5 Things To Do In Burano, Italy
olourful, unique and pretty things have always attracted me. Call me vain but I can’t help but be attracted to them. So, when a last minute schedule change to my Italian holiday now included Venice, it also meant that Burano was within reach.
Yes! The island of Burano! Recognised internationally as one of the 10 most colourful cities in the world (although really, it’s more like a village). For those that don’t know, Burano is a picturesque fishing island located in the Northern Venetian lagoon and is part of an archipelago of four islands connected by footbridges.
Burano is small enough for a half day trip, or make it a full day trip by visiting nearby islands. Here are my top 5 highlights when visiting Burano.
urano is a fishing village and fishing villages usually mean amazingly, fantastic seafood. Burano is no exception, in fact I had my most delicious meal in all of Italy right here.
What many tourists don’t realise is that majority of the food sold in Venice isn’t actually Venetian. That’s why a venture to Venice’s islands is worthwhile, especially if you want to try true Venetian food – it’ll taste better and cost you less that anything you’ll find on the Venice main island.
As a fan of Jamie Oliver, I remembered that in one of his TV episodes he visited Burano restaurant ‘Trattoria al Gatto Nero da Ruggero‘, where he met the ‘Risotto king of Venice’ and was taught how to make the perfect cuttlefish risotto. Naturally, the foodie inside me really wanted to eat there but the place was completely booked out by the time I arrived on the island.
Hoping I’d find a restaurant just as delicious, I stumbled across ‘Trattoria de Primo e Paolo‘. Just like Trattoria al Gatto Nero, the restaurant is a family business.
The family catches their own seafood from the lagoon every morning and it is then also prepared by the family in the restaurant.The waitstaff were so friendly and could speak English well. Unsure of what to eat, I was recommended the “antipasto misto di pescetti vari” which featured a variety of locally caught seafood prepared traditionally. Although an entrée, I was assured it would be large enough to keep me full.
I can’t say enough about the service, everyone I spoke to was really nice and the waiter took the time to explain the dish to me when it arrived. The best way to experience this dish is by starting at the bottom row and working your way up, row by row. The bottom row is all about enjoying natural seafood flavours as they are. The flavours get more and more pronounced as you work your way up the dish. The top row was where Venetian cuisine came alive and the Italians showed off their finesse for flavour combinations.
I absolutely loved it and it was worth the expensive 25 euros. Yes, pricey for a budget traveller like me, but so worth it!
Bottom: Sea Bass, Octopus, Abalone, Fish, Seabass
Middle: Prawn, octopus, octopus, prawn
Top: Mussel, Soft shell crab, shrimp, tuna
he main reason people visit Burano is to set their eyes on the brightly coloured houses that line the canals. With so much colour, I wondered if even the grumpiest person would feel a slice of happiness here.
And you know what? Yes they would, because the locals not only have houses that are every colour of the rainbow BUT they also coordinate the washing they hang up to match their houses. Therefore I conclude that this town is the happiest town alive, especially if the locals take the effort to colour coordinate the way they hang up their washing just to put a smile on the probably definitely annoying tourists that visit daily.
Turns out though, the coloured houses exist for a reason. Some say it was to help the local fishermen find their houses after fishing in the foggy winter mornings. Another source says the houses were painted the same colour as the fishermen’s boats, so if something happened to them out at sea, they would know which house to contact.
Today though, likely because of tourism, you’ll notice the houses in Burano follow a colour scheme. This is because, in order to paint your house in Burano, you need to officially request to do so from the government. If they agree, they will also let you know which colour you are allowed to paint it.
The main street on the island is the Via Galuppi and it’s where you’ll find most restaurants, souvenir shops, bars and stores selling Italian snacks and food.
Wandering away from the main streets, you’ll find a tonne of colourful alleyways that are much quieter – some are even free of tourists during peak hour. This makes a little wandering great for finding a quiet place to take photos if you were unable to beat the crowds by arriving early in the morning.
Other notable landmarks include the leaning bell tower and the Church of San Martino.
et me start with saying, you’ve been lied to. All those articles you read about Burano being “Venice’s best kept secret” with little to no tourists is a big. Fat. Lie. At least nowadays it is. Burano is overflowing with tourists from 11:30am, so if you can make an effort to catch one of the first Vaporetto from Venice! You’ll skip the tourists for a couple of hours and could probably also score a booking at the restaurant of your choice for lunch.
One thing I enjoyed about Burano was that it’s really small, which was great because it doesn’t take up a whole day on your probably already short travel itinerary. Burano is perfect for a half day trip, meaning you have the afternoon to visit surrounding islands in the Venetian lagoon, such as Murano, popular for its glass making or Mazzorbo which is connected to Burano by a wooden walk bridge. Mazzorbo is rich in history and beauty offering vineyards, traditional food, artichoke fields and fruit trees. Find about more in this small guide to Mazzorbo island, Italy.
urano’s close connection to lace goes back to its early history where, in the 1500s, Burano was becoming increasingly known for its intricate and delicate handmade lace. The fashion of the time created a high demand for lace across Europe and this continued to the late 1800s.
While tourism is the island’s biggest industry today, there are a small few that have carried on the tradition of lacemaking in Burano. For tourists looking to purchase real Burano lace it doesn’t come cheap, with small items costing 45+ euros. Burano lace can take months or even years to craft, so any cheap lace is likely Chinese imitations.
At the Museo del Merletto you can learn about the history of the craft and view 16th, 17th, and 18th century lace pieces crafted in Burano. You’ll also find beautiful gowns worn by Queen Marghertia and Jackie Kennedy that are embellished with Burano lace.
Lace making was traditionally undertaken by women together with the friends and relatives at their houses and today some of the more traditional lace shops in Burano, still have woman inside crafting up their latest creations.
f you happen to venture to Burano during a Wednesday morning, you can enjoy Burano’s fresh fish market which features fresh seafood from the Venice lagoon. All seafood is locally caught by the fisherman of Burano – what better way to sample Venice’s fresh produce.
If you’re only in Venice for a short time and didn’t have the chance to check out Murano and its history in traditional glass making, you can also watch the Murano glass work at the New Arte Fuga a small shop and glass factory located in Burano.
Lastly, consider staying overnight in Burano and you’ll be treated its heartwarming, authentic side. As the crowds begin to leave the islands for their hotels in Venice, a stunning sunset awaits. Watch as Burano is illuminated with the shimmering lights reflecting on the canal waters as the residents come out of their homes to catch up with one another or play cards and listen to music in the streets.
Getting to Burano from Venice
etting to Burano from Venice is super easy and will set you back around 40 – 45minutes.
Simply take Vaporetti (water bus) #12 from the Fondamente Nove Piere. The vaporetti also stops at Murano, Mazzorbo, Burano, Treporti and Punta Sabbioni, making a day trip to a couple of these islands super easy.
As a quick tip, water bus tickets in Venice are only valid for a certain time frame. A single ticket (one way) is only valid for 75minutes. So if you plan to go to Burano, but stop off and spend time at other islands first, you will need to buy another ticket to get to Burano. Therefore, if you plan to stop off at numerous places during the day, it might be smarter to buy a 24, 48 or 72 hour ticket.
If however, you just plan to go to Burano, a return trip to costs 15 Euro, which is expensive….but this is Venice!
