Travel Italy Venice's Lagoon Islands

Venice's Lagoon Islands: Burano

On the island of Burano, you’ll find that many of the men continue to make their living by fishing - and several of the women still work with lace; therefore, the restaurants pride themselves on their seafood delicacies (including shrimp and squid) - and many of the local craft shops offer hand-embroidered and handmade lace items for sale. Points of interest in the village include the easily recognizable leaning tower and the Burano School of Lace (which is aimed at revitalizing the lace industry on the island). There’s a wide variety of brightly colored houses here, and it’s a very pleasant place to simply take a stroll along the cobblestone streets. Laundry drying on an outdoor clothesline is a very common sight (except, apparently, on Sundays). You may feel as if you've returned to an earlier era.

The Lido

The Lido, another island in the lagoon, is Italy's most fashionable bathing resort, and some of its most famous hotels are found along the Lido Promenade (such as the Grand Hotel des Bains and the Grand Hotel Excelsior). Lido has its own airport and is the site of the renowned Venice Film Festival. This island has served as the setting for such influential books as Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and Thomas Mann's Death in Venice.

Venice's Lagoon Islands: Murano

Murano is primarily dedicated to its glassblowing industry, as it has been for several centuries (the glass furnaces were installed on this island in 1291). You’ll be greeted by a glass furnace immediately upon docking, and several others will be seen on your stroll through the village. Visiting them and watching glass blowing demonstrations is readily encouraged by many of the factory owners, for it's hoped that the tourists will then make some purchases. While on this island, visit the Museo Vetrario di Murano(a glass museum) to view a variety of Murano glass (past and present) and to learn about some of the glass-making techniques. Other points of interest on Murano include two churches: San Pietro Martire (which contains two superb Bellini altar-pieces) and Santa Maria e Donato (with its famous mosaic floor).

Torcello

Yet another of Venice's lagoon islands worth a visit is Torcello, which is referred to as the "Mother of Venice". This charming destination is the site of Venice's first cathedral (founded in 639 A.D. and subsequently rebuilt), the Santa Maria Assunta Isola di Torcello; this famous cathedral houses a beautiful display of 11th and 12th century Byzantine mosaics.

La Serenissima

As you travel throughout Italy, you’ll find that most of Italy's cities are infested by a plethora of mopeds and automobiles, so you may particularly enjoy the lack of these in Venice and on the lagoon islands; in fact, this has led to this area being referred to as "La Serenissima" ("the most serene"). To truly experience this serenity for yourself, take time to explore the enchanting lagoon islands as a part of your visit to Venice.

Getting There

If possible, avoid driving a car, as long lines of traffic are commonplace on the causeway from the mainland. The Santa Lucia train station lies on the northwest edge of the city (and train service from the mainland is excellent). The Marco Polo Airport is at Tessera (linked by bus). Buses arrive at Piazzale Roma. Venice is linked by ferry to Greece and the Middle East. To reach the lagoon islands, take a "vaporetto" from Piazzale Roma or the Fondamenta Nuova (overlooking the Venetian graveyard).

For More Information:

Italian Government Tourism Board: www.italiantourism.com

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