Row Venice

Row Venice offers one of the most memorable hands-on experiences in Venice: a lesson in voga alla veneta, the Venetian technique of rowing standing up and facing forward, as gondoliers do. It is run as a non-profit by a team of expert women instructors, all experienced Venetian rowers, and its aim is to share and help preserve a rowing tradition that is central to the city's identity.

Lessons take place in a batellina, a traditional, hand-crafted Venetian boat that is stable and comfortable, which makes it ideal for beginners. Boats carry four or five people, and every lesson is private, so you are only on the water with your own group. The classic lesson teaches the basic stroke and steering on the quieter canals of Cannaregio and the edge of the lagoon. The Cicchetti row combines rowing with a stop at a bacaro for local snacks and drinks, and an evening Grand Canal row takes you out onto the city's main waterway as the light fades. Full lesson descriptions and durations are on the website.

No experience is needed, and the instructors are used to complete beginners, though you should be comfortable standing and balancing in a moving boat. Prices depend on the number of people in the boat, whether they are rowing or riding along, and three children aged nine or under count as two people, which makes it a good-value activity for families. Lessons run all year round, but book well ahead in spring and summer, and wear flat shoes with good grip and clothing you can move in.

Row Venice suits families with children, couples, friends and anyone who wants to try something genuinely Venetian rather than simply watch it. It also gives you a new perspective on the city: once you have tried to steer one of these boats yourself, you will look at the gondoliers on the Grand Canal with fresh respect.

Lessons start in Cannaregio, on the fondamenta near the Sacca de la Misericordia boat marina, on the northern edge of the city. The nearest vaporetto stops are Madonna dell'Orto and Fondamente Nove, and the bars of Fondamenta della Misericordia and the Jewish Ghetto are a short walk away. Bookings and questions go through the website, by email or by WhatsApp.