Venice's Seaside: Sand, Villas and Cinema
The Lido di Venezia is a long, narrow barrier island between the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, about twelve kilometres from end to end, and the city's own seaside. A short vaporetto ride from St Mark's brings you to Santa Maria Elisabetta, where the pace slows at once: bicycles replace crowds, the avenues are lined with trees and Art Nouveau and Liberty-style villas, and the beach lies just beyond the main street. It is a very different Venice from the one in the guidebooks, calmer and sunlit, and the contrast is part of its charm.
The Lido's golden age began in the late nineteenth century, when Venice became a fashionable bathing resort. Two grand hotels still recall that era: the Hotel Excelsior, with its Moorish-flavoured facade, and the Grand Hotel des Bains, which gave its setting to Thomas Mann's Death in Venice. Each August and September, the Venice Film Festival, held since 1932 and the oldest in the world, brings red carpets to the Palazzo del Cinema, turning the island into a stage for international film.
Cycling, Beaches and Lagoon Villages
Cycling is the natural way to see the Lido. Flat paths run along the whole length of the island, past the villas of the central avenue, the old fishing village of Malamocco with its small piazza and low houses, and the lagoon-side nature reserve at Alberoni. On the sea side, the beaches of the Lido are broad and sandy, many run by beach establishments that offer cabins, loungers and lunch, with a free public beach nearby. The Adriatic shallows are gentle, which suits families and unhurried afternoons.
The island also keeps quiet cultural corners. The old Jewish cemetery near San Nicolo, among the oldest in Europe, and the church of San Nicolo itself link the Lido with the Republic of Venice's history. Restaurants along the lagoon serve fresh seafood, including sarde in saor and fritto misto, with a view back across the water. A hotel group with a Lido property can offer guests the beach and the museums in a single stay, with the city only minutes away by boat.
Read the full Venice Lido guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitVeniceLido.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.