Daily Daydream: Murano, Italy

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

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The Island of Murano is known worldwide for the amazing hand-blown glass produced there. Located just a quick water bus ride away from Venice, Murano is only about a mile wide, so it’s easily explored in a day trip. Like Venice, Murano is a canal town, and has a grand canal bisecting the island.

The history of Murano is interesting—it became a major glassblowing center after glass-makers were forced off Venice due to fears that the glass making process would spark fires that would decimate the city’s predominantly wooden buildings. Learn more about the city’s history and the history of glass-making at the Museo Vetario.

The best part of the island is watching the many glass blowing demonstrations. Many of the factories put on shows, but then you are of course encouraged to buy the final product in the gift shop. Resist the urge to impulse buy if you don’t want to pay to ship your goods home.

Where is it? About one mile north of Venice, in Italy. The nearest international airport is Venice’s Marco Polo (check prices).

Where to stay? Plan well ahead and you can stay in one of the three rooms at the Villa Lina Bed and Breakfast. The B&B features a terrace with a panoramic view of Venice and a Lagoon-view garden, and prices start at just 80 Euros.

What else should I know? Back in Venice, many operators will try to sell you on a tour of Murano, but the easiest and cheapest way to see it is to just hop on a water bus.

Who’s it for? Glass lovers, history buffs.

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