Beyond the Crowds: Sunrise Runs and Hand‑Made Masks in Venice

When most travellers picture Venice, they see packed squares, tourists snapping photos of St Mark’s Basilica, and gondolas gliding through bustling waterways. But at the Avani Rio Novo Venice hotel, a different kind of itinerary is taking shape – one that starts before the sunrise and ends with a handmade souvenir tucked into your luggage.

“We want our guests to feel a bit more like locals, like real Venetians,” says Elisa Necci, the hotel’s head of customer relations. Her team has teamed up with longtime resident and guide Denys Bukovskyi, who has called the city home for more than sixteen years, to design a programme that swaps sightseeing for truly immersive experiences.

It all begins at dawn. While most cafés are still closed, a small group gathers at the hotel’s private courtyard, laces up their running shoes and heads out for the Sunrise Running Tour. The route winds along quiet canals, past hidden warehouses and under low, arched bridges that most day‑time visitors never see. “The city looks completely different when the sun is just peeking over the horizon,” Bukovskyi notes, his voice echoing slightly over the still water. The run finishes with a light Italian breakfast – fresh espresso, croissants, and a sprinkling of sea‑salted biscotti – served on a marble terrace that overlooks the lagoon.

After you’ve earned your calories, the hotel invites you to roll up your sleeves for a Venetian mask‑making workshop. Here, a master artisan demonstrates how centuries‑old techniques turn feather, papier‑mâché and shimmering pigments into the iconic masks that still dazzle Carnival crowds. Participants get to design their own patterns, choosing colors that remind them of the city’s pastel facades. The result? A one‑of‑a‑kind mask you can actually wear – no souvenir shop required.

But the creative journey doesn’t stop there. A short vaporetto ride takes you to Murano, the glass‑making island that has supplied Europe’s elite with delicate ornaments since the Renaissance. In a hands‑on workshop, you coax molten glass into vibrant vases, beads, or tiny lanterns under the careful eye of a local maestro. The heat is intense, the glass glows like fire, and you walk away with a piece that feels almost too precious to touch.

If woodcraft is more your speed, the hotel’s partnership with the historic Lunardelli workshop offers a glimpse into Venice’s maritime past. Using reclaimed wood harvested from ancient lagoon posts, artisans guide you through carving simple yet elegant wooden elements – a reminder of the city’s long relationship with the sea.

For those craving culinary flair, evening cooking classes let you stir, season and savor classic Venetian dishes, from sarde in saor to classic risotto al nero di seppia. Guests often say the aroma of simmering sauce drifting through the kitchen is the most authentic souvenir of all.

The programme draws a surprisingly diverse crowd. According to Necci, visitors hail from Spain, Latin America, the United States, Germany and France – all eager to trade a typical sightseeing checklist for a hands‑on adventure. And while the hotel’s rate card is certainly a step up from a hostel dorm, many guests consider the immersive activities a worthwhile investment in genuine memory‑making.

So, if you’re planning a trip to the floating city and you’ve already booked a gondola ride, consider swapping one hour for a sunrise jog, a mask‑making session, or a splash of molten glass. It’s a small shift that can turn an ordinary vacation into a story you’ll be telling for years to come.