Day Trips From

Tips and Advise for day trips from Venice by Road to Travel Inc.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The best dishes to try in Venice

Venice is well known for its architectural gems, romantic canals and gondola rides. It is also a great city for food lovers as there are many good restaurants, trattorie and traditional wine bars (“bacari”) that serve delectable Venetian specialties that the city is famous for. Here is our pick of the best traditional dishes to try.

Venice

Polenta and schie 

Smooth corn polenta is a perfect match for tiny gray shrimps called “schie” from the Venetian lagoon. In the old days, poor fishermen ate the schie that were left at the end of the day from their catch. Today, some of the best eateries have this dish on their menu.

Sarde in saor

A typical Venetian sweet-sour dish made with fried sardines marinated in vinegar, onions, raisins and pine nuts. Its origins go back to medieval times when sailors and fishermen had to store fish for months away in the sea. Nowadays, it is served as an appetizer in many restaurants and bacari.

Sarde in Saor

Bigoli in Salsa

This simple wholegrain pasta dish with onions and salted sardines has been on Venetian tables since La Serenissima republic times. Today, it is more common to use anchovies instead of sardines.

Moeche 

If you happen to be in Venice in spring or late fall, do not miss this seafood delicacy. Moeche are soft shell crabs that are deep fried and served on their own, with a salad or polenta. 

Risi e Bisi

Risi e bisi 

Like most of Venetian food, this rice, pancetta, onions and green peas dish has a long history. For centuries, it used to be served in the Doges Palace on April 25, St. Mark’s Day. Many local restaurants offer risi e bisi all year around, however, to make sure you are getting the best quality, order it only in spring when green peas are in season.

Baicoli

Locals eat these dry biscuits dipped in coffee, dessert wines or zabaione cream. You can find them in restaurants or traditional bakeries in Venice. Centuries ago, baicoli were an important part of sailors’ ration during long journeys in the sea. 


Photos via Flickr by: Juan Salmoral, Cristina Rigutto, Wei-Duan Woo.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

The Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is one of the top attractions in Venice where you can easily spend many hours wondering around surrounded by the Gothic splendour. Centrally located on the Piazza San Marco, the palace was the seat of the Venetian Republic’s government and the Doge’s residence for many centuries. 

Palazzo Ducale
The current building was constructed in the 14 -15th centuries and became a museum in 1923. The Doge’s Palace with its lavish interior décor, vast halls and priceless artworks by Venetian masters attract over a million visitors every year.

Before entering the palace, linger outside admiring its exterior with Istrian marble columns, arching windows, elaborate pink Verona marble patterns.

Scala dei Giganti
Scala dei Giganti, the impressive staircase flanked by statues of the gods Mars and Neptune leads to the main floor in the palace. The Chamber of the Great Council, built in the 14th century was where the lower house of the Venetian Parliament gathered. Measuring 53 meters in length and 25 meters in width, this is the largest room in the Doge’s Palace. The room could accommodate up to 1800 citizens entitled to vote. Here you can see Paradise by Tintoretto, the world’s largest oil painting, reaching twenty-two metres in length. The ceiling was painted by another Venetian master, Veronese.

The Council Chamber
On the second floor is the Council Chamber, one of the most spectacular chambers in the palace. Here the Doge received the most important state visitors. Here you can spend a long time admiring  the ceiling painted by Veronese as well as his stunning depiction of the Battle of Lepanto above the tribune and works by Tintoretto. The museum itinerary also includes the Doge’s apartments with exquisite painted ceilings, ornate fireplaces and paintings by Titian and Giovanni Bellini.

On a private tour you can also visit the underground dimly lit prison (“pozzi”) and see the cell where the infamous Casanova was kept captive and from which he eventually escaped.


Photos via Flickr by: Isabel Moguer, Kars Alfrink, Andrew Stawarz.