Even though Venice can easily be considered a full experience just because it already comes with a full package of unique spots and details that make it unforgettable, there are also the islands which shouldn't be missing from a tourist's list.
So while we know what Venice can be summarised in based on other friends or family relatives that were visiting it before I and my family's trip, very few actually made it to the islands. Which sort of became our mission not to miss them out. Here I'm talking about Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands, but obviously there are more surrounding Venice and which most likely are worth a visit too. Just not too sure about the options to get there are as the three mentioned by me are the most popular ones for tourists.
I think it's not a surprise anymore that Venice is more or less linked to the Gondola boat rides which sort of became the landmark of this place.
And just like most of the places on this earth have one think they are more known for than the rest, so do each of the island mentioned.
Perhaps you have heard of the famous Murano glass.
This represents the world-famous glass known for its unparalleled quality, exquisite range of colours and unsurpassed craftsmanship.
And the thing that every single piece of glass resulted from Murano undergoes a meticulous process that involves shaping, coloring, and decorating that comes with a immense skill, precision and time for the technique used, just adds another piece to the puzzle of having a very unique thing at the end of the day.
All these aspects, not only that create a unique piece of art that could serve with many purposes, but are also the answer given to a question quite frequently asked, namely: Why is Murano glass so expensive? - because it really is.
So, even if not everyone can afford such glass in their houses, but rather go with the classics, those who get one (or more pieces) of Murano glass, do bring their contribution to keep this activity alive, that more or less keeps the whole Murano Island keep going since there are not many careers for the locals other than crafting and selling the goods.
And let's hope this activity won't die anytime soon, thinking that it dates since many centuries ago when it represented Europe's major center for luxury glass from the High Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance.
Though, as nice and pretty every single object resulted from the Murano glass is, so were born the so-called businessmen which make fake copies and sell them on a way lower price than usual which in most of the cases affects the genuine crafters, as well as those purchasing the goods.
Hence why it's recommended to not purchase any Murano object unless you receive a certificate of originality with your purchase, but which obviously won't happen for the souvenirs and small objects which are often the most affordable one by the tourists.
And speaking of souvenirs, both my family and I were on that part of our trip when we decided to dedicate some of our time entering all kinds of places in search of possible souvenirs for our loved ones, when we ended up in front of a panel that stated we are next to a genuine factory glass.
There is one that is placed right where the water bus stops when reaching the island which seemed more famous for the tourists, but we decided to skip it since we had other parts of Murano in plan to see first.
So when we ran into this factory which was hidden from the curious eyes too, we decided to stop by, and we had absolutely no regrets for doing so.
The first thing we spotted when entering the building, were some of the finished products made entirely of Murano glass which already conquered our hearts. Too sad they are pretty expensive and would turn out into a real challenge to bring home as well since we were travelling light packed, but I bet everyone would have loved to have at least one of those colorful sets of glasses in their kitchen.
There were even some deals to spare some money if you were going to buy a set instead of a single piece, but didn't seem like a successful offer during our visit since none of the other people entering the factory didn't leave with any of these.
Just when we were getting ready to leave, a cute guy sitting on the reception desk smiled and welcomed us inside, where we felt like entering a whole new world than anything seen so far.
A couple of teenagers, each with a very well defined purpose and things to handle inside the factory, were moving like ants without any proper moments of break but rather like tiny robots with a common mission to achieve as soon as possible.
Now I know there are plenty of talented teenagers in this world, but I am rather used with these about programming, painting, drawing or any of the more common activities rather than activities that began centuries ago and which are still inherited from one generation to another, as crafting glass is.
So in case anyone was still in doubt whether the Murano glass was genuine in this part of the island or not, seeing people crafting various pieces with their own hands did answer to all the possible questions poping in someone's had.
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From a world that seems very different from what a common day looks like for many of us, and plenty of talented people from whose faces you could read determination and passion, we spent some good minutes staring at how some pieces of art are born under your eyes.
And while this kind of factories are more or less likely to be met on the islands around Venice, the one we visited, namely Wave Murano Glass, has a different story than the rest, as it was founded by the youngest glass master of Italy.
He's name is Roberto Beltrami and he was born on 1992. He grew up studying both in Italy and the United States, being passionate about physics and dreaming to the day when he will be able to build something with his own hands which could take further art.
He knew that the young people have an open mind and a fresh point of view. Armed with this belief, Roberto has quickly become an innovator, as well as a point of reference within the Murano glassmaking tradition and put the basis of Wave Murano Glass in 2017 which formed a stable and dedicated team.
And even if we didn't manage to support Roberto's business other than with compliments and sharing his work further, here you can access their shop and see if anything catches your attention.
Wave Murano Glass is located on Murano Island and in order to reach it you will need a waterbus or water taxi. We decided to go with the waterbus which has a station right on the island but from there you will still need to walk around 8 minutes until reaching the glass factory. The waterbus lines taking you to Murano Island and the factory, are: Lines 3, 4.1, 4.2, 12, and 13.
Other places I've seen during my visit to Murano:
more coming soon...
Gabriela Travels is the FOUNDER of "Festival Mania" who started this community from the passion of attending various festivals and with the purpose of encouraging more people to explore festivals all around the world and share their experiences. At the same time, Gabriela is an independent Graphic Design Freelancer since 2019 completing over 600+ orders in this time and collaborating with various businesses and people from all over the globe. Additionally, Gabriela has her own corner on the internet since 2017 where she writes various articles for her blog, the most popular being the travel ones (300+ articles written on this field), but also abording other topics as well, like game reviews, movie and series reviews, photography posts, cooking recipes and more, boosting the total number of articles written to 700+ blog posts. Gabriela is also a gamer since she was 11 years old and gaming remains one of her biggest passions along with traveling, editing, cooking, and doing various sports activities.
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