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Fri / Jan 22
20s / 30s / 40s / Alternative Music
Party Earth Review Produce and fish market by day and casual meeting place by night, the three squares that make up the Erbaria on the San Polo side of the Rialto Bridge create an informal meeting place for young locals and visitors alike. At the center of the city’s daytime commercial and tourist activity, the bustling Erbaria begins to ... more
Sotoportego de l'Erbaria
30125 Venice
18 and over / 20s / All Ages / Bars
Party Earth Review Located near both the University of Venice and Ca’ Foscari University, Campo Santa Margherita has earned a reputation as the primary nightlife area in Venice, and particularly caters to the area’s high-spirited student population. The square’s boisterous activity, helped along by a dozen small bars open every night until ... more
Campo Santa Margherita
30123 Venice
Affluent / All Ages / Cafés
Party Earth Review The most heavily trafficked tourist area in Venice – and hub of the delightful winter Carnevale scene – the beautiful Piazza San Marco is an historic square featuring everything from high-end boutique shopping and art to upscale restaurants and bars. Although the square is filled with vacationers snapping pictures during ... more
Piazza San Marco
30124 Venice
Much like in Rome, shopping in Venice is not often budget-friendly. While there are plenty of low-end touristy stores, the trinkets they peddle are usually so poorly made they won’t make it through the flight home.
The most heavily trafficked tourist area in Venice – and hub of the delightful winter Carnevale scene – is the beautiful Piazza San Marco, an historic square featuring everything from high-end boutique shopping and art to upscale restaurants and bars. Even more expensive clothing and gift boutiques make for great window-shopping on Calle Larga XXII Marzo, the wide street that begins west of Piazza San Marco.
Lots of souvenir shops line Frezzeria, also not far from Piazza San Marco, but the best deals are probably in Rialo Market, which is full of fresh produce, t-shirts, toy gondolas, and other assorted crap.
Where Venice shopping really succeeds is in the area of antiques, as well as famous local crafts that have been produced here for centuries like the glassware from Murano, the delicate lace from Burano, and the cartapesta (papier-mâché) Carnevale masks. Any of these will set you back considerably.
For less wallet-busting actions, Campo Santa Margherita has earned a reputation as the primary nightlife area in the city, but by day the square also teems with local residents running errands and buying fresh fruit, bread, herbs, and fish from the small vendors.
The produce and fish market squares of Erbaria on the San Polo side of the Rialto Bridge are also worth checking out, especially since the area transforms around twilight with the arrival of a gregarious pre-dinner crowd of young professionals looking to party it up.