Hidden history – reviews

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.

My fiancé went on this tour and loved it. He loves history so it was a unique and interesting way to spend a few hours. René was courteous and knowledgeable and we would recommend the tour to anyone looking for a different way to learn about the beautiful city of Venice.

René was extremely knowledgeable about the history culture and social and economic conditions of Venice and was able to connect everything to world issues and make Venice a place of historical importance and connection to the whole world. His knowledge of history culture and languages was amazing! He truly has an in-depth and detailed knowledge of his subject. He was able to show us in the Square we visited how these facts connected to the actual place, Venice and give examples of what he talked about. he told us so many things that none of the other guides or tours have included so it was a very unique experience. René also was very kind and thoughtful and enable me as a visually impaired person to touch physical parts of the buildings and give detailed visual descriptions of things I could not see. He was able to answer any questions and moved in a way that was easy to follow. I would recommend his tour to anyone who is interested in knowing more about Venice and its historical place in the world and how the Venetian’s have come to be who they are today.

Meeting with Rene is a complete learning experience. He has the knowledge of a university professor with the friendliness of a grad student. We spent the two hours going beyond cute stories from past – and really exploring some of the complexities of Venetian history. In the end this is much better than the typical rote recital of some common history. Probably not for kids, unless they are high school history nerds.

I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand aspects of the city outside the purely tourist circuits. Rene has an extensive knowledge of the city, its construction and secrets that escape most eyes.

Interesting anecdotes and small details that escape the eye. Lots of historical background information on why things are the way they are. we booked a 2 hour tour but ended up spending 3.5 hours together sitting in a small non tourist baccaro drinking and eating.

Excellent tour guide! We didn’t walk much but more importantly, Rene’s insights helped me perceive more of Venice.

We’re very lucky to have René to tell us stories and history about Venice, he is extremely knowledgeable and friendly in person. He could tell us details of one building in terms of it’s history, design and how it was built. Amazing!

We love this tour! He was so knowledgeable and passionate about Venice and his enthusiasm and knowledge were superior. He even kept us in the shade on a very hot day 🙂 if you love history, or Venice, or you are just interested in learning more about what you are seeing and experiencing there we recommend this to her 100%!

This is an awesome tour to start understanding the historical importance of Venice and can explain every little detail that you may ask. I completely recommend the tour for anyone that wants to know Venice for what’s beneath the lovely sights

Amazing storytelling!

Rene was an amazing tour guide. Unlike a lot of experiences like this, it was clear he had an abiding and ongoing curiosity in the history around us so that he likely continues the learning regularly. You could tell it wasn’t he packaged stories shared with all tourists. He even related the Venetian republic to American history which was fascinating. In addition, we asked questions that were likely uncommon and he answered them in great detail. These things brought the full tour into context and made for an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone. In fact the tour went longer than planned and we would have enjoyed spending the whole day learning from him but had to get to an appointment. Would recommend Rene and this tour without reservation.

Un moment formidable pour comprendre la ville et son histoire. René est un guide passionné et très agréable. Il s’est complètement adapté à nous. Les enfants ont beaucoup apprécié également. Nous recommandons complètement.

René told us so much about the history of Venice with many interesting details and he could answer all our questions. We enjoyed it a lot!

We learned so much about Venice and its history, plus Rene could answer all our questions about the city or events that happened.

It’s the perfect tour to get to know the history of the city, and in a small group. Rene was a wonderful, knowledgeable guide. Answered all our questions and we enjoyed every minute of it. Would def recommend.

Our tour with Rene was fascinating, we chose it because we wanted to avoid the most touristy areas and really learn about the history of Venice. The tour with Rene did not disappoint, think of it as looking at Venice with a macro lens focusing on minute details. Rene will explain, how Venice develop led and changed throughout history, changes to canals and bridges as well as governance and wealth. He offered unique perspectives we did. It receive on other tours we did in Venice. As we were first time visitors to Venice we also did a “wide angle” tour of the touristy highlights. To even remotely understand the city, I recommend both.

René’s tour will change the way you look at Venice – he showed us a lot of small details that you can only understand once you know the history that he shares. He was incredibly generous with his time and knowledge and willing to answer questions in great detail. Definitely different than the typical walking tour – we didn’t go very far but got to do a deep dive into the smaller details that you can’t see without someone knowledgeable to point them out to you!

Rene has a wealth of knowledge and clearly enjoys sharing the historical significance of Venice. For us, the pacing was a bit slow and the “hidden” aspects weren’t as interesting as the history itself, which was the best part of the tour and quite interesting.

Rene is a historian who modified the information based on where we are from. We enjoyed our time together and felt like we learned a lot.

