Check out The Botanical Experience at Ca’ di Dio in Venice

Ca’ di Dio, Venice, a Patricia Urquiola-designed hotel, opened at the end of last year and offers many experiences which allow guests to see a different side of Venice. The Botanical Experience offers a special tour of the lagoons accompanied by Botanist Gabriele Bisetto. Gabriele shares the secrets of lagoon life and explains how the herbs and plants are used in the restaurants and bar at Ca’ di Dio. 

The Route 
Guests will set sail from Ca’ di Dio to the colourful Burano Island. From here, they will embark upon their discoveries on Bisetto’s traditional boat called a ‘Carolina’. The Carolina has a flat bottom which allows the boat to get close to the island banks. The route follows the traditional wooden structures called bricole, along the navigable canals from the Bacino di San Marco. After travelling along the San Felice Canal, the boat will enter the heart of the northern lagoon, a silent and highly evocative place where the sandbank plants continuously change. 

The Lagoon, Flora, and Fauna 
The lagoon is full of channels, gullies, and small channels knowns as ghebi, which branch out in a volute shape between ditches, mudflats, and sandbanks. Gabriele will explain how the water rises and falls due to the sun and moon and how the ebb and flow creates the perfect environment for the flora and fauna. 

Back at Ca’ di Dio
Chef Raimondo Squeo, who heads up the kitchen, will explain how the lagoon inspires the cuisine served at Vero Restaurant. The Venetian dishes are revisited with a modern touch yet respect the seasonality of the ingredients. Gabriele Bisetto has worked with the Ca’ di Dio team to help produce a special gin made with salt from the lagoon.  

To find out more, visit www.vretreats.com/en/ca-di-dio/botanical-experience