Venice with the family, these experiences not to be missed with children and teenagers

Venice, the city of lovers!

Certainly, but it can also be discovered with the family.

There are of course the essentials: Saint Mark's Basilica, the gondola ride, Italian ice cream to taste, but also many activities specially dedicated to children and teenagers.

Overview of our favorite experiences.

To discover

• Trips to Italy: tailor-made tours, hotels and stays from our partners

Paint your mask

Even if you are not staying in Venice during Carnival, the children will be proud to bring back their mask, especially if they have decorated it themselves.

The Ca'Macana workshop is an institution in the Dorsoduro district.

He supplied the masks for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman for the film

.

In the back of the shop, a workshop with large tables and all the necessary equipment (paint, glitter, sprays, etc.) to create the mask of their dreams with the help of a facilitator.

Open Monday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:40 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (in winter) and 5:30 p.m. (in summer).

From 5 years.

€49/hour, €39/hour from three people.

Ca'Macana, Calle del Capeler, Dorsoduro 3215, 30123 Venezia.

Phone.

: +39 041 520 3229.

Read alsoVenice: the best places to eat between two visits

Go lion hunting

Lions are hidden all over the city of Venice.

Can you find them?

Vela Spa

The lion represents the symbol of the city of Venice and is therefore part of the decor. You will find it everywhere, on flags, in statues such as at the entrance to the Arsenal, on the edges of fountains or on door handles of houses. Even more astonishing are the

, lion heads carved in stone with a slit in the mouth that once served as a letterbox where the Venetians came to deposit letters of anonymous denunciations! Provide the children with a small notebook and ask them to write down each time he sees a lion. For the winner, a giant ice cream at Nico's is a must.

Where to find

In the courtyard of the Doge's Palace (Piazza San Marco 1), in front of the churches of San Martino (Fondamenta del Piovan o Erizzo, 2294) and Santa Maria della Visitazione (Fondamenta Zattere Ai Gesuati, 919A).

Gelateria Nico, Fondamenta Zattere Al Ponte Lungo, 922. Tel.

: +39 041 522 5293.

Learn to row like a gondolier

Julien Déletoille is French and has lived with his family in Venice for ten years.

Like all Venetians, he belongs to a rowing club.

Passionate, he competes in races including the most famous, the

, which takes place every year on the first Sunday of September.

To promote this ancestral tradition, it offers courses in French for families.

With his

, a racing boat, more stable than a gondola, he teaches the basics of the Arsenal canals.

After a safety brief, it's up to you to handle the oar like gondoliers do.

A shot to the right, a deep one, the foot forward... The opportunity to see Venice with another eye.

The entire amount of the lessons is donated to Julien's rowing club to finance the training of club members.

A good deed to help perpetuate this tradition.

From 5 years.

During the Covid, the sessions are privatized by family or group of friends.

€200 for a one-and-a-half-hour lesson (8 people max).

Remiera Casteo, Isola Sant'Elena, 1, 30100 Venezia.

Phone.

: + 39 388 901 6515.

Read alsoVenice beyond the Spritz: our favorite terraces for a drink between alleys and canals

Become a master glassmaker

Some say it's the best job in the world.

So, head to Murano to test your skills in working with glass.

While most workshops are open to the public, very few offer workshops.

For readers of

, the New Murano Gallery offers family initiations.

A water taxi will pick you up at your hotel to take you directly to the workshop in about ten minutes.

There, a master glassmaker will give you a short introduction to the secrets of glass making and will teach you the different stages of making the famous Murano glass, blowing but also the handling of pliers to make shapes when the glass is still malleable until at the cooling stage.

If it takes fifteen years to train a master glassmaker capable of making the most beautiful Murano chandeliers, in one hour you can leave with a beautiful work made by yourself.

From eight years old.

The initiation sessions are organized to measure for groups of five people maximum for an amount of 500 €.

New Murano Gallery, Calle Vivarini, 6/A, 30141 Murano.

Phone.

: + 39 041 527 4633.

Visit museums differently

The Doge's Palace is located in Piazza San Marco.

Sylvain Cazenave

Some museums in Venice offer guided tours in French dedicated to families as well as workshops.

At the Doge's Palace, children will love the “Secret Routes” visit to the mysterious prisons.

The opportunity to relive as in the cinema, the incredible escape of Casanova.

The Palazzo Ca'Rezzonico, an 18th century palace, allows you to immerse yourself in the daily life of the Venetians of that time and the evolution of Venice.

