City Trip - Venice 02/2026

Foreword:

Venice – La Serenissima – the city with its 468 bridges. Many of you are probably thinking: overrun with tourists, pouring rain and fog at this time of year, the constant struggle to find the perfect photo location. There are plenty of excuses to stay away: crowds, too little or no wildlife to photograph, too many clichés. I, too, have repeatedly used these excuses.

But last week, my perspective changed: cheap train tickets flashed up on the screen, and I asked myself, why not, so close to Carnival? In February, when rain, sun, and fog paint the city with masks of haze between the canals, something special could happen. Since I have this week off, I pressed the "Book" button, and so tomorrow my new chapter begins: Off to Venice!

What awaits me? Perhaps quiet morning moods at the Giardini, or encounters with locals who live their everyday lives between palaces and bridges. I want to look behind the facades, capture the moods of light and water, and discover the unique beyond the familiar motifs.

Arrival

Early in the morning, I took the regional train to the main station. There, I changed to the Eurocity to Venice, which was already waiting on track 12, and looked for my reserved seat in first class. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to choose in advance whether I wanted a window seat facing the direction of travel. And, of course, I was assigned exactly the opposite. There were three other passengers in my compartment. I waited until the train departed, then took another look around first class and found a compartment without reservations. I moved and finally had a window seat facing the direction of travel. The train traveled to Italy via Rosenheim and a few stations in Austria. The view from the window as you travel through the Alps is magnificent. I enjoyed the seven and a half hours in my compartment all by myself, watching movies, sleeping a little, and looking at the passing landscape again and again. The train reached Venice with a slight delay.

I left the station there and decided to walk to my hotel, which is located in a side street very close to St. Mark's Square. You might think that it would be expensive, but surprisingly, it wasn't. I compared prices in advance and it was even cheaper than some other hotels further away. And for me, who likes to go out for a photo shoot before breakfast in the morning, it's perfect. So I walked through the alleys with my little suitcase, up and down stairs, towards St. Mark's Square. And I have to say, just the walk to the hotel was enough to make me love Venice. The narrow streets, the bridges, it's all wonderful. The people in their carnival costumes or masks, I felt like I was in a dream. And it wasn't even that busy. I checked into the hotel, paid the city tax, and moved into my small, winding room.

Then I grabbed my camera equipment and set off to explore the city a little. After a good two minutes, I arrived at St. Mark's Square. Of course, it was teeming with tourists. There was also a DJ playing music, and people dressed up in costumes were everywhere. They were popular photo subjects.

I noticed that there were also some professional photographers around. I didn't stay there long because I wanted to go to "Calle Contarini del Bovolo." It is a Gothic palace in the San Marco district near Campo Manin. But when I got there, it was already closed. So I continued walking through the alleys until I came to "Ponte della Paglia" and the harbor. There, people were busy posting and taking photos again.

I didn't stay here long and continued strolling through the San Marco district until I eventually reached the Rialto Bridge.

But it was too busy here for me, so I looked for an inexpensive restaurant away from the main attractions. And after a while, I found a small Italian restaurant that had affordable prices.

Back at the hotel, I got everything ready for the next day, took a closer look at the city map, and turned off the light early, because the alarm clock would wake me up very early again tomorrow.

Day 1 – Carnival in Venice

Before breakfast, while it was still dark, I left the hotel and headed for St. Mark's Square. Fortunately, there was no one around at that time of day, and I was able to take a few shots during the blue hour. What made it special was that it had rained during the night, so I was also able to capture a few reflections. The downside was that there was water everywhere, so you got wet feet.

There was a bit more going on at the Doge's Palace, also known as the Palazzo Ducale, where numerous photographers gathered around the people in costume. Almost all of them were equipped with flashes and tripods. I didn't, of course, but I still managed to take a few photos. Afterwards, I went to the harbor and other places by the water to try to capture a few photos of the gondolas. Unfortunately, there was no fog, but it was raining again. So I started photographing the masks and the people behind them. Everyone was talented at striking different poses and had fun doing so.

