“When you look at a piece of delicately spun glass you think of two things: how beautiful it is and how easily it can be broken.”
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon. It lies about 1.5km north of Venice and measures about 1.5km across and has a population of just over 5000 people.
Before visiting Venice I read a few travel blogs recommending a visit to Murano. It wasn’t until I visited this island myself that I understood why it was so important to add to my travel itinerary in Venice.
If glass is your thing then Murano is a must do on your trip to Venice.
It is on this island where you will find the world-famous Murano glass and exquisite glass art pieces.
The island has no other attractions besides the many glass blowing factories and rows upon rows of shops selling of the most interesting and attractive pieces of glass. When we arrived on the island we made our way to the nearest factory where we paid 4 Euros for entry to a 20min demonstration.
I was blown away by the technique of the glass maker and the skill with which he handled the long iron stick while blowing and twisting and turning the glass into the desired shape.
It’s only after the demonstration when you are taken to the display room where all the magnificent and exquisite designs are housed.
Besides the glass vases, chandeliers, bowls, tumblers etc glass makers in Murano have also perfected the art of making glass beads.
One could easily lose track of time as you wonder from one shop to another admiring the glass designs.
We toyed with the idea of purchasing a unique piece for our display cabinet at home but after considering the logistics around packaging and transporting this piece, we decided it was too delicate and fragile to risk. I was however spoiled with a beautiful Murano glass bead bracelet complete with it’s authentication certificate.
It’s important to ask for the authentication certificate when purchasing Murano glass in Venice. I was surprised to learn that many of the shops in and around the touristy part of Venice was selling fake Murano products which were made in China.
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