Venice represents the very best and the very worst of shopping in Italy. There is no denying that the streets around St. Mark’s Square and other headliners are crammed full of tacky souvenir shops that cater to daytrippers who have little time and need to grab a trinket from the Floating City quickly. 

Strike out just a bit farther from the throngs, however, and you’ll find that Venice has one of the most thriving artisan scenes in all of Italy. You can find historic (and contemporary) workshops where skilled craftspeople painstakingly create fabulous wares by hand, from art glass to sumptuous silks.