After about two hours of taking photos, I went back to the hotel, had breakfast, and rested for a few minutes.

Then I walked over to Santa Maria della Salute, located in the Dorsoduro district, a district south of San Marco known for its art galleries, universities, and lively student life. The name Dorsoduro literally means "hard back." This refers to the fact that the ground on which the district is built is rocky and did not have to be created, as was the case elsewhere in Venice. This district is home to attractions such as the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, two Leonardo da Vinci museums, and the Punta della Dogana. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Accademia, and the Pinault Collection-Punta Dogana are also located in this district.

To get to that part of town, I crossed the Ponte dell'Accademia bridge, which spans the Grand Canal and offers beautiful views in both directions.

I strolled through the narrow streets, crossing small bridges again and again until I arrived at the other end, at Santa Maria della Salute. Here, too, I took a few photos, walked around, and spotted a couple of pelicans. And then I couldn't believe my eyes. I actually saw dolphins swimming in the lagoon. Unfortunately, I didn't have my telephoto lens with me, but it was still a great moment.

Afterwards, I walked to the Ponte dei Pugni bridge. Fruit and vegetables are sold from a boat there. A little further on, I wanted to take a look at the "Bansky painting," but when I got there, it was covered up because it is currently being restored. What a shame.

Before leaving the neighborhood again, I treated myself to a cappuccino and a doughnut.

Refreshed, I took a stroll through the San Polo neighborhood. It is known for the Rialto Market and the Rialto Bridge. It is also a bustling commercial center, home not only to souvenir shops and restaurants, but also to many small businesses.

When I arrived at the Rialto Market, they were already packing up. Once again, I was too late. Maybe I'll stop by again in the next few days. At some point, I arrived in Venice's largest district, Castello. Literally translated, Castello means castle or fortress. However, there is no real castle or fortress to be seen here. It is slightly less frequented by tourists than other areas, which makes for a more authentic atmosphere. Here, you can get a glimpse into the daily life of the locals.

My destination was an old bookstore, which I found. And there I was able to really let loose with my camera. Once I was satisfied with my photos, I strolled through the alleys a bit more until I came back to the harbor and returned to the hotel.

I rested and then found out what other beautiful things I could see and photograph over the next few days. In the late afternoon, I visited St. Mark's Square, the promenade, and the districts of San Marco and Castello again. I also looked for a small mask for myself, but I haven't found one yet. Let's see if I can even decide with so many options.

Finally, I discovered an inexpensive Italian restaurant where I had dinner and returned to the hotel after walking nearly 29,000 steps.

Day 2: Across Venice

Today, I went out before sunrise again to capture the morning atmosphere and the people in costume. Despite the rain, it felt busier than yesterday. There was no beautiful sunrise, but I took more photos during the blue hour with a little fog.

Half frozen and a little tired, I returned to the hotel after the first photo session, had breakfast, and then warmed up a little in my room before setting off on foot through the San Polo district, which is located in the center of Venice. I strolled through the back streets. Today, I managed to stop by the Rialto Market. However, it wasn't very busy there. The small winding alleys and squares were almost empty, with hardly anyone to be seen, even though it was already tourist season.

I had chosen the Cannaregio district as my destination. It is the longest of Venice's six districts in terms of distance, but the smallest in terms of area. The district is very lively thanks to its numerous shops and restaurants. Here, the life of the locals mixes with the hustle and bustle of the tourists. The main railway station, Santa Lucia, is also located in this district. From there, the route leads north over the Ponte delle Guglie to the Jewish Ghetto. Yes, it is still called that today. Historically, Cannaregio was the center of Venice's Jewish community, which is why traces of this rich cultural history can still be found here today, including synagogues and the Jewish Museum. Incidentally, the Jewish ghetto of Venice was the first in Europe (16th century) and thus gave its name to all other Jewish ghettos in Europe.

