--- title: "24 hours in: Venice" date: 2026-05-27 last_modified: 2026-06-09T10:05:04+02:00 generated_at: 2026-06-10T18:40:37Z url: "https://www.schirn.de/en/schirnmag/24-stunden-in-venedig/" description: "It’s that time again: The “Biennale di Venezia” opened its doors on May 9. Could there be any better reason to travel to Venice? Hardly, we thought, and got there in time for the opening. Here’s sharing some notes on legendary ice-cream parlors and hidden bars, not to mention off-spaces and stores where you’ll love drifting round – our guide to the perfect 24 hours, but without forgetting the art." image: "https://www.schirn.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00013-e1780500110256-1440x1920.jpeg" language: "en-US" --- # 24 hours in: Venice # 24 hours in: Venice ![Fresh fruit salad in a glass with strawberries, blueberries, and grapes, served with water and cutlery on a silver tray.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00013-e1780500110256.jpeg) Photo: Theresa Weise 1 min reading time It’s that time again: The *Biennale di Venezia* opened its doors on May 9. Could there be any better reason to travel to Venice? Hardly, we thought, and got there in time for the opening. Here’s sharing some notes on legendary ice-cream parlors and hidden bars, not to mention off-spaces and stores where you’ll love drifting round – our guide to the perfect 24 hours, but without forgetting the art. Venice is the city of tides: defined by high water through to low water, by glaring hot summers through to foggy winter days, by the carnival through to the Biennale di Venezia. The water glittering in the sun, the scent of the sea, and the innumerable boats combine to make the city a place people dream of, somewhere straddling Dolce Vita and timeless magic. Every two years the global art scene guests here, leaving behind the imprint of the zeitgeist in art. Yet the city has an incredible amount to offer beyond that spectacle, too. ## On foot or by small boat Venice is the city of endless wandering. Best of all, simply drift with no schedule or Google Maps – meander through narrow alleyways, across countless bridges, and along the banks of the canals that run like an intricate labyrinth through the city. While elsewhere you would need sturdy walking boots, things in Venice are different: Here, people walk in *friulane*. The colorful velvet shoes, a kind of cross between slippers, ballerinas and loafers, have long since morphed from the favorite footwear of the Venetian gondolieri into it-pieces. They symbolize Italian craftsmanship, timeless elegance, and astonishing comfort. With their soft velvet surface and flexible rubber soles, you glide as good as noiselessly through town, as if walking on a cloud. You can buy the shoes all over town; simply stop at a store, such as *Calzature Parutto* close to the Rialto Bridge, slip them on your feet, and off you go! And once you’ve exceeded your 10,000 steps for the day, why not switch to water-bound transport: The Vaporetto, Venice’s water bus, is possibly the most beautiful public means of transport on the face of the Earth. ![Colorful slippers in various colors arranged on a wooden table.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00001-1-e1780925596502.jpeg) Photo: Theresa Weise ## La Biennale di Venezia *La Biennale di Venezia* takes place every two years and has, since its foundation back in 1895, become one of the most important art events world-wide. The central venue is the Giardini della Biennale in the eastern district of Castello, where 29 countries are represented in their national pavilions. Countless additional nations present their contributions for the duration of the show at various spaces scattered around the whole city. Independent of the country pavilions, in the Arsenale there is a curated themed exhibition. NB: There are often long queues specifically at the main entrance. So, it’s best to use the side entrances. And it is not really worth eating or drinking on the grounds. Because right behind the rear entrance of the Giardini you’ll find *Osteria da Pampo*, an uncomplicated in-place for good food, a relaxed lunch, or tramezzini to go. ![Two figures swing on ropes in a green space, surrounded by transparent materials and window light.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00005-1-e1780926348712.jpeg) Henrike Naumann, Trümmerfrau, 2026, Installation view/ Performance, 61st Venice Biennale Photo: Theresa Weise ![Entrance to the Biennale with modern columns and visitors in front of the white building façade.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00002-rotated.jpeg) Photo: Theresa Weise ![A large bell hangs above a person who is upside down, with an LED display in the background.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pressefoto-Florentina-Holzinger.jpg) Florentina Holzinger, SEAWORLD VENICE, 2026. © Nicole Marianna Wytyczak ![](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00003-1-e1780925787651.jpeg) Natalia Lassalle-Morillo, Retiro, 2019-2026, Installation view, 61st Venice Biennale Photo: Theresa Weise ![Wooden box with a painted portrait in vivid colors on the inside, set against a plain background.