It wasn't snowing in Murano the day we visited; but had it been, I would have laid down and made a snow angel. Freedom!
Eager to leave the busy tourist beehive in Venice, the only thing that separated me from the spatial solace I yearned for was the San Michele island cemetery outside
Venice and the short vaporetti ride around it to the Island of Murano.Suggested Stay:
A day trip.
Getting To Murano:
Murano is an island, so you'll be arriving via water craft, folks. We jumped a water bus from Venice bound for Murano or you can hire a private water taxi if the mood suggests. Allow about an hour, each way, for the floating adventure.
Must See & Do:
Murano is famed for its beautiful glass so there's no better way to get started than with a history lesson spending time marveling in Murano's Glass Museum. The museum was founded in 1861 and is housed in a palace dating back over 200 years prior. While the origin of Venetian glassmaking is not precise, we can agree it's a really, really ancient art form.
The museum houses Roman works dating from the 1st century and boasts the largest historical collection of Murano glass collection in the world. Let's have a look:
Ready for more? Click here for a online peek or to purchase tickets for your visit.
There's a rich long-standing history to glass-blowing in these parts so wet your appetite by perusing the various factories in Murano.
There are well over 20 factories, which means you'll have more than enough to set your eyes on. Chandeliers, figurines, stemware, vases mirrors and more. Here's a list of many of the local glass factories and furnaces as well as historical information, glass blowing terms, glass blowing demonstrations and water bus details.
If Byzantine archi-tecture, bell towers and dragon bones are your thing, you just struck gold.
Originally built in the 7th century, the cathedral was to have been build in honor of the Virgin Mary. Inside you'll find a colorful mosaic floor and four Texas-sized bones hanging above the altar; these bones are said to have belonged to a former dragon, slain by San Donato himself. Definitely worth a look-see.
Have a peek at some more pictures of my stop in Murano here on Flickr.
Our Next Stop?
The Island of Burano. Double take. Burano (with a "B") is Murano's lesser-known lagoon friend, featuring lace making, brightly-colored houses and seaside charm. Coming this week.
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