Here, too, there was a lot going on only in the main streets; away from them, you could stroll in peace and enjoy the atmosphere. In a canal away from the Grand Canal, I found a nice café where I treated myself to a second breakfast.

Then I continued on toward the "Castello." There, I looked around the side streets again. Again and again, I discovered new corners and alleys.

In the early afternoon, I returned to the hotel and took a short break. I spent the afternoon in San Marco. There, too, I kept finding new places, alleys, and photo locations. At some point, the blue sky finally appeared, and I thought maybe there would be a beautiful sunset, so I made my way to the promenade. But there was no colorful sunset, instead I got to see a small parade.

I searched for a while for somewhere to have dinner until I found a small, inexpensive restaurant in San Polo. I kept finding restaurants that had two menus: one for locals and one for tourists. The food was 2-3 euros more expensive on the tourist menu. Today, I walked everywhere again and ended up with 26,000 steps on my pedometer. I prefer walking because you simply discover more that way.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving the historic center of Venice for a day to explore two small islands in the lagoon.

Day 3 Burano, Murano, and Venice sink into the fog

While it was still dark, I walked through the alleys of Venice to the "F.te Nove 'A'" vaporetto station, located in the Cannaregio district.

There I waited for line 12. On the vaporetto, I bought a 24-hour ticket for 25 euros from one of the crew members and rode it for about 45 minutes to Burano, a small fishing island also known for its colorful houses.

The island was still fast asleep and only slowly waking up. Fog drifted through the alleys and across the lagoon, creating a truly mystical atmosphere despite the colorful houses. When the sun is shining, it must be a dream here, but then there are probably crowds of tourists too.

After exploring the island, I had breakfast in one of the many small cafés and took the vaporetto back, stopping off at Murano Island, which is famous for its glass factories. Here, too, I strolled through the alleys and was able to visit two factories, where I was even allowed to take some photos. But I didn't find the island particularly appealing, so I returned to Venice in the early afternoon.

Passing through Cannaregio and Castello, I came back to St. Mark's Square. But by now it was teeming with people, so I sought out some narrow streets again and treated myself to a tiramisu to go.

Afterwards, I returned to St. Mark's Square and the promenade, because there were some interesting costumes and people to photograph there again. But at some point it became too crowded for me, so I left the area and strolled on to the "Castello" district. There I found another square with some people in costume. I focused solely on portraits.

After a good haul, I went back to the hotel, rested a bit, packed everything up, charged my batteries, and then headed back out into the nightlife, because I still needed to take some night shots.

Departure

I got up early one last time to capture the morning atmosphere in Venice. But instead of walking to St. Mark's Square and the promenade, I tried to capture the small alleys and their bridges at the blue hour, which I managed to do relatively well. It was still quiet. But that was about to change.

Afterwards, I naturally stopped by St. Mark's Square and the promenade again, where photographers had gathered around the costumed figures, who were bathed in flashes of light. It was all too much for me, so I sought out quiet scenes and moments.

Unfortunately, it soon started to rain really heavily. That was my cue to return to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, I packed my things and checked out. I left my suitcase at the hotel and explored San Polo and San Marco one last time. And in both districts, I discovered new corners.

But Saturday made itself felt. Wave after wave of new crowds poured into Venice, accompanied by rain and umbrellas everywhere. It just wasn't fun anymore. I picked up my suitcase and walked through Cannaregio to the train station. Shortly before arriving, I stopped at an Italian restaurant, had lunch, and treated myself to a cappuccino, because I had to kill some time before my train left.

At the train station itself, I realized once again that it was Saturday, as it was almost impossible to get through. But my train was already waiting. On the way back, I had a whole compartment to myself again, so I enjoyed the return journey.

Back in Munich, I took the S-Bahn and bus home. The bus driver stopped right in front of my street, because after 9 p.m., buses will stop outside bus stops for women on request to ensure their safety.

Arrivederci, Venezia!