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00007-1-e1780925835221.jpeg) Lubaina Himid, Predicting History. Testing Translation, 2026, Installation view 61st Venice Biennale Photo: Theresa Weise ![Sculpture of a wooden tree with a red apple on a wooden bench; minimalist, modern space.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00006-e1780925855555.jpeg) Klara Kristalova, Benjamin Orlow and Tori Wrånes, How Many Angels Can Dance On The Head Of A Pin?, Installation view, 61st Venice Biennale Photo: Theresa Weise ![Two copper containers on a concrete floor in front of a brick wall and two barred windows.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00009-e1780925875878.jpeg) Marina Xenofontos, It rests to the bones, 2026, Installation view, 61st Venice Biennale Photo: Theresa Weise ![Artistic plastic ladybugs, red with white spots, arranged on a white wall.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00008-e1780925895764.jpeg) Sung Tieu, They Have Eyes, But They See Not, Installation view, 61st Venice Biennale Photo: Theresa Weise ## Ice Ice Baby or Juicy Fruits Among Venice’s innumerable ice-cream parlors, *Gelateria Nico* is certainly one of the best known. While good ice-cream is not exactly a rarity in the city on the lagoon, this particular parlor stands out – above all for its special location on the Fondamenta Zattere directly on the Giudecca Canal. With a view over the water, you can sit here and order the Nico specialty: *Gianduiotto con la Panna* – a nut parfait with little bits of roasted hazelnuts and countless dollops of cream. All served on a neat little silver tray. With a drink to go with it, say a spritzer, a cold San Pellegrino, or an espresso, you’ll effortlessly lose any sense of time. And for the health-conscious why not try either the weekly *Mercato di Rialto* market only a minute by foot from Rialto Bridge or an incredibly expensive cup or fruit ice-cream at *Café Florian* on St. Mark’s Square – and breathe deep before you look at the bill; like so many tourist hotspots, here everything can swiftly turn out to be four times as expensive as expected. The rule of thumb: Stay calm! ![A glass with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and a cone, served on a table with a saucer and cutlery.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00015-e1780925940959.jpeg) Photo: Theresa Weise ![Colorful fruit display at a market stall, with historic buildings and a calm water surface in the background.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00014-e1780925975201.jpeg) Photo: Theresa Weise ## Exhibitions in non-Biennale spaces The Venice Biennale buzz spawns hundreds of other shows round town. The range is as superb as it is overwhelming, and it soon becomes clear: You’ll never be able to see everything. So here are just five highlights: ## 1. Dayanita Singh at Archivio di Stato Anyone who does not have black-and-white photography on their Biennale Bingo Card will be all the more surprised and taken by Dayanita Singh’s “[Archivo](https://archivi.cultura.gov.it/archivio-notizie/notizia?tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=2599&cHash=9938e36c0e93114ab2bfb12ba703ad12)” exhibition at Archivio di Stato. The show features breathtakingly beautiful black-and-white photographs that straddle documentation, memory, and silent poetry. The artist combines her own personal archive dating back over 25 years with insights into Venice’s historical municipal archive. The outcome: a poetic, sweetly curated exhibition on memory, photography, and archiving itself. Amidst Italian architecture, artworks, flowers, and encounters, Singh offers a view of Italy and it (hi)stories that is truly her own. ![Spacious room with a wooden staircase, a table, chairs, and shelves filled with file binders.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00019-e1780926021803.jpeg) Installation view: Dayanita Singh. Archivio, at: Archivio di Stato, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ![Library with a wooden shelf displaying historical photos, surrounded by white bookcases and a stone column.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00018-e1780925996699.jpeg) Installation view: Dayanita Singh. Archivio, at: Archivio di Stato, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ## 2. Yalda Asfah in the Ca'Buccari Between the Biennale Giardini and the quite district of Sant’Elena, artist [Yalda Afsah](https://ca-buccari.org/yalda-asfah-3) concerns herself with social rituals – in the city of the carnival. In “PAN” (2026), her latest film, Afsah focuses on a place where a different kind of community arises. Since 1920, every August thousands of people gather in the Bulgarian mountains in order to dance a paneurhythmy together, a collective choreography in which the individual subordinate themselves to a higher meaning. Watching this ritual through the artist’s eyes is as calming as it is fascinating. ![Circular arrangement of people in an open space, projected onto a wall.