Our hotel offered us a free water taxi ride at our convenience to the glass center. Obviously, it's…read morea tourist trap. But it is also a truly venetian experience. The glassworks are extraordinary. You see the pieces being created in real time and then you wander the store. There's no hard sell but, hey, you just got a free ride and a lovely show. On a personal note, I fell in love with a piece. It's the most beautiful art I've ever purchased. Any subsequent questions or help I've needed, they've been extremely responsive. Even had I not found anything I loved, I would have bought something small and found it well worth the price of adventure.

Murano glass is most definitely art. You can buy anything from chandeliers to little glass…read moretrinkets. I have a couple unique drinking glasses that no one will ever touch! I also have the most adorable kissing fish trinket. It's one of my favorites. This is most definitely a must stop while in Venice.

I love Burano! In turn, I love my unique piece of art from La Buranella. It's my own little piece…read moreof Italy! As you get off the boat in Burano, La Buranella is one of the first places you come across. We walked in to see a father and son painting scenes of Burano, surrounding Murano glass that is placed just so in order to make up the Burano buildings and landscape. We were instantly intrigued, but continued on our way to the town. After perusing the shops and streets of Burano, we found ourselves back in La Buranella. The paintings that the men were originally working on were now dry. We decided that this would be a perfect souvenir to remember our first European vacation by. I look at it daily!

I'm the sort of traveler who wants to take a piece of the trip home. I want to be transported back…read moreto that magical place I visited. So, my souvenir of choice is usually art. With a glance, I'm back - the sounds, the sights, the smells. When I was in Burano (one of the small islands around Venice - another is Murano) last May, it was pouring rain. But that didn't stop it from being one of the highlights of my trip. This little island is full of winding streets, picturesque footbridges, and brightly colored houses with brightly colored skiffs to go with them. We had less than 2 hours to explore Burano as we had to catch the last vaporetto back for the night. As we were heading back to the vaporetto stop, I was desperately looking for that perfect item to take home with me. Yes, I tried their delicious pastries and I bought a handmade lace shawl for my mom, but I needed something special. On the right side of the street, facing the vaporetto stop, there was a tiny shop - La Buranella! We stepped out of the rain and it was like stepping into a painting. Vibrant colors on the walls and the art instantly lifted my spirits. I almost couldn't decide - because Giuliano (the artist) is so talented and really captures the feeling of Burano in all of his work. But I decided on one that combined the colorful houses, the picturesque footbridges, and the little boats into one perfect picture. If you're on Burano, I highly recommend you stop by La Buranella to see Guiliano's work and to pick up a few reminders of your own trip!

Visit their gallery even it you aren't in the market; it is an exquisite art museum. Awaiting…read moredelivery of my purchase from these master glass blowers.

It was cool to see Master Glassblower's sharing their craftsmanship with our tour group! The…read moreapprenticeship to become a master artesian takes 15 years! The finished products are exquisite and I understand why the finished products are expensive! Much respect!

We contacted Ellegi Glass a day before our visit to make the reservation. We saw how the beautiful…read moreglass decorations were created from the beginning to the finished product. The walk from the water bus station to Ellegi Glass is about 20 minutes. Beautiful scenery along the way next to the canals or waterfronts. I enjoyed the walks, and I took a lot of pictures. It is so beautiful! Ellegi Glass has a demonstration on site to show the visitors how their glass decorations are made. Very informative! They bring us to the showroom after the demonstration, and we can purchase the beautiful glass artwork. They're all head made and all one of a kind! The demonstration shows costs €5 per person. I think it is a great idea to visit the glass factory.

We cane to Murano Island as part of a city tour. Ellegi Glass' glass making demonstration was part…read moreof our tour. I was very glad that it was in English. I have seen this process before at Disney, but seeing glass made in Murano is a while other story. First of all, the process is so fascinating. I have the deepest admiration for glass masters. According to our narrator, these people don't go to school to learn the craft, they learn from their parents, who learned from their parents. I learned a lot. The process was very well explained to us. Very informative demonstration.

This little glass/souvenir/art shop is located just by Murano Faro stop (no. 12) on the Venetian…read moreisland of Murano. The island is famous for its fancy glasswares. I was expecting things in the shop to be overpriced as it is located so near the stop. But I was wrong. A crescent moon and stars ring caught my attention. I bought it for €7.50 which was a good price. Apart from glasswares, they also sell postcards, magnets, keyrings and etc. The lady who served me was very friendly and helpful though she did not speak English. I really like little arts/crafts shops. I will return to the shop in next trip. Someday I will find my Star.

Beautiful selection of jewellery, head pieces, masks, purses/clutches, corsets, and even sculptural…read morepieces that can hold items. Everything is handmade, so definitely pricier, but if you find something you like, you must try it! He also made the jewellery for the set of Reign, which is pretty cool. I bought a necklace, clutch, and a ring. All so beautiful and unique.

LAGGIA in Venice is a tiny store next to Campo San Maurizio in the passageway when walking in the…read moredirection of San Marco square. It is easy to miss, but a highly recommended stop. Laggia is the store of Alfred Laggia the local Venetian designer who creates incredibly complex hand made intricate mesh jewellery pieces in his studio in Venice. He makes tiny delicate pieces as well as dramatic large pieces which were a favourite of Gianni Versace in his runway shows. Ask to see the amazing mesh head pieces. Sabrina Laggia (Alfredo's wife) works in the store and can also show you photographs of his larger scale works. Because it is such a tiny store it is easy to pass it by, assuming that it is part of all the usual tourist fare. I highly recommend that you go inside and look at the designs as they are quite incredible. I bought a neck piece and a cuff bracelet both of which are a bit grand for me, but so amazing that I'm sure I will wear them to a special event in the future. If the shop is closed go across the hall to the wine store which they also own and Sabrina will let you in.

This is the most amazing studio and shop of designer hand made Murano glass and custom made…read morejewellery. We only discovered the studio on our last day in Venice and spent lots on wonderful Murano beads, they are so individual and totally different to the commercial Murano glass available throughout Venice. The owner of the studio, Lesley Genninger was so helpful and full of ideas for using her beads.The beads do not contain any lead and contain white gold, yellow gold leaf and silver, precious metals encased in beautiful coulors and glass. The Genninger Studio is an essential early on for our next trip to Venice and for anyone loving jewellery or making their own.

Lesley Genninger is an American designer who has lived in Venice for years. I believe she has the…read morefinest Murano glassblowers make her beads, and then creates fabulous necklace and earring designs. I bought a pair of earrings on a trip to Venice several years ago and have since seen her jewelry at the Museum of Art & Design at Columbus Circle, NYC. First stop when back in Venice will be her studio, which is close to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

This place is a gem. Ask to see the tiny books. They even have book earrings!! Smaller than an…read moreinch!!! Multi-signature hard bound books with marbled paper covers. I bought eight. So easy to carry home and they will make great gifts or Christmas ornaments. Everything in the shop is covered in marbled paper.

I stumbled onto Il Pavone during my many bouts of getting lost in beautiful Venezia. It was 10…read moremins before closing time, but the gracious owner gave me his full attention and answered all my questions. I initially entered the store because I was curious, but quickly was taken in by the beautiful stamps available. I ended up getting several and now that I'm back in California, I look at these items with affection (and longing to return to Venezia). They are a tangible and useful souvenir of not only my first of many visits to this grand city, but also of this quaint and charming shop. P.S. I should have purchased a couple of pre-inked stamp pads. I haven't found a suitable on that really shows off the designs here in the U.S.