Venice Hotel Offers Sunrise Runs and Mask-Making Classes

Imagine running through Venice's empty streets at dawn, the only sound your footsteps echoing off ancient stone while the first light dances on silent canals.

The Avani Rio Novo Venice hotel has launched a program that trades typical tourist experiences for authentic local activities. Guests can join sunrise running tours, craft traditional Venetian masks, learn glassmaking in Murano, work with historic lagoon wood, and take Italian cooking classes.

"We want our guests to feel a bit more like locals, like real Venetians," says Elisa Necci, the hotel's head of customer relations. The philosophy goes beyond sightseeing to create hands-on connections with the city's living traditions.

The sunrise running tour stands out as something truly special. Professional guide Denys Bukovskyi, a 16-year Venice resident, leads small groups through the historic center before the city wakes up. Participants run past iconic landmarks when café terraces remain shuttered and tour groups haven't yet arrived.

"Venice is usually full of tourists, boats, noise and movement," Necci explains. "Seeing it at dawn is completely different."

Bukovskyi designs the routes for all fitness levels, adjusting the pace for each participant. "You make the most of the moment when the streets are empty to visit places that are packed with people during the day," he says. The activity combines physical exercise with an unforgettable view of Venice's quieter side.

The mask-making workshops connect visitors with centuries of Venetian carnival tradition. Instead of buying a mass-produced souvenir, guests create their own masks under local artisans' guidance. "Making a mask connects you with Venice's past," Necci notes. "It is also an activity you can share as a family and it creates very special memories."

The same principle applies to the Murano glassmaking courses. Participants discover the craft from the inside and create their own pieces with expert supervision. "They can try making it themselves, learn how glass is worked, understand the history of this tradition and take home something they have created with their own hands," Necci says.

Another unique offering lets visitors work with historic wood from the lagoon's old channel markers. At the Lunardelli workshop, guests transform these weathered posts into decorative pieces. "Guests can touch a piece of the city's history with their own hands," Necci explains.

The Ripple Effect

This approach reflects a broader shift in how people want to travel. Tourists increasingly seek immersive experiences that reveal destinations authentically rather than superficially.

The hotel welcomes guests from Spain, Latin America, the United States, Germany, and France who want more than St. Mark's Square and gondola rides. "They want to understand what the city is really like and connect with it," Necci says.

The strategy aims to differentiate the hotel in a city packed with accommodation options. "We do not want to be just another Venice hotel," she explains. "The important thing is not only to offer a room or a service, but to create an authentic connection with the place."

For visitors willing to wake early and get their hands dirty, Venice reveals a side that millions of annual tourists never discover.