The Covid Diaries 35, Venice Edition: Walking Tours

A review of two walking tours I undertook recently in Venice. In which I meet some interesting people and learn a whole lot more about Venice than I would have wandering around by myself.

When in Rome… No Wait, This is Venice!

When I went to Venice recently, I decided that I would explore the walking tours on offer from Airbnb. This was based on my previous positive experience of Airbnb walking tours in Cuba. Booking experiences through Airbnb isn’t something I would have thought of on my own. But ahead of that trip one in Havana was recommended to us, and we booked another in Trinidad de Cuba. We loved them both. In comparison with ‘normal’ walking tours that you see on holiday the guides were really friendly and down to earth. We felt we learned a lot about not just history, but about contemporary life and its connection to the past. Venice is not Cuba, but I had the same experience with the tours I booked in the city.*

*Well, disclaimer: two out of the three tours. I really went overboard for a five day trip to Venice and did walking tours on three days. Two I loved, the other was very interesting in terms of content but the guide wasn’t such a good match for me. Times are tough in the tourism industry, especially for those who are self-employed. I’m not looking to take business away from people; I prefer to encourage more business for the two amazing guides whose tours I loved!

Top Tip: Find ‘Off The Beaten Track’ Walking Tours in Venice via Airbnb

Anyway, my overall experience of Airbnb tours is that they are more innovative, more personal and more relatable than the ones you will find on Viator or via the local tourist office or as part of an organised trip. People who are marketing on Airbnb are able to be creative in what’s on offer. They are also usually trying to find their niche in their city. I had both guides to myself which is a luxury, and purely a reflection of travelling during the summer of Covid. Group sizes on Airbnb do in my experience tend to be small, though. Below are my recommendations for walking tours in Venice; either tour is a great use of a couple of hours, but doing both is a fabulous way to see different sides to the city and find out about its hidden history.

By the way I receive absolutely nothing from Airbnb or the tour operators if any of you decide to book. Just the happy knowledge that you will have a great time!

Walking Tour 1: Secret Venice, an Unusual Walk

Hosted by Federico, link for more details or booking is here.

I did this tour towards the end of my Venetian trip, but it would have fit in well any time. If you do it soon after you arrive then it will set you up nicely to ‘read’ the city; understand the signs and symbols in its buildings, the public squares and so on. And if you do it towards the end like I did then it’s a nice way to join the dots and fill in some gaps in your Venetian knowledge.

Billed as a ‘Secret Venice’ walk, the sights that Federico takes you to are sometimes often hidden. Sometimes hidden in the sense tucked away spots for him to explain the history or contemporary life of the city; sometimes hidden in plain sight (for example there is a prostitute-themed bridge but that’s all I’m telling you, you will have to go on the tour to find out more).

As well as being very knowledgeable, Federico’s style is really engaging and friendly. He makes the tour a dialogue – he adapts quickly to what you’ve already done and seen and your interests. This makes it even more interesting than it would otherwise have been. During our couple of hours on the walk we inspected churches, chatted about the plague and Carnival, took in some contemporary art (a Banksy I would otherwise have gone straight past). We also spoke about the foundation of the city at a spot where there is now a very nondescript church.

Life in Venice: Not Always a Carnival

It was during this tour that it really struck me what life must have been like for the original inhabitants of what is now Venice. What a downgrade in quality of life to go from a Roman city with all mod cons, to a godforsaken malarial swamp just off the coast. To grow from those inauspicious beginnings into the Venetian Republic is truly astounding. I also came away from the walk better able to visualise how much life must have changed in Venice when the Austrians arrived and started paving everything and building bridges left, right and centre. The image of Venice that we have today is very much an Austrian construct.

What is really great about the tour is how relaxed it is. It felt like we had all the time in the world for Federico to take me to the most interesting sites in and around Rialto and San Polo and fill me in on the often amusing history associated with them. We stood in the shade discussing church facades and red light districts, water cisterns and Austrian takeovers, and despite the many subjects that were touched upon I came away with a cohesive sense of the city past and present. Like Lucia below, Federico offered to give me pointers on what to see/do for the rest of my trip. Sadly I didn’t have enough time left to really make use of this, but I’m sure he could help to curate a really wonderful itinerary for anyone new to the city.

Walking Tour 2: Jewish Ghetto Tour Venice with a Local

Hosted by Lucia, link for more details or booking is here.

The word ‘ghetto’, like ‘arsenal’, is a Venetian import into English. For better or for worse, this is the very first Jewish ghetto in the world; now in the Cannaregio in the North of Venice proper. In fact the area was formerly where foundries were located. The name Geto (pronunciation changed by passing through the mouths of so many Yiddish-speaking residents) is supposed to refer to this history. Permission for Jewish people to reside permanently in Venice, albeit with various restrictions, was in response to a commercial necessity. High volumes of trade require financing, and this was at a time when money lending or anything similar was forbidden to Christians but was one of the few livelihoods open on the Jewish side.

The restrictions imposed on residents are still visible in the city today. Firstly in terms of space. There were two expansions of the Ghetto to accommodate more residents, but it was still a squash. Some of the tallest (non campanile) buildings in the city are here as building upwards was the only option. With all buildings balanced on wooden stilts, this would have been no small feat. Despite this there is still a lovely big piazza in the middle of the Ghetto Nuovo which I found to be full of life and neighbourhood charm on the warm afternoons of late summer.

The spatial restrictions also extended to a curfew, with residents locked in at night. This doubled as protection for them as well as putting the minds of suspicious Venetians at rest. There were further restrictions on worshipping. There are several synagogues within a very confined area, but they were initially banned so were hidden. They were only recognisable to the initiated due to the prominent five windows on most of the facades.

The Story of a Neighbourhood Then and Now

As well as all of this history, Lucia covers the more recent years in the historic Ghetto. There are some really moving personal stories from the period of the Holocaust and time to reflect on the memorials. We also discussed post-war regeneration in the form of an influx of immigrants from Brooklyn. Today there are two or three kosher restaurants (three if you count the falafel place), community buildings, and a sense of a healthy blend of people from different backgrounds cohabiting this corner of the Cannaregio district. It’s also quite an arty neighbourhood and Lucia seems to know everyone, so can give you tips on what’s on offer if you feel inclined to make a purchase.

The tour finishes with a quick glass of wine in a little canalside bar, where we finished off our conversation. Lucia gave me some tips on other things to see and do, tailored to my personal interests. I was reminded of one of the reviews on Airbnb when I was first looking at tours: “Have you ever wished to have a local friend living in Venice which is by the way also an experienced tour guide, with an in-depth knowledge of the Venetian ghetto? You can stop wishing, as Lucia all you’ve been looking for!” I wholeheartedly agree. As with Federico, it felt like a discussion between friends (one very knowledgeable) as much as a tour that I was paying to be on, and I enjoyed the whole thing very much.