Venice Day Trips

Two day trips to consider while in Venice are Murano and Burano. 

MURANO 

Murano is the glass island of Venice.  Murano is 7 islands linked together by bridges.  You can catch the vaporetto line 42 from Saint Mark's Square over to Murano. 
 
Travel tip: Beware of the scams offering to take you on a free boat ride to see the glassworks at Murano or the lace in Burano. You’ll pay for your “free” ride with the grossly overpriced shops you’re escorted to, and may find yourself obligated to pay more than you thought you’d agreed to.

7 things to see on Murano island

1. Glass factories

2. Glass museum

3. Basilica of Saint Mary and Saint Donatus

4. The Church of Saint Peter the Martyr
Chiesa di San Pietro Martire was built in 1506. It houses the chapel of the Ballarin family and art works by Bellini.
 
5. Campo Santo Stefano
One of the most visited spots on the island, Campo Santo Stefano is well-known for the abstract blue glass starburst sculpture in the middle of the square. Next to it are the Church of St. Stephen and its 19th Century clock tower.

6. Palazzo Da Mula
This was a luxurious summer residence of the Venetian patricians. The ornate facade features large Gothic windows and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Veneto-Byzantine patere and panels from the 12th and 13th centuries.
 
7. Murano glass shops
Murano is known for its exquisite, hand-crafted glass worldwide. Besides that, there is not much else worth buying – unless you’re in the market for postcards and other standard tourist souvenirs.
 
Buying glass? Keep these tips in mind
Travel tip: Never sign a contract that’s not in English, and use a healthy dose of skepticism if anyone offers to “translate” it for you.
Travel tip: Because so many souvenir shops try to pass off cheap Chinese counterfeits as Murano glass, true Murano glass is now protected with a trademark. Look for the “Vetro Murano Artistico” trademark decal in the windows of shops and showrooms that sell authentic Murano glass.

BURANO 

Burano is a extremely colorful fishing village.  Families used to paint their homes in bright colors to designate where their family’s quarters ended and a neighbor’s began, as well as to make their homes more visible from the sea. The tradition has stuck.  Today, Burano is a rainbow of fun, bright colors—and the perfect place for that great Venice photo-up.  While there are touristy parts of Burano, much it still has the working-island feel that can be hard to find on Venice. Fishing boats come in at the end of the day with their catch; local women peer over their flower boxes at the tourists wandering below.
 
Back in the 16th century, the women of Burano started stitching lace. The work was extremely exacting—in fact, each woman specialized in a single stitch, and since there are seven stitches in total, each piece would have to be passed from woman to woman to finish. That’s why one handmade lace centerpiece for a tablecloth takes about a month to do!
 
Because of that amount of work and how expensive it necessarily makes handmade lace, much of the lace you see being sold in Burano’s stores today is made by machine. But if you want a glimpse of what lace was like in the time when it was all done by hand, you’ve still got some options.
 
Try La Perla, a lace shop on the main street, where handmade products range from tablecloths and doilies to Venetian masks and babies’ booties. Women often are stationed inside, stitching away, so you can even see how it’s done. (La Perla is located on Via Galuppi 376, the main road in town). If you’re especially fascinated by lace and textiles, stop at the Scuola del Merletto, a museum with some excellent examples of 16th and 17th-century lace, along with the beautiful, lace-trimmed gown worn by Queen Margherita, the Jackie Kennedy of late 19th-century Italy. (The Scuola del Merletto is located on Burano’s main piazza of Baldassare Galuppi).
 
Getting there:
One vaporetto line runs from Venice to Burano: the 12. The large, express ferry runs from Venice’s San Zaccaria stop (near St. Mark’s), to Burano and Murano, with another stop at Venice’s Fondamente Nove stop. It takes about 45 minutes, and costs €6.50 per person.