Shopping in Venice

Shopping in Venice is something special. Venice is the tourist heart of Italy’s Veneto holiday region. The region also includes part of Lake Garda, Monte Baldo, the opera city of Verona, Treviso and Padua, as well as an extensive network of lagoons and small islands. Each part of Veneto has its own distinctive features and offers a reason to explore and experience the region both in Venice and beyond. Along the way, you’ll regularly come across traditional handicrafts, local delicacies, fine wines, sometimes unique antiques and rarities, and regional products that are unmistakably Venetian. This makes Venice a uniquely wonderful shopping paradise.

Unfortunately, shopping in Venice doesn’t mean strolling along shopping boulevards like those in Milan, along Düsseldorf’s Königsallee or in Paris. Here in Veneto, you’ll still find small boutiques and the local corner shop, while some regional products can only be bought directly from the producer. For example, to buy wine, you’ll need to visit the wineries themselves. Don’t miss out on the atmosphere of a wine tasting during your holiday in Venice. Few people know that olive oil, which you’ll already find in many delicatessens, is also best bought directly from the producer. And while we’re shopping for food in Venice, be sure to ask for authentic grappa in Bassano del Grappa, Italian rice in the Bassa Veronese, and savory ham and delicious cheese at a farm stay in Venice.

But what would shopping in Venice be without clothes and handicrafts? Take heart: almost every town has a few boutiques, and at the weekly market you can usually find clothes at bargain prices. Verona is quite different, though. Verona is where you go to buy shoes in Venice—and where people wear shoes from Venice. Much the same can be said of glass handicrafts. Venetian glass comes from Murano, and fine lace from Burano. Delicate carnival masks are made here, too. But on both of these craft islands, the untrained eye should look twice. Many imitations and supposed originals actually come from other countries and are imported here so they can be sold cheaply. No two pieces of authentic Venetian glass are ever alike. Craftsmanship calls for originals.

If you still haven’t had enough, you can continue your Venetian shopping in Vicenza. This city is known as the city of gold and is world-famous for its jewelers and gold craftsmanship.