Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands 44 44

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 147

Neighbourhood Top Five 1 Engaging with vivid originality with your pur- 5 Exploring religious re- biblical tales at Basilica chases. treats, deserted islands and di Santa Maria Assunta 3 Basking in sun and cu- ruined Forte Sant’Andrea by (p149), where devilish imps linary glory on the vineyard barge (p150), batèla (p154) steal all the attention away patio at Venissa (p157) or or kayak (p159). from a glittering, golden beneath the rose pergola at heaven. Locanda Cipriani (p157). 2 Witnessing artistry in 4 Watching colourful action at the glass-blowing houses wiggle with delight showrooms in Murano at their reflections in the (p151) and rewarding their canals of Burano (p151).

Marco Polo Palude dei 3#1# Airport Laghi Torcello Palude di Punta Isola Centrega Langa Buel del Lovo 3# Canale di Burano Mazzorbo 4# Isola Carbonera Isola della Burano Madonna Laguna Veneta del Monte

Isola di Isola di San Francesco Tessera Isola di del Deserto San Giacomo in Palude 5#

ti r o ep Murano Tr i d Sacca e Serenella 2# Ü#Chiesa San Pietro Martire anal C #õ Lighthouse d Ca Sant'Erasmo el na Punta le le N #\ av Sabbioni usta 11i Via Fa Cimite1ro Is11ola di San Michele Le Vignole Punta Sabbioni

0244km Idroscalo e# 01miles Isola Sant'Andrea La Certosa For more detail of this area see Map p285 and44 p286 A 148 Lonely Planet’s Top Tip Explore Murano, Burano & the Plan your trip carefully Northern Islands around your priorities – or it A multitude of small islands dot the northern lagoon can be tricky to squeeze in like shards of green glass splintering off the mainland. Murano glass, Burano pho- The earliest Venetian refugees were able to island-hop tography, Mazzorbo lunches to safety on Torcello in the 5th century, when Mongol and Torcello nature and hordes threatened to overwhelm the Roman stronghold history. Hit the outer islands of Altinum. There they raised the first church of the la- first (boats to Torcello take goon, Santa Maria Assunta, decorating it with glittering 50 minutes) before vaporetti mosaics telling cautionary tales in over a million hand- get crowded, then work your cut glass tesserae. way back to Murano, aiming As vivid as these mosaics, the glass workshops of Mu- to hit the shops as crowds rano continue to conjure writhing chandeliers, swirling start to thin out in the early goblets and gem-bright jewellery from their red-hot fur- evening. Murano is only 10 naces, tempting a more modern type of pilgrim. Murano, Burano & the N minutes from Venice, so Travel between these two islands and you’ll pass it’s fast and easy to reach if the haunting cemetery of San Michele, lagoon gardens you need to return for more on Sant’Erasmo and colourful fishermen’s houses on glass. Burano – and with fresh-caught seafood, island-grown vegetables and even local vineyards, you may find you’ll 5 Best Places want to linger longer on the lagoon. to Eat ¨¨Venissa (p157) Local Life ¨¨Locanda Cipriani (p157) ¨¨Acquastanca (p156) ¨Lunch hotspots Pack a picnic to enjoy on Mazzorbo, ¨ in the meadow behind Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta orthern Islands ¨Trattoria al Gatto Nero (p157) (p149) on Torcello, or among the picturesque ruins of Forte Sant’Andrea on Le Vignole. For reviews, see p156.A ¨Lagoon pastimes Make a beeline for the beach scene on Sant’Erasmo, sign the kids up for an archaeological Best Places dig on Lazzaretto Nuovo or head out on a lagoon safari 6 with Venice Kayak (p159). to Drink ¨Overnight retreats Quit worrying about ferry ¨ ¨Venissa (p157) schedules and enjoy a relaxed stay at affordable rates

Il Certosino (p156) at Locanda Cipriani (p198), Villa Lina (p198) or Venissa¨¨ ¨¨Acquastanca (p156) (p198). ¨¨Caffè-Bar Palmisano (p157) For reviews, see p156.A Getting There & Away ¨Vaporetto Murano Services to Murano run every 1 Best Lagoon 10 minutes before 10pm and every 20 to 30 minutes Photo-Ops thereafter. The most regular services are the 4.1 from ¨¨Houses reflected in the train station via Fondamente Nove and the 4.2 from Burano canals (p151) San Marco. Line 3 is a direct service from the train station and seasonal Line 7 runs from Murano-Colonna ¨¨Far-flung lagoon views to San Marco between 10.30am and 5.30pm. from the belltower of ¨ Basilica di Santa Maria Vaporetto Mazzorbo, Burano & Torcello Line 12 Assunta (p149) from Fondamente Nove serves Mazzorbo, Burano and Torcello between 9am and 11.15pm. ¨¨Cormorants holding ¨ their wings out to dry on Vaporetto Le Vignole & Sant’Erasmo Line 13 serves Mazzorbo (p151) Le Vignole and Sant’Erasmo from Fondamente Nove via Murano-Faro. For reviews, see p149. A ¨Alilaguna Boats run from Marco Polo airport to Murano-Colonna (€8 one-way).