After four years, we went back to Venice for the art Biennale. As always, there was plenty to see. We booked guided tours for both venues which was really helpful in putting the different exhibits in context. 

There were also plenty of collateral events happening all over the city.

We visited the European Cultural Centre which had a large collection of various artists, an exhibition by Korean artist Kwang Young Chun, and one by Ai Weiwei at San Giorgio Island that included the largest Murano glass sculpture ever made.

Just by walking around, you stumble upon plenty of exhibitions, many of them worth visiting.

See and do:

We know Venice well, so we usually choose to stay close to the Biennale venues. Giuseppe Garibaldi is the main street in the area, where you can find plenty of restaurants and bars. In the mornings, locals stop at the floating vegetable market in the canal.

We also visited Libreria Acqua Alta for the first time, an unusual bookshop where you can spot a cat drinking water in a gondola full of books.

Food:

As always, we spent a good amount of time finding good places to eat. These were our favourites:

• Frary’s: a Middle Eastern restaurant serving plenty of vegan and veggie options, all delicious. 
• La Tecia Vegana: a vegan restaurant with a delicious selection including many Italian dishes. The orange cheesecake was amazing. You need to call them to book in advance. 
• Nevodi: a modern Italian restaurant with few but delicious veggie and vegan options. Reservations required. They also have a popular pizza takeaway across the road which is highly recommended. 
• Caffè La Serra: a beautiful cafe in a green setting, good for relaxing with a cappuccino after a day of exploring. 
• Panificio Spanio: a local bakery in Giardino with a great selection. You can smell the bread before you spot it, and it’s a great place to get a glimpse of local life in the morning.
• Gelato di Natura: grab a delicious ice cream and have it at Campo San Giacomo, a beautiful local square to have a break and people-watch.

Where to stay:

We try to avoid the tourist crowds by staying close to the biennale venues. This time we were very close to Giardini, a nice local area with easy access to other parts of Venice.