Private walking tours for small groups
Discover the lesser known history of Venice
Venice is steeped in history like few other places, and yet much pass unnoticed.
History Walks Venice will help you notice some of this.
Hidden History
A walk around Venice, exploring the many messages from Venice of yore, often hidden in plain view.
Plague Island
A guided visit to the island Lazzaretto Nuovo, where quarantine was invented to fight the Black Death.
Venetian Boats
A walk between shipyards, oar makers and model shops, looking at boats and talking about traditions.
What others said
I took every available tour of Venice during my three days here. Rene beats all other guides here 10 to 1, he is simply the BEST story teller, accurate research, curious facts and attention to detail, very passionate about the city and loads to learn even for a book worm like me. If I could give him ten stars I would. He will definitely be my guide next time in Venice. You can miss out on all the other tours here but you will not have seen Venice if you don’t go on his tour. Thank you so much Rene for making this visit so special!
Book this experience, you’ll thank me later! Rene is a phenomenal story-teller and possesses such a wealth of knowledge on the history of Venice. If you want something more beyond the basic facts you learn on the mainstream history tours, this is the experience for you. He opened our eyes to a Venice we would have never seen otherwise and kept us engaged the entire time and even long after we finished the tour. From climate-change and political/socio-economic forces that shaped the city to ancient graffiti and chips on a blank stone that mean way more than you would think they do. This was, hands-down, one of the most valuable experiences we had as first-timers and lovers of history in Venice.
Very informative! René could easily be a university professor!
Latest blog posts
- Venice without the crowds
Venice is normally a crowded place, and that is how most people know it. What most people don’t realise, however, is that important elements of Venice and its history are actually outside the city, in the surrounding lagoon. - The Black Plague
Europe witnessed repeated outbreaks of the black plague – or the bubonic plague – from the 14th until the 17th century. - Long live the doge
Viva il doge – Long live the doge – the writing on the wall celebrating the election of Andrea Gritto as doge in april 1523