what you’re looking at, excluding the brief descriptions in the museum rooms and the pretty boring commentaries of the audio guides. This is liable not to be the time of your life.
Another thing is to find a real guide, in the flesh, someone who is almost family in the house and who can say a few “magic words” in order to turn this black and white old place to color, to fill the empty rooms with people and stories. A tour with a good guide, professional and entertaining, may be the “added value” that turns your stay in Venice into something to remember.
Click here for further information about tickets/opening time of Ca’ Rezzonico