We would point at a building, statues, etc and would receive an extremely detailed answer. We were very impressed with the level of detail and knowledge shared by Rene. As we are American, he also tied in America’s connection to Venice’s political processes. We also appreciate that Rene was always positioning us in shade (it was a very hot day!)

He’s very knowledgeable about writings and various other hidden clues to the city. He’s passionate about Venice and will continue the tour if you have additional questions. I’d recommend his tour to friends.

Totally recommended.

Great! Taught us about things right before our eyes that we would never have seen. Left with a great sense of how the city’s history plays out in its streets and architecture

We hadden iets meer willen zien van Venetië dan die ene paar straten Maar wel veel gehoord! René weer heel veel en leuke details die hij ons heeft laten zien!

Rene was wonderful! He knows so much about so many aspects of the city. He was very generous with his time and I wish I could’ve stayed even longer!

He has found and understands so much of the hidden things of the area. I was in a group of three and we took all the time with meaning lesson and sights.

René is deeply knowledgeable and tells the story of the place in a way that is based on the specific details around him, rather than as a chronology. I was blown away by how much history there was in just one public square. I highly recommend this tour.”

This tour was a great start to our stay in Venice. We learned a lot about the history of how Venice was ruled through the centuries which gave us greater insight into the city itself. Plus who knew there was ancient graffiti in St. Marks Square!

Super interesting walking tour of Venice with a small group. Rene knows his subject like no other tour guide we have ever come across. University level knowledge of history of Venice, mixed with some specific insights into the hidden history. It is not a tour of all Venice rather a detailed insight of a very specific area. The “professor” is a unique somewhat intellectual experience.

Great value! Rene was wonderful and very imformative!

Renee was very knowledgeable about the history of Venice. He asked us where we were from and that was his point of reference for the history and relationship we have with Venice. My history buff family loved the tour! This tour is for people that want to know about real history, not the water down version. I felt like we were in University learning from a professor!!”

Super knowledgeable guide with a totally underrated tour of the city!

The most knowledgable historian in Venice! I had a great time walking around the squares with Rene, he is incredibly insightful and was able to show me a side to Venice very few get to see.

Really nice walk in the neighborhood where I normally stay that let me appreciate the details of the city so much more. I learned a lot!”

It was fun seeing Venice through the eyes of such a passionate historian. René basically knows a story to every street corner and points out things you could’ve easily overlooked 😉 Thank you! We recommend!

We really enjoyed the tour. Rene was very passionate and knew a lot about the history of Venice. He pointed out so many interesting facts which we had missed before when just walking through the streets on our own. Well worth it.

Rene was very knowledgeable about the history of Venice and I learnt a great deal. I was the only person on the tour and he was very generous with his time.

René’s tour was amazing! As a historian, he has a huge depth of knowledge of the history of the city, and showed us the incredible evolution of the architecture and layout of the city over the centuries. He was super open to our questions and filled in a lot of gaps of our understanding of the city. If you were ever curious about anything regarding Venice, book this experience!

Rene is incredibly knowledgeable. His stories made the city come to life. We learned so much and feel like we can now walk the streets of Venice with a deeper insight and appreciation.

If you are interested in history, and the reasons for special historical events and relations between architecture and society, he is the right guide! We really enjoyed the tour!

Excellent guide. Very knowledgeable. He knows everything.

We could have walked with Rene for hours! His knowledge of Venice is impressive. He held both our attention and our son’s attention for the entire walk. Learning about the daily life in Venice from years past was very interesting for us and allowed us to notice other hidden history as we walked the streets on our own the following days.

The knowledge shared is a great supplement after visiting The Doge’s Palace and other locations.

What a fantastic tour. Rene is a historian by education and his wealth of knowledge went far beyond anything you may have learned on other tours or before arriving. The tour enhanced the rest of our trip as we were able to notice things around us that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen – including centuries old grafitti! He even kindly went over the allotted time as we were enjoying it so much. I highly recommend – it was one of our favourite parts of our trip to Venice.

We looked at Venice completely differently afterwards and could see so much more in plain sight. René is extremely knowledgable and engaging.

What a great start to the day, in a quiet part of Venice that we would never normally go to. The storytelling was excellent the history is amazing and you come to understand so much more about the city and the origins and what peoples lives were like back when Venice was built. He presents a vivid picture to imagine the thoughts and daily life of that time. Excellent highly recommend

If you like history and want to see the small details hidden all around the corners and alleyways, you will enjoy it. There was a lot to show. If René goes too deep on one topic, press on, he has so much to show, there is no need spend his time on things you already know. The walk did not seem rigid and René can adapt or so it seems.

René clearly loves history and knows the city very well. He puts a lot of enthusiasm and feeling into his narrative. We felt like we will enjoy our time in Venice more now that we know what we are looking at! Book this walk early in your stay.