You will learn how palaces were built on water, why chimneys have weird shapes etc.…

The newly renovated Natural History Museum

will fascinate the little ones with its dinosaur skeleton and stuffed animals including a larger than life gorilla and a two-headed goat.

Every Sunday afternoon, the Collezzione Peggy Guggenheim offers creative workshops on different themes exhibited in the museum.

During this time, the parents take the opportunity to visit the museum in peace.

Doge's Palace, San Marco, 1. Vaporetto San Marco-Giardinetti, San Marco Vallaresso or San Zaccharia.

Phone.

: +39 041 2715911. One and a quarter hour tour in French every day at 10:55 a.m. and 12:55 p.m.

€28 (adult) and €15 (from 6 to 25 years old).

Ca'Rezzonico, Dorsoduro 3136. Vaporetto Ca'Rezzoncio.

Phone.

: +39 041 241 0100. €80 for a two-hour visit for a group of a maximum of 10 people including 4 adults.

Collezzione Peggy Guggenheim, Dorsoduro 701-704.

Vaporetto: Hello.

Tel: + 39 041 240 5411. Admission: €16 (adult), free for children under 10.

Free workshop to book early enough for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Natural History Museum, Salizada del Fontego dei Turchi, 1730. Vaporetto: San Stae.

Phone.

: +39 041 270 0303. Admission: €9 (adult) and €6.50 (from 6 to 14 years old).

Family rate (€6.50 per person, minimum 3 people including 2 adults and a child under 14).

Read also

Practical notebook

SPECIAL KIDS SHOPPING

The

takes its name from the high tides that regularly flood it.

Moreover, the books are presented in gondolas or tubs to protect them.

A real shambles that really deserves a look.

While most of the books are in Italian, just behind the checkout is a children's section with a fine selection of coloring books about Venice.

Libreria Acqua Alta, Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5176. Vap: S. Zacccario or Ospedale.

Phone.

: +39 041 296 08 41.

Vanni Morandin

has been making 3D puzzles for nearly 30 years.

His favorite subject: the monuments of major Italian cities, the Basilica of San Marco and the Rialto Bridge in Venice, but also the Colosseum in Rome... These puzzles are in relief and allow you to play with depth of field.

In short, a true work of art.

Take the time to chat with him, he is fascinating.

Vanni Morandin Woodwork Art Jigsaw, Salizada San Stae, Santa Croce 1921. Vap: S.Stae.

Phone.

: +39 347 248 2637.

GOOD PLANS

The Rolling Venice pass gives limited access to city transport to 6-29 year olds for €22 for 3 days.

The Museum Pass allows you to visit the eleven municipal museums of Venice and serves as a skip-the-line.

It is valid for six months.

€35 (adult) and €18 (under 26).

OR SLEEP ?

London Palace

A stone's throw from Saint Mark's Square, this 5-star hotel enjoys a magnificent view of the lagoon.

Its rooftop overlooks all of Venice and can be privatized to welcome you for a luxury picnic organized by the hotel.

Kids will love it.

Don't miss Marino Lucchetti, the head bartender.

Not only does he concoct an unforgettable Bellini for parents, but his non-alcoholic cocktail menu will delight juniors.

Londra Palace, Riva degli Schiavoni, 4171. Tel.

: + 39 041 520 0533. From €225 per night in a double room (rate only available on the hotel website).

Palazzo Stern

On the Grand Canal, this 4-star hotel faces the Palazzo Grassi.

Convenient, a vaporetto station at the foot of the hotel makes it easy to get around.

The rooms are Venetian in style with hangings and Murano chandelier.

Palazzo Stern, Dorsoduro, 2792/A.

Phone.

: + 39 041 277 0869. From €180 per night in a double room.

Read alsoThe Palazzo Stern hotel in Venice, the expert opinion of

READ BEFORE YOU GO

The Magic Shack, Venice in Peril

by Mary Pope Osborne, Editions Bayard Jeunesse.

Bayard Youth

From 6 years old

The white-eared beaver

by Anne Wouters,

by Pascal Lemaître and

by Claude Clément, all published by Éditions Pastel.

From the age of 8

La Cabane Magique, Venice in Peril

by Mary Pope Osborne, Éditions Bayard Jeunesse, 160 pages, €6.90.

Treasure Hunt in Venice

by Geronimo Stilton, Éditions Albin Michel Jeunesse, 128 pages, €7.50.

For older children, comics

Marina

by Matteo and Zidrou, in 3 volumes, Dargaud, 54 pages.

Fable of Venice

, Corto Maltese, Hugo Pratt, Casterman.