11 Things to Do in Venice in August

Many tourists have to adapt their trips to work or study vacations. This makes August the most crowded month in almost all tourist areas in Europe. This is something you should take into account when preparing your list of what to see and do in Venice if you are going to visit during those dates.

On the other hand, Venice also offers during August some interesting activities for its visitors, beyond its main monuments. So, it is a great time to enjoy the nearby beaches, to watch movies under the stars or to escape to a nearby island to experience its festivals.

Venice has a variety of great beaches surrounding the city. In fact, some of these beaches are considered the best in northern Italy. Some examples are the Lido beach, the Jesolo beach or the Caorle beach. All you have to do is choose your favorite, get a transport pass that will make your transfers much easier, find out how to use the vaporetto to get there and relax lying on the sand.

Almost all of them have a great hotel infrastructure so you can eat some of the most typical dishes of the country. The island of Lido is home to some of the best beaches around Venice, the only problem, which gets worse in August, is that they are quite crowded and you will have to go early to find a good spot.

A slightly different option are the beaches of Caorle. If you choose to go there (by bus from Mestre or by train from Santa Lucia) I recommend that you do not limit yourself to sunbathing and swimming, as the village of the same name is a very interesting visit. It is a small town that has preserved much of its cobbled streets and houses with colorful shutters, and also with a wonderful Renaissance cathedral.

There are some rather less crowded neighborhoods that have really interesting corners that are worth to be known, but they are often left out of even the best guided tours of Venice. Some that we recommend are:

• The Jewish Quarter: you can learn about the interesting history of this neighborhood by hiring a tour, where you can visit the ancient places of worship, enjoy its architectural beauty, explore its narrow streets and most emblematic sites of the ghetto and enter the Levantine and Spanish Synagogues. Undoubtedly, a neighborhood worth knowing more about.
• Castello: if you get tired of the crowds in the city center you can head to the sestiere of Castello, the largest in Venice. It hides monuments such as the basilica of San Giovanni e Paolo, the church of San Giorgio dei Greci (do not miss its interior), the Arsenal of Venice or the famous Acqua Alta bookstore.
• Cannaregio: although somewhat more frequented than the previous one, especially because it is where the Santa Lucia station is located, the neighborhood does not get all the attention it deserves places like the Jewish ghetto and the Hebrew museum, the Ponte dei Tre Archi ( the only one with three arches in the city), the church of Sant'Alvise or the church of the Madonna Dell'Orto.
• Dorsoduro: this student quarter hides some of the most interesting museums in all of Venice, especially the Peggy Guggenheim collection in Venice for which you can purchase your tickets in advance. Likewise, it is also home to one of the most historic churches in Venice, the one dedicated to the Madonna della Salute. Finally, although more places could be highlighted, here is another church that, in my opinion, should be a must-see in the city of canals, that of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli.

No trip to Venice, no matter the date, can end without booking a gondola ride in this city, the true Venetian symbol. August, with its warm afternoons and evenings is perhaps one of the best times to complete the experience with a serenade and a good dinner.

The number of tourists visiting Venice in August means that the canals are full of boats all day long. For that reason, the evening can be a great time to take this romantic ride in a little more comfort and let yourself be carried away by the beauty of the lights reflected on the water.

For about 35 minutes you can tour the Grand Canal and some of the smaller canals of the city, all while listening to a serenade. Finally, if you have chosen this option, it's time to enjoy a nice dinner where you can taste some typical dishes of the area.

After spending the day visiting all there is to see in the Doge's Palace, to give just one example, it is quite possible that you may feel like a more relaxed plan to end the day. In August, Venice offers its residents and visitors the chance to enjoy open-air cinema sessions under the stars, taking place in various squares around the city, and there is no better place than Campo San Polo to go and see a movie.

You will find information about the films (mostly in Italian, but also some in English) in various areas of the city. It's best to get to Campo San Polo early to buy your ticket at the box office and secure a seat, as locals tend to flock to the movies every day.

A good time to visit some of Venice's monuments, such as St. Mark's Basilica, with a little more calm during the month of August is during the celebration of Ferragosto, on August 15. That day is celebrated throughout Italy as Assumption Day (il Giorno dell'Assunta), a religious holiday with a strong following in Venice.

Taking advantage of the holiday, many Venetians leave the city to spend time on the beach or in the mountains, although the vast majority of the city's tourist establishments remain open. This mass departure of Venetians is somewhat noticeable on the streets of the city, as the usual crowding diminishes somewhat. And, in neighboring Jesolo, for example, there is a fireworks display over the sea of extraordinary beauty.

Torcello is another place to visit during Ferragosto. On the occasion of the religious festival you can visit the city museum and the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta free of charge.

Murano is the closest island to Venice, known worldwide for its glass. And is that this city has become known worldwide for its glass blowing technique that artisans apply to all kinds of products either jewelry, decoration, household ... but also worth a visit for its beauty and because it houses two of the oldest churches in the so-called lagoon of Venice, the Basilica of Santa Maria and San Donato.

