A daytime getaway in Venice: Isola di San Michele

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Recently, I took a VBT bike trip through Slovenia and Austria that ended with a post trip in Venice, giving me three days to see the famous city built on water. Being an avid walker, I saw just about every famous monument and church. But while visiting Venice, I also experienced the true meaning of discovery. Sure, I followed the maps and the mobs to San Marcos Square and Rialto Bridge, but that wasn't what I will remember about my travels. I will remember taking the time to get lost a little, because that is when you find the gems of the city.

Isola di San Michele is one of those places where tourists seldom wander, yet it sits right in front of them. It is an Island entirely made up of a cemetery and gardens, where locals outnumber tourists. Take the water bus towards Murano, but get off half way at the island curiously surrounded by a brick wall. Briefly walk through the buildings accompanying the Chiese San Michele, but then wander the long flowered walkways through the graves and tombs. And if you make it all the way to the end, there is a wonderful view of Venice through iron gates as a reward.
The Church of San Michele was built in 1469 by Mauro Codussi, and was the first Renaissance church in Venice. It wasn’t until the early 19th century that the island became a cemetery. During French occupation, the Venetians were told to haul their dead off of the main island for sanitary reasons.

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