Venice in June comes with certain expectations: crowded bridges, packed piazzas and little room to pause. When DRIFT publisher Steve Drake arrived at the start of the summer travel season, he expected to find the city at its most overwhelming. Instead, he found another side of Venice.
The gondolas were there, of course. So were the crowds around the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. But a few turns away, quiet lanes invited an unplanned walk. An afternoon aperitivo could stretch without hurry. On the water, vaporetti and working boats offered a glimpse of the everyday city beyond its postcard views.
In “Venice Reconsidered,” our Fall 2026 magazine feature, Steve explores what it means to give Venice more than a hurried stop. He stays on Giudecca, where the restored flour mill that houses Hilton Molino Stucky Venice offers a different vantage point across the canal. He visits Murano to watch glassmakers at work, discovers small shops with distinctly Venetian stories and finds that the best moments often happen when there is no itinerary to follow.
The feature also asks a timely question: Can travelers enjoy Venice while helping make tourism work better for the people who live there? There is no simple answer, and the city still faces real pressures. Steve’s experience suggests a worthwhile place to begin: stay longer, explore beyond the busiest landmarks and leave time to get a little lost.
Read “Venice Reconsidered” in the Fall 2026 issue of DRIFT Travel Magazine for Steve’s full story, photographs and five must-see Venice experiences.
Read the feature: Venice Reconsidered
