If you come to Venice for 1 day, then in the city itself there will be enough impressions for a walk. In Venice you can walk and ride a gondola on your own, go through our self-guided tour route in 1 day or visit the most interesting excursions with a guide. But if the program is longer than a few days, then you can not do without new ideas. And here we can recall that in the lagoon of Venice there are a number of interesting islands. We will talk about the most remarkable in this article.
Murano
Perhaps one of the most famous and visited islands of the Venice lagoon, a place that for more than seven centuries has been the center of glass making. There is probably not a single person who has not heard of the famous Murano glass.
It is here from the end of the XIII century. workshops of the best Italian glassblowers are located, and the secrets of production are still handed down from generation to generation and are kept under the heading "Top Secret".
Centuries ago, when the art of glass making was in its prime, craftsmen enjoyed privileges unprecedented in those days for artisans. They even had the right to marry their daughters to members of the upper classes. True, one had to pay for such advantages with their freedom: glassblowers could not leave the island under any circumstances, so that the secrets of the craft would not leave the borders of Venice.
The famous Murano glass has been made here since the end of the 13th century.
Of course, the most interesting thing on the island is the numerous workshops in which you can watch the process of creating glass products, and maybe even participate in it.
But besides them there are other sights: the Glass Museum, located in an old palazzo, as well as several no less ancient churches (the Basilica of Santa Maria e Donato in the Veneto-Byzantine style in the main square, the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and Church of San Pietro Martire).
How to get to Murano from Venice: it’s best to catch a vaporetto at Fondamente Nove Station. Lines 12, 13, 4.1, 4.2 will do. The journey will take approximately 10 minutes.
Burano
Burano is the second most popular island of the lagoon (not counting Venice itself, of course). This small settlement attracts with its incredibly cheerful atmosphere, which is created by the facades of houses, as if gingerbread, painted in all colors of the rainbow. It is believed that Burano streets have acquired such an unusual appearance so that it is easier for fishermen to navigate in search of land in the fog.
Now this feature of Burano is even protected by the government - house owners are forbidden to repaint them without permission. And the color can be chosen only from the approved list, so as not to violate the overall harmony.
The facades of these houses are painted in all colors of the rainbow.
In addition to a bright "appearance", the island is known with your lace. Once upon a time, only nuns, novices of monasteries and girls from noble families, who were often sent to live there, owned the art of lace-making. One of these monasteries was located on this island. Just like Murano glass, the finest Buranian lace is the property of the region, and the features of its manufacture are kept secret.
You can admire exquisite napkins, tablecloths, umbrellas and other items woven from white thread by local craftsmen at the Lace Museum on Galuppi Square. Right there you will see how these masterpieces are created.
In the same square is the church of St. Martin, which you immediately pay attention to because of its leaning bell tower.
How to get to Burano from Venice: on vaporetto line 12 from Fondamente Nove station. Travel time is about an hour.
Judecca
In the old days, the island served as a refuge for exiles and wanderers who found refuge in any of the 7 monasteries.
Later, Judecca was chosen by the local nobility, and lush gardens and residence palaces began to grow throughout the square, often serving as venues for grand balls and parties, which brought the island by no means the best glory.
Landmark - beautifully preserved basilica
Now little is left of the past history of the island, but beautiful temples designed by the architect Andrea Palladio: Il Redentore and Santa Maria della Presentazione have survived. In addition to them, it is worth looking at the medieval church of Santa Eufenia.
Today, on the territory of one of the monasteries of Judecca, there is a women's prison, at which every Thursday a small bazaar opens. There you can buy inexpensive fruits and vegetables that are grown in the prison garden, as well as various souvenirs and natural cosmetics made by prisoners under the reintegration program.
How to get to Judecca from Venice: on the vaporetto on lines 2, 4.1, 4.2 from the station Piazzale Roma, San Zaccaria or Ferrovia.
Lido
An extended island south of Venice, spreading 13 km in length. It is here that the famous Venice Film Festival is held, which annually brings together the entire elite of the world film industry. In the northern part of Lido, which hosts festival guests, there are some of the most fashionable hotels in the commune.
This is where the famous Venice Film Festival takes place annually.
The Adriatic coast of the island is famous for its sandy beaches, which are awarded the blue flag for its cleanliness. They are the main attraction of Lido.
True, most of the beaches are private and owned by hotels, but there are two large public beaches - in the south and in the north.
How to get to Lido from Venice: from any of the stations on the Grand Canal on the vaporetto line 1.
Torcello
Once this island was the most prosperous in the Venetian lagoon, and with its modest size, as many as 20,000 people lived here. Now it is a quiet and secluded place where you can hide for a short while from the annoying crowds of tourists.
It is worth a trip to see the unique early Christian basilicas, many of which have survived to our time in almost their original form - over the centuries, these temples have not undergone any reconstruction.
Here you can see the unique early Christian basilicas.
Be sure to visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, dated to the beginning of the XI century. Inside, Byzantine mosaics depicting the Virgin Mary with a baby and the Last Judgment are preserved. Nearby is the Church of Santa Fosca, a rare example of Romanesque architecture with a plan in the form of a Greek cross. And here, nearby, you can look at the ruins of Roman era buildings and antique statues, placed everywhere in the district.
How to get to Torcello from Venice: on vaporetto line 12 from Fondamente Nove station. Travel time is a little over an hour.
San giorgio maggiore
A very small island, all surrounded by greenery, on which the Benedictine monastery used to be located. Now all that remains of him is the Cathedral of San Giorgio Maggiore, which still operates today. Its tower offers a magnificent view of the lagoon and the nearest islands.
The island is small, but very pretty and all surrounded by greenery
The monastery was closed and converted into a barracks at the behest of Napoleon Bonaparte, and later turned into a museum by Count Chini who bought it in 1951. The museum exhibits among others the works of Tintoretto - one of the most significant artists of the Italian Renaissance.
How to get to San Giorgio Maggiore: from San Zaccaria station on vaporetto line 2.
San Michele
It is often called the island of the dead, because San Michele is a cemetery island. Previously, there was a monastery abolished in the 19th century, and its entire territory was taken to burial sites.
Many outstanding personalities rest on this island.
Many outstanding personalities rest on the island, including Russian cultural figures: Igor Stravinsky, Joseph Brodsky, Sergey Diaghilev and others. Thousands of travelers from all over the world visit their graves every year, paying tribute to the great talent of these people.
How to get to San Michele: on vaporetto line 4.1 or 4.2 from Fondamente Nove station.
Povela
A place that is definitely worth a visit to lovers of mysticism and scary stories. This uninhabited island of the lagoon of Venice has overgrown with many legends from the category of horror.
Once it was inhabited, but soon abandoned and has since been often used as a quarantine zone, protecting Venice from epidemics. It is even believed that even during the Roman Empire a colony was organized here for plague patients, and since then the ghosts of the dead have been walking around the island.
At the beginning of the XX century. a psychiatric clinic was opened on the island, stories about which are even more scary. Rumor has it that terrible experiments were conducted on patients, led by a cruel and eager to become famous head physician.
The island will be interesting to lovers of mysticism and scary stories.
In general, almost the entire history of the island is considered damned, and no matter what they try to arrange on it, it ceases to exist.
How to get to Povelia: no way. Officially, the island of Povelia is closed to visitors, and even fishermen try to avoid it. But if you really want to tickle your nerves, for a tidy sum someone will probably agree to deliver you there.
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