A KINDER, GENTLer way to visit La Serenissima this summer
If you regularly read my blog posts or somehow landed on this page, I am going to assume you’re an Italophile who has visited Venice at least once in your lifetime.
Generally, the quality of that experience ranges from a life-changing, earth-moving marvel to a dizzying day at Disneyland without the rides—just throngs of tourists EVERYWHERE that make you crave a quick return to the mainland after a costly lunch.
LOOK UP: One of the many marvels of Venice, San Marco Basilica
Throngs of tourists in Venice is typical, especially during the summer months. Photo by Levi Van Leeuwen
I have had both scenarios play out. Naturally, I wish you the former. This favourable outcome, however, greatly depends on the time of year you visit, and whether you researched the lagoon and its various sestieri prior to your trip.
I was lucky. The first time I saw Venice, it was early May and I had the added benefit of a personalized tour by a local unveiling the hidden treasures of La Serenissima to me. Thanks to a friend who had studied at the University Ca’ Foscari for four years, he showed me the Venice of Venetians, making it truly one of those magical, unforgettable days that filled me with endless moments of awe. We meandered through the cobbled courtyards, taking in the winding waterways, beautiful Gothic architecture and picturesque back streets as we overheard passing conversations in Venetian dialect in the background. What a gift! To this day I am grateful that first visit set the bar so high and revealed a Venice that deserves to be preserved for generations to come.
It is not easy though. With all its beauty and treasure trove of art and history, the Floating City is fragile. Fifty years in the making, the MOSE initiative that devised strategic sea walls to be raised to stop tides over three feet, seven inches was finally put in motion in October 2020. The forever-dreaded alta marea and disastrous episodes of flooding that threatened Venice’s very existence have been quelched for the time-being. The hazards of climate change though looms large in this equation. For instance, the experts who had conceived MOSE estimated that the sea walls would need to be raised an average of five times a year to stop tides. As of the end of 2022, the walls had already been raised 49 times. Critics say relying too much on MOSE may protect tourism but kills other parts of the economy.
On another pressing note, decades of over-tourism have taken their toll on the city’s streets and residents. The population of Venice went from 175,000 in 1950 to under 50,000 as of last year. During the summer, an average of 150,000 tourists visit the city daily. Imagine your neighbours are mainly transient day-trippers or overnight lodgers at one of the many bed and breakfasts, converted from a former Venetian’s residence who was priced out of their own city? Depopulation threatens the viability of Venice as a living, thriving city with real people living real lives in it.
Okay, basta. I know it is summer and if you’re booked for a holiday in Italy, I don’t want to be a drag and tell you to boycott Venice during the high season as the responsible thing to do. Instead, I invite you to visit the City of Canals in a kinder, gentler way by exploring the less trodden areas; and if you want a real getaway, consider choosing the Lido di Venezia as your base where you can enjoy a beach holiday and dash off to Venice and capture its magic once the crowds disperse.
In my next blog post, I interview Venetian writer, scholar and university professor, Sebastiano Bazzichetto, who is also the creator and host of the online series Wish You Were Here—My Secret Venice, now in its fourth season on YouTube. During our chat, he reveals his secrets on how to live Venice like a local offering sacrosanct tips that will avert you from the maddening crowds.
