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Good morning, lovely readers! For this post I decided to share some insider advice, sharing 5 hidden spots in Venice that only few people know about – or care to visit – and that have become my highlights of the trip!

1. Scala Contarini del Bovolo
2. Sunset Spot at Cannaregio
3. Libreria Acqua Alta
4. Piazza San Marco at 6AM
5. The Pink House on Burano

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1. Scala Contarini del Bovolo

I stumbled across photos of the Scala Contarini on Pinterest, while planning our trip. “Scala” means staircase and “Contarini” is the name of the family who used to live in the palazzo. I put it on our list of things to do when we have time to spare because I didn’t really expect much of it – or have you ever heard of it before?

Anyway, I’m soo glad we decided to pay it a visit because it definitely turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! The palazzo is hidden in the backstreets and fortunately there were signs that led the way. For only 7€ you can buy a ticket to climb the stairs to the top where you can enjoy the beautiful view over the roofs of Venice and the over 500 years old Tintoretto paintings in the small exhibition room. Highly recommendable!

Address: San Marco, Corte del Maltese

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2. This beautiful sunset spot in Cannaregio

We found this by coincidence on our way to dinner one night. We looked up a restaurant online that is located on the very northern point of Venice in the sestiere Cannaregio where you can dine directly beside the canal. Only a few meters past the restaurant the canal led into the wide lagoon and around the corner many photographers mingled on the promenade and others were just sitting on the edge, legs dagling over the water and enjoyed the view.

Address: Fondamenta San Giobbe, at the very end.

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3. Libreria Acqua Alta

Another highlight of this trip was this hidden gem in the middle of sestiere San Marco that almost no one knows about! A book shop that’s literally LOADED with all sorts of books, all stacked on one another. An eye catcher is the original sized gondola, stretching along the center of the shop that’s also (obviously) filled with books. Another highlight can be found in the backyard where the owner build a staircase out of old books to create an overlook of the canal system stretching out behind the wall. When we walked by in the morning it was almost empty – therefore a good time to take pictures!

Address: Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, 5176/B

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4. Piazza San Marco, 6AM

Many of you will think I’m insane. And when the alarm that morning rang at 5am I thought the same. But forcing ourselves out of bed and walking the deserted streets to (also deserted) Piazza San Marco is something I would recommend to anyone going to Venice. Okay, I admit that the piazza is not exactly a hidden spot since it’s the absolute main attraction of the city, but visiting it at sunrise surely makes it looks entirely different.

Not only is the light absolutely beautiful, covering the facades and water in a beautiful sunrisy glow, but it is also the best time to visit the square. Later in the day it quickly starts to fill up and soon you won’t be able to move around without bumping in numerous groups of tourists trying to take photos with their newly bought selfie sticks.

This was the only day we went to Piazza San Marco. We didn’t go in the basilica or the tower since we’ve done that a couple years ago and wanted to avoid the touristy crowds as good as possible. And watching the sleepy Venice slowly come to life – bar owners setting up the tables on the streets, fisher boats coming into the city to sell their catch, marketers setting up their stalls and pigeons flying over the roofs – is such a different and unique experience you definitely shouldn’t miss!

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5. The Pink House on Burano

Burano – the Island that’s located about 45mins from Venice, once famous for it’s fabrics and delicate laces, now famous for it’s brightly colored buildings.

One of those buildings is what I call The Pink House, which is pretty self explanatory. Some of you might have already seen it around social media since it’s a favorite spot among Bloggers. Burano is very small so it’s not very hard to find, located on a small square off the main canal.

Address: Calle de le Botte, Burano

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Have you already been at one of those places? Or are there any other spots you could recommend? I would be happy to read your stories in the comments! 🙂