... visit unique markets and festivals, indulge at your favorite patisserie, and enjoy nights at rooftop bars ...
The Spiral of the Galaxy artwork was on display during an earlier Biennale. Image credit: Matthias Scholz/Alamy Stock Photo
Day 2: Indulge in Island Hopping
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute was built in the 17th century. Image credit: 4Corners/Johanna Huber
Get dressed up in your finest for an unforgettable night at Venice’s magnificent Teatro La Fenice – maybe an opera like Tosca or Berg’s Wozzeck; a Schubert or Strauss concert; or a contemporary ballet. At the interval, follow savvy locals who pop outside for a bubbly Prosecco and tasty tramezzino sandwich at the adjacent Bar al Teatro.
Day 1: Explore the Shops and Culture
The Biennale includes numerous exhibitions dotted around Venice, free of charge, and often located in palaces and churches that are not usually open to the public. Take your time wandering the backstreets to discover Lithuania’s presentation in a hidden Renaissance jewel, the frescoed Santa Maria dei Derelitti church, or the sumptuous Palazzo Franchetti on the Grand Canal, where Qatar presents the intriguing theme, My Home Is Your Home.
Day 3: Experience the Bienniale
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NEIGHBORHOODS
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Eat & Drink
Shop
Morning.
Afternoon.
Evening.
Morning.
12 P.M.
Morning.
Afternoon.
Stroll around the Dorsoduro neighborhood, where tiny canals are lined with discrete palazzi and intimate churches like San Sebastiano conceal Veronese’s wondrous Renaissance frescoes, recently restored by Save Venice. Walk along the romantic Zattere waterfront toward Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, and hidden away on a tiny bridge by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection museum, check out the seductive jewelry and goblets created at Genninger Studio. The American designer has been working with Murano masters for 30 years.
Head for under-the-radar Cannaregio district to discover historic botteghe stores showcasing local craftspeople. In his ancient Antica Stamperia, Gianni Basso handprints exquisite bespoke stationery, with clients including movie stars, musicians, and royalty. The wood-paneled Farmacia Santa Fosca dates back to 1701, selling the aromatic artisan perfumes of The Merchant of Venice, while in the tiny atelier of young stylist Alessandra Micolucci, you’ll find one-off contemporary fashion designs.
The nation specializes in elegant oolongs, a semi-fermented tea with flavor profiles from bright and flowery to deep and milky. At the Stop By Teahouse, the owner is always eager to share his passion for tea and guide you through each flavor profile. His hospitality and array of eclectic teapots makes it feel like you’ve stumbled across someone’s personal tea collection in their home.
Hop on the vaporetto water boat across the lagoon to Sant’Erasmo, Venice’s market garden, growing vegetables sold in the Rialto market. Book a cantina tasting at Orto, a vineyard where French vigneron Michel Thoulouze produces high-quality wines served in fine-dining restaurants around the world. Hike through fields planted with artichokes and asparagus to catch another vaporetto to nearby Burano.
Cultural Venice comes alive during the alternating Art and Architecture Biennales, a unique occasion to visit the eclectic national pavilions in the verdant Giardini gardens and sprawling industrial space of the Arsenale. Running until November 23, this year’s Biennale d’Architettura explores provocative issues under the title Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. Every pavilion has something original and challenging, but try to track down the historic U.S. pavilion in Giardini.
St Mark’s Campanile bell tower stands tall above Piazza San Marco and the city beyond. Image credit: 4Corners/Manfred Bortoli
Image credit: Shutterstock. Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake are roughly ten miles from Aspen
A fall getaway is the perfect time to escape the crowds and indulge in everything La Serenissima has to offer
Venice
By JOHN BRUNTON
72 Hours in...
By Jennifer Walker
Vienna
72 Hours in...
September 2025 (Volume 29)
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Reserve a window table offering the ultimate romantic view over the Piazza, and indulge in a tasting menu featuring unique dishes
December 2024 (Volume 26)
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The new season begins in style in Venice each September with the sumptuous Regata Storica, glamorous Mostra Film Festival, and Venice Glass Week. Then, as fall turns to winter, the city lives up to its nickname – La Serenissima, Italian for “The Most Serene” – with fewer visitors, when it’s easy to get that sought-after restaurant reservation and there’s time to slow down and enjoy traversing the lagoon and its islands.
Feast off seafood cicchetti tapas at Ai Banky, a new osteria run by former fishmongers. Brightly painted fishermen’s cottages display Burano’s famous handmade lace, while for luxury creations, visit Martina Vidal’s exclusive atelier. A vaporetto will drop you off at another island, Murano, renowned for its glassmaking. Browse the collections of Venini and Barovier&Toso or witness a dramatic demonstration at one of the furnaces open to the public, like Gino Mazzuccato.
Afternoon.
Enjoy a foodie feast of traditional Venetian cuisine back in Venice at Alla Rivetta, a 50-year-old trattoria beloved by gondoliers. Everyone is welcomed like family, and you’ll be torn between choosing menu highlights such as spaghetti topped with tender ink-black cuttlefish; a huge plate of fritto misto, deep-fried fish and vegetables; or classic fegato alla veneziana, delicate calf liver and onions.
Evening.
Take a seat at Caffè Florian, where Venetians congregate, and enjoy a refreshing Tintoretto cocktail of Prosecco and pomegranate juice. Then cross the Piazza San Marco to Quadri, the gastronomic restaurant of famed three-Michelin-Starred chef Max Alajmo. Reserve a window table offering the ultimate romantic view over the Piazza, and indulge in a tasting menu featuring unique dishes such as Venetian soft-shell crab stuffed with langoustines and baby artichoke.
Venice is the ultimate destination whatever the season, from enchanting summer blue skies to mystical moments when La Serenissima is shrouded in a bewitching winter mist. These days there is no longer the unpredictable high waters of Acqua Alta, as the dependable Mose sea gates rise up to protect this unique floating city from flood tides.
Evening.
3 P.M.
While in Georgetown, spend some time admiring the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks. If time allows, visit the on-site museum, home to an impressive collection of Pre-Columbian and Byzantine art.
Feeling hungry? You’ll find D.C.’s Little Ethiopia in Shaw. Try the Michelin-recommended Chercher Restaurant. Then explore Meridian Hill Park, once the site of President John Adams’ home and a campground for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Today, D.C. residents can be seen picnicking with friends or joining the rhythmic Sunday afternoon drum circle, a tradition since 1984.
12 P.M.
Start your day with a guided tour of the U.S. Capitol for a behind-the-scenes look at the Crypt, National Statuary Hall, and the Rotunda. The grounds lead out onto the National Mall, a roughly two-mile-long green space lined with free Smithsonian Institution museums, art galleries, and sculpture gardens.
Just south of the National Mall, the International Spy Museum offers displays featuring the world’s most famous spies – fictional and real – and their gadgets. See James Bond’s car collection from the 007 films (through September 2025) and test your spy skills by completing undercover missions around the museum.
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