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bild28-e1780926089961.jpg) ![Group of people in white outfits raising their hands in a field surrounded by nature.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00027-1-e1780926055896.jpeg) Installation view: Yalda Afsah, Still in the Dark, in the: Ca‘Buccari, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ## 3. Canicula photo exhibition in Complesso dell’Ospedaletto In an old church we find ourselves no longer looking through the lens of faith at the world, but through that of the camera. The “[Canicula](https://inbetweenartfilm.com/en/canicula/)” exhibition at Fondazione In Between Art Film offers one of the most impressive visual experiences of the 2026 art bienniale. The group show explores images, propaganda, crisis, and attention, and asks what seeing really means today. ![Visitors examine an artwork with the inscription "Baby I’m yours" against a red illuminated background.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00028-1-e1780926161270.jpeg) Installation view: Janis Rafa, Baby I’m Yours, Forever, in: Complesso dell’Ospedaletto, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ![Two people are looking at a projection of a sea creature on a bright surface.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00029-1-e1780926139396.jpeg) Installation view: Janis Rafa, Baby I’m Yours, Forever, in: Complesso dell’Ospedaletto, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ## 4. Lydia Ourahmane at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation Lydia Ourahmane’s “[5 Works](https://nf.foundation/exhibitions/lydia-ourahmane)” exhibition at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation is not far away. Step in and be greeted by the fragrance of a warm, spicy soup. For a moment you might be forgiven thinking that a restaurant next door is busy preparing the evening meals. In the upper section of the space stands a classic hotel trolley full of white linen, in another a large pot of soup bubbles away. As so often, Ourahmane plays with physical presence and spatial orchestration. Her art creates situations that somehow combines Minimalist sculpture, monuments, and archaic rituals -and draw out directly into the work. ![Wood sculpture with a recessed shape resembling a figure or statue, set against a white background.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00024-1-e1780926228804.jpeg) Installation view: Lydia Ourahmane, 5 Works, at the: Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ![Two carts filled with rolled-up white fabrics are on the floor in a bright room.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00025-1-e1780926184669.jpeg) Installation view: Lydia Ourahmane, 5 Works, at the: Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ## 5. “Still Joy: From Ukraine into the World” in the Palazzo Contarini Polignac With two videos by artist duo Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, the Pinchuk Art Centre is hosting a group show entitled “[Still Joy: From Ukraine into the World](https://pinchukartcentre.org/en/exhibitions/still-joy-from-ukraine-into-the-world-biennale-arte-2026)” at the Palazzo Contarini Polignac. The 2019 video is juxtaposed to a piece from 2023 that arose in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The works “Dedicated to the Youth of the World I and II” feature almost identical scenes: Young people in a club and the moment when they leave the party come daylight. The actions remain the same, but the world in which they occur has changed radically in the intervening years. ![Portrait of a young woman with long hair in an urban setting, a thoughtful expression on her face.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00032-1-e1780926301570.jpeg) Installation view: Roman Khimei & Yarema Malashchuk, Dedicated to the Youth of the World III, 2019, in the: Palazzo Contarini Polignac, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ![Portrait of a young person with blonde hair and a piercing, surrounded by yellow leaves and an inspiring quote.](https://schirn.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image00031-1-e1780926276973.jpeg) Installation view: Roman Khimei & Yarema Malashchuk, Dedicated to the Youth of the World II, 2019, in the: Palazzo Contarini Polignac, 2026 Photo: Theresa Weise ## Last but not least: Food, wine and a bookstore After a long day of wandering about, viewing exhibitions, and making the one or other minor discovery there can really only be one wish left: to put your feet up. The small *Vino Vero* wine bar directly on the canal encourages you to tarry a while and relax – over a glass from the fine selection of open organic wines, a perfect way to welcome the evening in. Then progress on to the *Paradiso Perduto* restaurant which is by now no longer an inside tip. Here it’s best to order one of those heavily laden plates of freshly grilled fish and let the day draw to a close in a lively, but leisurely atmosphere. Anyone with any energy left will no doubt find the *Library Bar* the right sort of place to move on to: Enjoy one of the great cocktails between shelves stacked with books and a glorious and almost intimate mood.