Venice – A Romantic Break for 4 and a half!
By Rena Dipti Annobil.
(Rena Dipti Annobil is a freelance journalist and British Indian currently working for BBC Asian Network)
Venice – A Romantic Break for Four and a Half!
The northeastern Italian city of Venice is a popular destination for couples. With it’s alluring canals, piazzas, art and amazing food, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a romantic break. Indeed there are numerous books and articles on great things to do in Venice and why it’s “the most romantic city on earth”. I remember visiting Venice with my family when I was in my early twenties and thinking “when I get married I must come back here with my husband”. And that I did, but with my young children in tow. We visited last spring and my kids were 7, 5 and the youngest was in my tummy at that point (I was 5 months pregnant!).
But what does a young family do in Venice? Candlelit dinners for two or moonlight walks by the canal were out of the question. For one thing there’s the fire hazard and the risk of falling into a canal (and I’m not just talking about the children…my balance was pretty off during my pregnancy!). However, we spent three nights and two whole days in the city and had a lovely time. Here are my tips on what do do in Venice with a young family:
My kids were 7, 5 and the youngest was in my tummy at that point (I was 5 months pregnant!)(Photo credit – Rena Dipti Annobil)
Take a Gondola Ride
A 30 minute ride in a Gondola costs 80 Euros which is highly overpriced, but it’s worth splashing out on this (excuse the pun!). It really is magical and peaceful to sit back in a gondola and be taken around all the little canals in the centre of Venice. If you’re lucky you’ll find a Gondolier who will fill you on on all the local history and will sing to you too.
A Speedboat Ride to Murano
We took a ride in a speedboat to the Island of Murano. The children loved the speedboat, although they were a little scared when the water became too rough. Murano is small island that is famous for Murano glass. There are several glass factories and showrooms. A glass showroom is perhaps not the best place to take young kids but if you go on a tour of the workshop you can watch the traditional method of glassblowing which is quite fascinating for both adults and kids.
Feed the Pigeons in St Marks Square and see the Basilica
Kids will either love feeding or scaring away the many pigeons that inhabit the world famous St. Marks Square. The square itself is surrounded by expensive shops and cafes and the St Marks Basilica is also on one side. We went inside to have a look at the beautiful craftsmanship and architecture. Our children could’t have cared less about this part so we kept the visit brief but were able to tick this iconic building off our list.
Venice (Photo credit – Rena Dipti Annobil)
Visit The Doge’s Palace
Venice has many art galleries and places of historical interest but unless your child has an unnaturally deep interest in the arts, it’s advisable to streamline your tour. If there is one place that you should visit to give you a feel of Venetian history and arts it’s The Doge’s Palace. This majestic palace was formerly the seat of Venetian government, and is masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Myself, my husband and even the children, were spellbound by the opulence of the the place. The kids were most interested in the old jail and the armour rooms. This visit must be booked in advance and takes a few hours.
St Marks Basilica (Photo credit – Rena Dipti Annobil)
Rialto Bridge and Fish Market
The Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge across the Grand Canal in Venice. It’s a bustling place with lots of shops, restaurants and Gondoliers looking for customers. The children were thrilled to see the Rialto fish market which has been open for centuries. There is every type of seafood imaginable, it’s a true feast for the senses! There is a fruit and vegetable market right next to it where the kids enjoyed picking out strawberries and apples to snack on during the day.
Eat Gelato
Italians know their stuff when it comes to ice cream and there there is nothing quite like Italian gelato. Every time I visit Italy I can’t get enough of it and it seems my children can’t either. Any time of ice cream is usually a big hit with kids and an incentive to trudge around a historical monument for a couple of hours! With the range of flavours on offer the whole family will be spoilt for choice.
Take a Walk Around the Backstreets
It’s sometimes nice to wander around aimlessly and take in the beauty of Venice. Children and adults alike will marvel at the fact that there are no roads in central Venice, the taxis are boats and so are the buses. There are so many pretty bridges and weird and wonderful little shops around every alley. In particular, shops selling masks (Venice is known for it’s masks used in the annual carnival) are everywhere and kids are entranced (or terrified!) by them.
Rialto Fish Market, Venice (Photo credit – Rena Dipti Annobil)
TOP TIPS:
I recommend staying in or near the centre of Venice if you are visiting with young children. You will save a lot of money on getting transport into Venice and won’t have to drag tired and irritable little people back to your hotel or apartment at the end of the day. We found it useful to go out and about in the morning, go back to our hotel with some sandwiches in the middle of the day, then going out again in the afternoon. We usually ended up chilling out in the hotel for a few hours after lunch and put a movie on the iPad for the kids which kept them happy and stopped them from jumping on the hotel beds!
Venice is a very expensive city. The food is amazing but very pricey so I would recommend taking lots of snacks for kids. The money you save on these items can go towards a good quality evening meal.
The Venice experience with small children is definitely very different than going with a group of adults or your other half. However, it’s worthwhile exposing kids to a different culture, language, history and art (and good quality ice cream!) at an early age. They will take some of it in, my kids still talk fondly about the Gondola ride and ask when we are going back to Venice. It’s also nice to see Venice through a child’s eyes, a place of wonder and intrigue with interesting sights around every corner.