There are several organized excursions to Murano, for which you can make walking tours or even, you have the opportunity to hire and perform glassblowing workshops to create your own pieces of Murano glass.

If you are in Venice in August you will find a city that is experiencing one of the best cultural events in the world: the Biennale. If all the attractive monuments of Venice were not enough, with the celebration of this event the city is filled with art exhibitions, installations and various types of events for you to enjoy at every step.

Despite its name, the event is held every year, although with the focus on different artistic genres. In general, activities are divided between the national pavilions in the Biennial Gardens, the international headquarters and various historic buildings, palaces and old churches throughout the city. Another center not to be missed is the Arsenale, a former factory dating back to pre-industrial times, where exhibitions are held and some plays are performed.

Finally, lovers of the performing arts have another great place to enjoy dance, theater and music at the Teatro delle Tese.

Although August is not the month with the most festivities in Venice, if you are in town on the 16th you can take the opportunity to go to Campo San Rocco (in the sestiere of San Polo) to see the events that pay homage to the saint after whom it is named.

San Rocco is, among other things, the patron saint of plague victims in a city that suffered several deadly waves of the disease. On the 16th there are religious events (such as a mass in the church of San Rocco, where the relics of the saint are kept), processions and a classical music concert in a setting that is hard to beat, the Scuela Grande.

The church square is really beautiful and, if you are a history lover, it hides the place where Lorenzo de Medicis was assassinated in 1548. As for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, where the concert takes place, it can be said that it is one of those little Venetian jewels hidden behind the attractions of the Grand Canal and its bridges. Built in the 16th century to assist plague patients, the building houses some great paintings by Tintoretto, such as the Crucifixion before Pilate or the Annunciation.

Entrance to the Scuola

• Admission fee: adults pay about 10 €, while young people (up to 26 years old) and over 65 years old have a discount of about 2 €.
• Opening hours: although you should confirm in case of changes, it is usually possible to visit between 09:30 and 17:30.

One of the most renowned activities in the Venetian summer is its jazz festival. From June to the end of August there are performances by jazz musicians from all over the world, as well as book presentations and other events. If you like this genre or simply want to attend a performance in magical places, Venice is the ideal place.

Although in previous years performances have been organized in St. Mark's Square itself, in recent editions have focused on other places.

Among other locations you will be able to go to the Sala Apollinee of the extraordinary La Fenice Theater, the Palazzo Grimani or the terrace of the Splendid Hotel. The latter, in particular, allows you to enjoy unparalleled views of the Grand Canal while listening to the artists.

If you are in Venice in late August or early September, you might run into a movie star in the streets. It is during those dates when the famous International Film Festival is held, whose main prize is the prestigious Golden Lion.

The festival takes place in the Lido of Venice, where you can go to try to witness the arrival of the actors and directors by water, as well as the red carpets so characteristic of any film premiere.

During those days you can also try to attend some of the screenings, although I warn you that it is quite difficult to get tickets.

Cinema in Marghera

In case you can't get a ticket for the films of the festival you still have an option to see good cinema. If you are in the Marghera area, in the mainland part of the city, you should head to Piazza Mercato. Here, throughout the month of August, open-air movies are shown, some of which are part of the Venetian festival.

Although its fame doesn't compare to the attractions of Murano, Pellestrina Island should be on the list of everyone traveling to Venice in August. If you like good food, music, wine and cheerful company, the best place to spend summer evenings is in the streets of the village that gives its name to the island.

Its houses, as is the case in Burano, are beautifully painted in bright colors, but with the advantage of fewer tourists on its streets. This trend is only broken during its summer festivals:

• Feast of the Madonna dell'Apparizione: usually held in the first days of August and commemorates the apparition of the a Madonna on the island. To celebrate it, the whole area is full of celebrations, both religious and ludic. The traditional food sold by numerous stalls is not to be missed either.
• Festivity of Santo Stefano Portosecco: this week-long festival takes place on August 15. The events, very numerous, range from a kayaking competition to children's shows perfect if you have traveled to Venice with children. In the evenings there are parties with live music and dancing. The food stalls offer traditional dishes and, finally, a spectacular regatta in the style of the Venetian Regatta Storica takes place on the occasion of these festivities.

How to get there

The easiest way to get to the Lido is by vaporetto and from the port of Santa Elisabetta take bus number 11.

The big problem in Venice during this month is not so much the temperatures, which average 29 ºC in the highs and 18ºC in the lows, but the thermal sensation caused by the very high level of humidity in the city.

This causes both day and night to be very hot, something that you will notice more when you are in open spaces such as St. Mark's Square. Check the weather forecast before you travel and don't forget to bring water and seek shade from time to time.

From the very moment you arrive in Venice in August, the queues will start. The influx of tourists is already noticeable at the time of taking the vaporetto, so you will have to be patient to do any activity.

Although there are some aspects that can not be solved, such as crowds in the streets or in the typical places to take the best photos, in August it is especially important to buy tickets without queues.

Fortunately you can do it with information on how to buy tickets to the Basilica of St. Mark, the Doge's Palace and other important monuments of the city.