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Picture-perfect Burano was one of the highlights of our trip to Venice. It’s known for its colorful homes and lace work, and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Venice and its Lagoon.
Getting There
To get to Burano, we took a vaporetto from the Fondamente Nove ferry terminal in the Cannaregio district of Venice. The ride takes just under 40 minutes, but we decided to get off at Mazzorbo and take the short walk to Burano instead. It’s also just a five minute ride to neighboring Torcello.
Colorful Homes
Once on Burano, we fell in love with the brightly colored houses. We took a good half hour wandering through the narrow streets, alongside canals, and crossing small bridges while taking in the scenery.
As far as the houses are concerned, it’s interesting to point out that the colors are strictly regulated. If someone wants to paint their home, they must file a request with the government. The government will then respond with a list of colors permitted for the area.
Although filled with tourists on day trips from Venice, Burano still had a peaceful and quiet air about it. At the western end, we were able to look across the lagoon and see Venice, which seemed a world away at that point.
Piazza Baldassare Galuppi
We turned back towards the center of the island where we found Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, the main square.
Church of San Martino
A large 16th century church, the Church of San Martino (Chiesa di San Martino) sits on the south side of the square. When you visit the island, you might notice that the bell tower leans slightly. It was built between 1703 and 1714 by architect Andrea Tirali.
Lace Museum
On the square is the Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto), which chronicles Burano’s lace industry. The women on the island began making lace in the 16th century after it was introduced from Cyprus. Lacemaking declined in the 18th century but made a comeback when a lacemaking school opened in 1872. Nowadays, very few women continue to make lace the traditional way and the craft is slowly dying.
The Lace Museum is open daily except Mondays. Admission is €5 (as of September 2023) or free for holders of the Museum Pass. Unfortunately it was closed.
Merletti dalla Olga
Several shops in Burano sell lace and it’s good to shop around. We visited a few of the shops, but our favorite was Merletti dalla Olga, located on Piazza Baldassare Galuppi near the church. Although we didn’t purchase anything, we enjoyed our experience.
The saleswomen showed us around the store, giving us a quick lesson on how to tell the difference between handmade and machine made lace. We also got to see one of the older women making lace, as well as an impressive piece that cost €4,999 and took a couple years to complete.
Via Baldassare Galuppi
Next, we walked down the main street in Burano, Via Baldassare Galuppi. It contains several restaurants and shops selling lace products and other souvenirs.
Trattoria da Primo
For lunch, we sat down at Trattoria da Primo. It’s a friendly place that serves excellent seafood dishes at reasonable prices. We started off with a seafood stew. I had spaghetti with calamari in its own ink while Marisol had fish on a bed of vegetables. Both of our meals were tasty, and service was excellent.
More Scenery
Finally, before heading to the ferry terminal to continue to Torcello, we walked along some more of the canals and enjoyed the beautifully colored homes.
