The Venice
Insider Guide

We have hosted guests in Venice's Castello district for over three years. Most arrive with a standard tourist itinerary and leave with a completely different understanding of the city. This is what we tell every guest who asks.

Why Stay in Castello, Not San Marco

Both our Venice apartments are in Castello — the neighbourhood that begins just east of Piazza San Marco and stretches towards the Biennale Arsenale. The tourist maps make San Marco look central, and it is. But staying directly on San Marco means hotel prices, tourist noise until midnight, and the sense of being in a theme park rather than a city.

Castello is three minutes further. The streets are quieter. There are morning markets, neighbourhood bakeries, and families who have lived here for generations. You are still 3–10 minutes from everywhere that matters — but you are living in the real Venice. Our apartments are also in a "dry zone" — safe from the acqua alta flooding that affects the lower-lying sestieri.

Acqua Alta — What It Is and How to Avoid It

Acqua alta (high tide) is the seasonal flooding that raises the water level in parts of Venice, typically in November through February. It is manageable and does not close the city — most residents simply put on rubber boots and carry on. However, it is worth knowing that not all of Venice floods equally.

• The area around Piazza San Marco floods first and most severely — the Square sits at the lowest point of the city
• Our apartments in Castello are in a dry zone — the streets here sit higher and do not flood even during significant acqua alta events
• The MOSE barrier system, completed in 2020, now protects Venice from the most severe flooding — it is activated during forecast events

Getting from the Airport

Marco Polo Airport is approximately 30–40 minutes from central Venice by water or road. These are your options, in order of our preference:

• Alilaguna water bus (€15/person): Departs from the airport dock. Line A (Orange) stops at San Zaccaria, which is 2 minutes walk from La Serenissima. Takes 55–75 minutes depending on stops. Boats run regularly.
• Private water taxi (€120–140 for the boat): Drops you directly at the entrance to your apartment's calle. 35–40 minutes. Worth splitting with other guests. We can introduce you to our trusted driver — ask when you book direct.
• Bus + Vaporetto (€1.50 + €9.50): ACTV bus to Piazzale Roma, then vaporetto. Cheapest option, takes 60–80 minutes. Fine for light luggage, exhausting with heavy bags.
• Avoid: Most airport transfer companies charging €50–80 per person for a minibus to Piazzale Roma. They are slow, overpriced, and drop you where the bus would.

Our Favourite Bacari (Venice Wine Bars)

A bacaro is a Venetian wine bar serving cicchetti — small bites, roughly equivalent to Spanish tapas. The bacaro crawl is the authentic Venetian way to eat and drink. These are genuinely our personal favourites in the Castello area:

• Magni Bevi Tasi (50 metres from La Serenissima) — one of the best bacari in Castello. Exceptional cicchetti, excellent natural wines, and a genuinely local crowd. Start here before exploring further.
• Osteria Al Mascaron (Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa) — packed, chaotic, and completely honest. The pasta with crab is essential.
• Cantina do Mori (San Polo) — the oldest bacaro in Venice, operating since 1462. Standing room only. The tramezzini are legendary.
• Alle Testiere — tiny, bookings essential, exceptional seafood. Worth the planning.
• Osteria al Portego (near Campo Santa Marina) — neighbourhood favourite, always busy with locals at aperitivo hour.
• Ask us on arrival for the bacaro of the week — our favourites change seasonally.

Venice Biennale Arte 2026

The Venice Biennale is the world's most prestigious art event, running from early May through mid-November 2026. The main venues are the Arsenale (in Castello, 10 minutes from both our apartments) and the Giardini (12 minutes). During Biennale season, Castello fills with artists, curators, collectors, gallerists, and culture-seekers from every country — the neighbourhood has a particular energy.

The 61st International Art Exhibition is titled In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh. This edition brings together 111 participants — artists, duos, collectives, and organisations — from a wide range of geographical and cultural contexts. It promises to be one of the most internationally diverse editions in the Biennale's history.

• Vernissage (preview) weeks in early May are the most exclusive — book months ahead
• Regular Biennale season (May–November) is excellent value and less crowded than vernissage
• The national pavilions at the Giardini are the most photographed part of the Biennale
• The Arsenale is the larger venue — vast industrial spaces filled with major installations
• Combined ticket for both venues available online — skip the queues

We release Biennale dates on our direct booking channel two weeks before they appear on OTA platforms. If you are planning to attend, booking direct gives you priority access to the best dates.

Five Things Only Locals Know

• Walk east, not west. Every tourist walks west from San Marco towards Rialto. Walk east into Castello and you will have the streets almost to yourself within five minutes.
• The morning Rialto market opens at 7:30am and closes by noon. The fish market in particular. Arrive before 9am for the best produce and no crowds.
• Gondola singing. You do not need to be on a gondola to hear it. Stand on any bridge near the San Marco area at dusk — the sound carries beautifully across the water for free.
• Vaporetto Line 1 vs Line 2. Line 1 stops everywhere along the Grand Canal — the tourist line. Line 2 is faster and direct. Know which one you need before you queue.
• Venice in the rain is extraordinary. Most tourists retreat indoors. The streets empty, the reflections multiply, and the city looks exactly as it did for five hundred years. Pack a good umbrella.