How to Shop in Venice - Venice: A Travel Guide to Murano Glass, Carnival Masks, Gondolas, Lace, Paper and More - page 2

modate tourist traffic, most stores and businesses in Venice follow the Italian tradition of
opening around 9:00 or 10:00am, then closing around noon or 12:30pm for the midday
meal. A two- or three-hour siesta can be frustrating for some international travelers who
are unaccustomed to the midday hiatus and are trying to pack as much as possible into the
day. There is not much to do about it other than sitting at a table and ordering a glass of
Prosecco and a plate of risotto, so enjoy! Most shops reopen around 3:30pm, and remain
open until around 7:30 or 8:00pm.
Keep in mind that many of the individual workshops you will want to visit and buy from
may not adhere to this schedule at all. It is common to find an artisan studio inexplicably
closed. Sometimes you will find a note on the door indicating what time they expect to re-
turn; other times you may find the shop battened down during regular business hours with
no indication of their plans to reopen. It's all part of the serendipity of exploring Venice, so
keep an open mind.
Why does everything look so… Venetian?
As you wander the streets of Venice, you will quickly absorb the city's visual
style—opulent, vibrant, and dominated by a rich palette of crimson, sapphire blue, and
gold. Venetian wares are fancy: handmade wooden furniture with curvilinear forms and
gilded scrolls; blown glass with delicate swirls and rich, saturated color; lace collars with