Chioggia
Venice’s charming, underrated little cousin
Italy > Veneto > Chioggia
Aliaksandr Antanovich / Shutterstock
Venice without the crowds? Yes, please.
Chioggia is the kind of place that makes you wonder why more people aren’t talking about it. Tucked at the southern end of the Venetian Lagoon, this working fishing town looks like a scaled-down Venice—canals, bridges, pastel buildings—but without the cruise ship chaos. It's a brilliant day trip if you're based in Venice (just over an hour by bus or vaporetto), or even better, a low-key base for exploring the Veneto region.
Start your visit on Corso del Popolo, the town’s main street. It runs straight through the heart of Chioggia and is lined with churches, seafood restaurants, and open-air markets. If you're here in the morning, make a beeline for the fish market—it's been going strong since the Middle Ages and still feels like the town’s beating heart. This place is raw, real, and refreshingly unpolished. If you're into photography, bring your camera: fishing boats, tangled nets, locals shouting across the docks—it’s a visual goldmine.
For lunch, try sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines) or whatever the daily catch is at one of the family-run trattorias. Chioggia is known for its seafood, and you’re getting it straight off the boat. After eating, climb the 11th-century bell tower at the Church of St. Andrew—it has one of the oldest working clocks in the world and panoramic views over the town and lagoon.
If you’re visiting in summer, tack on a few hours at Sottomarina, Chioggia’s beachside suburb. It’s not a wild, unspoiled beach—it’s packed with umbrellas and sunbeds—but it’s got a charm of its own, especially with a cold spritz in hand.
Chioggia won’t stay a secret forever. Go now, while it still feels like a slice of real Italy.
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