Burano, Venice

The Island of Burano, in the Venetian lagoon, is made of picturesque canals lined with brightly colored houses. Flowers grow in window boxes and small boats dot the canals. Burano even has a leaning tower, the bell tower of the 15th century San Martino Church. The island is also famous for its artisan lace makers and there's a Lace Museum as well as shops selling lace.

Via Galuppi, the island's main street, is lined with pastry and souvenir shops, stores, bars, and restaurants (see recommended restaurants). If you wander away from that area you'll see fewer tourists and can enjoy the peacefulness and beauty of the canals and colorful houses that has long attracted painters to the island.

Getting to Burano Island

Take vaporetto number 12 from Fondament Nove, departing every half hour. It also makes one stop on Murano Island so if you reach Murano from another part of Venice, you can transfer to number 12 at the Murano Faro stop. On the scenic 40-minute ride you'll pass the cemetery island of San Michele, Murano, Torcello, and small islands in the lagoon.

In 2012 the cost of a one-way ride is 7 euro or you can buy a 12-hour island pass for 18 euro, good if you plan to visit more than one island. There are also passes valid for longer periods of time.

See more photos of Burano's colorful houses in Europe Travel's Colors of Burano.

Tip: For good views of Burano, get off at the small island of Mazzorbo, the stop just before Burano. Walk across the island from to the pathway where you'll see Burano and then cross at the foot bridge connecting the two islands. On Mazzorbo you can visit the 14th century church of Santa Caterina and there are a couple of restaurants.

From Burano it's a short boat ride on vaporetto line 9 to Torcello, a peaceful island whose cathedral has stunning Byzantine mosaics.

Burano has been famous for making high-quality lace since the 16th century. Although lace isn't as popular as it once was, lace making has been revived as an artisan craft and you can sometimes still see lace being made by hand. Lace products are sold in many of the shops but check to see that it's handmade and not mass-produced for tourists. If you want to buy artisan lace, expect it to be more expensive.

A good way to find out about Burano's tradition of making lace is to visit the Lace Museum, Il Museo del Merletto di Burano, housed in the former lace-making school dating from 1872. Exhibits include the origins and history of lace making starting in the 16th century, samples of lace, and the Burano Lace School. In addition to lace, there are paintings and drawings and displays of period dress and glass. There's also a video and usually there are artisans demonstrating lace making.

Lace Museum Visiting Information - Museo del Merletto di Burano

Location: Piazza Galuppi
Hours: Opens daily at 10:00, closes at 18:00 April - October and 17:00 November - March. Closed January 1, May 1, and December 25
Admission: 5 euro (as of 2012). The Lace Museum can is also part of the 11 Museum Venice Pass which can be bought at museums or purchased ahead of time in US dollars from Select Italy (see information or buy a pass).
Website: Museo del Merletto (in Italian)

Burano has several good restaurants specializing in very fresh seafood. We recommend Trattoria da Romano, Via Galuppi 221 (closed Tuesdays). Trattoria da Romano is a historic restaurant that has entertained many celebrities and artists and its interior is decorated with paintings from these artists, historic photos and magazine articles. We ate in the outdoor dining area, starting with a mixed antipasto of several seafood dishes. Then we had the risotto, for which the restaurant is famous. Read more in James Martin's review of da Romano

Another often recommended restaurant is Trattoria al Gatto Nero, Via Giudecca 88, recommended by JoAnn Locktov in our Tips for Eating in Venice.

Betsy Malloy, who writes the California Travel site, recommends Riva Rosa on a canal on Via San Mauro (open for lunch only, closed Wednesdays). She says the restaurant is beautiful and makes the best risotto she's ever had.

Credit by: http://goitaly.about.com/od/venice-islands/ss/burano-island-venice_3.htm