Venice: The Monocle Travel Guide Series

Like the tide that laps knee-high against its fine palazzos, Venice is ever-changing. Since its bog-like beginnings as a collection of mini islands in swampy marshland, the city has been forced to use its initiative. Today, faced with floods of day-trippers and acqua alta alike, it continues to rely on innovative ideas. Whether it's a museum with groundfloor channels to cope with high water levels or a theatre in a warehouse once used for stretching sails, it capitalises on its lagoon location and spouts ingenuity.

The Monocle Travel Guide to Venice looks beyond the teeming tourist traps to discover La Serenissima's true charms, from classical and contemporary architectural wonders to galleries brimming with both Venetian and international works of art. We've wended our way through the city's willowy calli to find the trattorias offering the finest seafood, as well as the best bàcari to visit when you're craving a spritz. Venice is made for walking so we've mapped out four neighbourhood trails that will show you the way, as well as our favourite independent shops and the plushest hotels.

Monocle reports from around the globe in print, on radio, and online. As its editors and correspondents dart from city to city, they get to know the best places to rest their heads, stretch their limbs, and kick back with a contact in a hard-to-find cocktail bar. That information is now available in Monocle’s Travel Guide Series: a line-up of titles that speaks to you in an informed but informal way about everything from architecture to art, late-night bars to early-morning markets. These are books that go beyond the traditional tourist beats to make sure you get the best out of a city—no matter how short your stay. Designed to be compact and collectable, they are also discerning; Monocle’s team won’t list a hundred places to eat but they will tell you where’s best for everything from some tasty fast food to something truly celebratory. Cities are fun. Let’s explore.