The Quieter Venice

Take Line 1 from Ca' d'Oro to Accademia stop (~20 min). Walk Ponte dell'Accademia (wooden bridge, a few steps) into Dorsoduro. Stroll south to Zattere promenade - wide waterfront along the Giudecca Canal, completely flat, uncrowded, lovely morning light. Coffee and pastry at a Zattere cafe.

The world's largest collection of Venetian painting. Bellini, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto in sequence and in depth. Allow 1.5 hours minimum. Accademia vaporetto stop is right at the entrance.

10-min walk from the Accademia along the Grand Canal, in Peggy's former palazzo. Pollock, Picasso, Dali, Ernst, Magritte - one of the best modern art collections in Europe. Garden and main floor are accessible.

Walk north from the flat toward Fondamente Nove - the wide waterfront facing the northern lagoon and the cemetery island of San Michele. The view to Murano on a clear October morning is striking. Gesuiti church is along the way. Flat quayside walking, fully accessible.

Take vaporetto Line 12 from Fondamente Nove to Murano (Colonna stop) - 10 min. Murano is worth it for the walk, the cathedral, and one proper glassblowing demonstration. Book a workshop in advance - do NOT take the "free demo" offered by people on the dock. Those are commission sales pitches.

Campo dei Mori - three carved Moor statues embedded in house facades, odd and charming. Then Ghetto Nuovo, the original Jewish Ghetto, historically significant and a genuine community still active. Small museum inside if interested. Slow meander back to Strada Nova to rest before dinner.