Your tips on where to find calm and authenticity in Venice

An old monastery, Don Orione Artigianelli Cultural Center It is beautifully located near the Academy Gallery. The rooms are simple and clean (there’s also a huge family room under the roof) and breakfast is served on a gorgeous patio. It is quiet and affordable.

—Diane Segalen, Executive Search, France

He Querini Stampalia FoundationThe garden, designed by the renowned architect. Carlos ScarpaIt is a hidden oasis in Venice. Seamlessly combining water, stone and vegetation, Scarpa’s design integrates modernist elements with traditional Venetian features. The tranquil atmosphere is enhanced by the garden’s elegant lines, reflecting pools and complex use of materials, offering a tranquil retreat from the city. A must visit for those looking for a unique and serene experience.

— Pietro Cusimano, analyst, London

Don’t stay in San Marcos and fight the crowds day and night. Book a small family-run hotel like Hotel Villa Mabapa or one of the many apartments on the Lido and enjoy the space to walk your dogs, the beaches, the local shops and restaurants, such as Valentino. In the evening, enjoy sunset cocktails and dinner at the Hotel Villa Lagunalooking back across the lagoon to San Marco, and then across the island to one of the many bars along the Lungomare (such as Marconi) for a drink. Getting to the city or the other islands couldn’t be simpler: just take a vaporetto from the Lido boat station. There’s even parking on the Lido: take the car ferry from Tronchetto and enjoy a cruise along the Giudecca canal.

— Mark Bloomfield, business consultant, Stoos, Switzerland

the church of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli Dorsoduro is as far away as possible from the crowds that besiege Venice. My wife and I have been going to Venice for decades and we literally stumbled upon it while taking a different path to Zattere along the Giudecca canal. It’s hard to think of a smaller, quieter, more comforting place in Venice. Come in, sit down and finally be alone with your thoughts for a few minutes.

—Andrew Sammons, Conegliano

Campo Santa Margherita is a great place to feel like you are hanging out with people who really live in the city. On Fridays or Saturdays, around 10:00 p.m., the bars fill with students and young people dancing in the square and socializing. On a warm winter night it is a blessing.

And one last tip that most people overlook: check out the corner of San Marcos, next to the Letter Cover (which connects the Doge’s Palace with San Marco). There is a small purple statue built into the wall of the cathedral, an extraordinary relic of the Tetrarchy of 300 AD

— Will Tomsett, investment manager, London

On Giudecca Island, the former Dreher brewery was converted into a space for galleries and artists. The place has been left practically as it was, with red bricks, chimneys and concrete walls. Inside, boutique galleries and artists have their own space in the silence. It is worth mentioning is Michelle Rizzoone of the main contemporary art galleries in the city.

— Leandro Gualario, investment professional, Madrid

There are things that happen every day (regular city services) that tourists do not notice or pay attention to. I have been fascinated by the police boats outside the town hall and the fire boats at their fire station right next to the Grand Canal. If you get up early, keep an eye out for boats bringing fresh linens to Grand Canal hotels and taking away yesterday’s clothes. There is also the gondola shipyard. Squero de San Trovasothat has been there for centuries. It’s a chance to see authentic history alive. Even after eight trips, Venice is still a place where time travel is possible. find a quiet place field and hear footsteps coming and going over bridges, through narrow passages. Nowhere else is it like it.

— Victoria Sterling, retired attorney, Chicago, USA

Not a specific location, but a book: The Venice Secret Service by Ioanna Iordanou offers a phenomenal insight into the secrets of the city’s history of espionage and intelligence, and how this can be seen in things like the city’s architecture.

—Lewis Sage-Passant, associate professor of intelligence and espionage, Sciences Po Paris, Paris

On the north side of the island, in Cannaregio, the courtyard of Venice Combo It’s another great place to have a drink and relax. A former Jesuit monastery that has since been converted into a hostel, the building is impressive (try climbing the stairs to see the main staircase and the frescoes on its walls) – well worth a visit. The adjacent Jesuit church is also impressive.

— Derek Lee, solicitor, London

Scirocco Wind is a charming and authentic shop next to Piazza San Marco that sells many different things made by local artisans, from Murano glass necklaces and earrings to artistic clothing and candles. The owner is a young local woman who opened the store less than two years ago.

— Beatrice Guzzardi, journalist, Venice

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