Venice like a local: 5 unmissable experiences

Thanks to these wonderful experiences your holiday in Venice will be unique. You will experience the city as only the locals know how to do, with aperitifs accompanied by the typical cicchetti and a few paddles along the canals kissed by the sun. You will live an extraordinary and unforgettable experience in a journey through taste, art and culture. The proposed activities will lead you to get involved and discover Venice through the eyes of its inhabitants, discovering ancient craft traditions and more. Forget the beaten track, get lost in the characteristic maze of calli, marvel at every corner and get in touch with the local people, the only real way to really get to know a city. Let's discover together these 5 unmissable experiences to live Venice "like a local".

The bacaro tour is one of the best ways to enjoy the city in full Venetian style. The bacaro tour consists of going from bacaro to bacaro, around the districts of Venice, drinking ombre and eating cicheti (a good glass of wine and a bite of typical food) with friends. Instead of sitting in the same bar for a long time, Venetians prefer this touring ritual. There is no precise time when the tour of the bacari should take place, but lunchtime and aperitif time are certainly the two most popular times.

One of the alternative and fun ways to experience Venice like a real local is therefore to taste the tasty Venetian cicheti accompanied by the typical ombra of wine, going from bacaro to bacaro with your friends (moreover, it's cheap). The areas of Venice that you should include in your tour of bacari are undoubtedly the Cannaregio district, in particular along the Fondamenta dei Ormesini, full of bacari, as well as the Santa Croce district, an area that is home to well-known bacari frequented by young people, in particular university students, the famous Campo Santa Margherita, in Dorsoduro and the Castello district, the least visited area of Venice and therefore full of bacari frequented by locals.

Teatro La Fenice, located in the Sestiere di San Marco in Campo San Fantin, is the main opera house in Venice and one of the most prestigious theatres in the world. Every year the traditional Venice New Year's Concert is held here, broadcast live worldwide. The building was destroyed twice by fire, the first time in 1836 and the second time in 1996. The theatre was rebuilt both times, the last one respecting the original layout by Gian Antonio Selva dating back to 1790. 

The theatre can be visited, but why not visit it by attending one of its concerts? This experience will be unique and unforgettable; it will make you relive the past, making you feel like a 19th century Venetian aristocrat. If you decide to book a ticket to see one of La Fenice's shows, remember to pack clothes suitable for the occasion!

Venice is known all over the world for its characteristic Carnival and along the streets of the city it is easy to come across numerous workshops of Venetian masks. But what better souvenir to take home than a Venetian mask created with your own hands? 

Several ateliers offer the possibility to learn the art of craftsmanship in the creation and decoration of Venetian carnival masks. You can create a mask from scratch by learning how to use papier-mâché and different decorative materials. The result will be a truly unique mask to show off during the Carnival period or to keep as a souvenir of your trip to Venice! Thanks to the Venice Pass this experience will be included in your trip, find out more by visiting the official website.  

Everyone dreams of a gondola ride on the Grand Canal at sunset, but wouldn't it be even more extraordinary to try driving one of the typical Venetian boats? All this is possible thanks to Venetian rowing lessons. There are several companies that organise private, custom-made Venetian rowing courses, thanks to which you can enjoy a fun boat trip with the opportunity to admire the spectacle of the Venetian lagoon in a way that few can. 

You will learn the technique of Venetian rowing, a particular technique of rowing unique in its kind because it was born in the lagoon environment. The soul of Venice lies in its canals, so what better way to get to know it than from its waters? You will discover Venice along its canals to experience the same emotions as its inhabitants. 

The island of Murano is famous all over the world for its glass artworks. The glasswork still follows the ancient techniques and methods; this entirely artisan and complex workmanship makes Murano glass a luxury object, so much so that the works of the Murano glass masters, given their value, are exhibited in various museums. 

At the island's furnaces you can take part in courses to discover the art of glassblowing and to watch the magic of Murano's craftsmen. You can then shape the glass yourself, seeing the shapeless paste become a vase, a glass or a statuette. You'll discover that behind glass making lies hard and meticulous work, the value of which is reflected in the price of the works, which can be defined as true works of art.

Which of these experiences are you looking forward to do on your next trip to Venice?