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Islands of the LagoonFrom: Venice's Top 11 Free Sights
ABOVE: A vaporetto approaches the cemetery island of San Michele. Venice is a city of islands (about 100 in all) that lie 4 km or 2.5 miles off the Italian mainland in a shallow, brackish lagoon. Although most of the islands lie close together and are linked by bridges, not all are: Some are accessible only by boat, with trips ranging from about 6 to 45 minutes according to distance. This means you'll need a waterbus ticket to reach the islands, but sightseeing will be free once you get there. (You'll save money with a 12-hour to 7-day tourist card, for more on boats and fares, see our Vaporetto Routes and Vaporetto Fares pages.) The islands of most interest to tourists are:
For more information on visiting the islands, click the links below. Afterwards, go to the printable list of Venice's Top 11 Free Sights, which you can take on your trip to Venice. Related articles: Next page: Printable 'Top 11 Free Sights' list
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San
Michele, Venice's public cemetery. The walled island is only a few
minutes from the Fondamente Nove vaporetto stop, and it's a surprisingly
cheerful place to visit. The Catholic sections are well-maintained, with
high-rise mausoleums for the residents' bones (which are usually removed from
underground graves after 12 years), while the Reformed and Orthodox sections
have the atmosphere of old British or New England churchyards.
Murano,
the center of the Venetian Lagoon's glassmaking industry since 1291 A.D. You can
visit a factory and watch a glassmaker at work without paying (or buying)
anything. The island also has several nice churches and two glass museums, one
of which--the Barvovier & Toso Museum--is free.
Burano,
traditionally Venice's lacemaking island, which has an interesting lace museum
(admission charge) and is famous for its brightly painted houses. A wooden
footbridge connects Burano to Mazzorbo, a satellite island with
a modern council-housing estate that's worth visiting if you're intrigued by
architecture or urban design.
Torcello,
which once had a greater population than Venice and is just a few minutes from
Burano by a connecting boat line. Even if you're on a tight budget, you should
pay to visit the thousand-year-old cathedral with its stunning Byzantine gold
and stone mosaics. Buy a combination ticket that includes the tower, which is
easy to climb and offers great views of the island and the Lagoon.
The
Lido is a residential suburb with a lively shopping district.
Cars and buses are allowed, so watch out for the mostly slow-moving traffic.
(The island's sightseeing possibilities are minimal, but you can walk to the
beach--which is on the opposite side of the narrow island from the boat
landing--and wet your feet in the Adriatic Sea.)
