Our tour with Rene was fascinating, we chose it because we wanted to avoid the most touristy areas and really learn about the history of Venice. The tour with Rene did not disappoint, think of it as looking at Venice with a macro lens focusing on minute details. Rene will explain, how Venice develop led and changed throughout history, changes to canals and bridges as well as governance and wealth. He offered unique perspectives we did. It receive on other tours we did in Venice. As we were first time visitors to Venice we also did a “wide angle” tour of the touristy highlights. To even remotely understand the city, I recommend both.

René’s tour will change the way you look at Venice – he showed us a lot of small details that you can only understand once you know the history that he shares. He was incredibly generous with his time and knowledge and willing to answer questions in great detail. Definitely different than the typical walking tour – we didn’t go very far but got to do a deep dive into the smaller details that you can’t see without someone knowledgeable to point them out to you!

Rene has a wealth of knowledge and clearly enjoys sharing the historical significance of Venice. For us, the pacing was a bit slow and the “hidden” aspects weren’t as interesting as the history itself, which was the best part of the tour and quite interesting.

Rene is a historian who modified the information based on where we are from. We enjoyed our time together and felt like we learned a lot.

We would point at a building, statues, etc and would receive an extremely detailed answer. We were very impressed with the level of detail and knowledge shared by Rene. As we are American, he also tied in America’s connection to Venice’s political processes. We also appreciate that Rene was always positioning us in shade (it was a very hot day!)

He’s very knowledgeable about writings and various other hidden clues to the city. He’s passionate about Venice and will continue the tour if you have additional questions. I’d recommend his tour to friends.

Totally recommended.

Great! Taught us about things right before our eyes that we would never have seen. Left with a great sense of how the city’s history plays out in its streets and architecture

We hadden iets meer willen zien van Venetië dan die ene paar straten Maar wel veel gehoord! René weer heel veel en leuke details die hij ons heeft laten zien!

Rene was wonderful! He knows so much about so many aspects of the city. He was very generous with his time and I wish I could’ve stayed even longer!

He has found and understands so much of the hidden things of the area. I was in a group of three and we took all the time with meaning lesson and sights.

René is deeply knowledgeable and tells the story of the place in a way that is based on the specific details around him, rather than as a chronology. I was blown away by how much history there was in just one public square. I highly recommend this tour.”

This tour was a great start to our stay in Venice. We learned a lot about the history of how Venice was ruled through the centuries which gave us greater insight into the city itself. Plus who knew there was ancient graffiti in St. Marks Square!

Super interesting walking tour of Venice with a small group. Rene knows his subject like no other tour guide we have ever come across. University level knowledge of history of Venice, mixed with some specific insights into the hidden history. It is not a tour of all Venice rather a detailed insight of a very specific area. The “professor” is a unique somewhat intellectual experience.

Great value! Rene was wonderful and very imformative!

Renee was very knowledgeable about the history of Venice. He asked us where we were from and that was his point of reference for the history and relationship we have with Venice. My history buff family loved the tour! This tour is for people that want to know about real history, not the water down version. I felt like we were in University learning from a professor!!”

Super knowledgeable guide with a totally underrated tour of the city!

The most knowledgable historian in Venice! I had a great time walking around the squares with Rene, he is incredibly insightful and was able to show me a side to Venice very few get to see.

Really nice walk in the neighborhood where I normally stay that let me appreciate the details of the city so much more. I learned a lot!”

It was fun seeing Venice through the eyes of such a passionate historian. René basically knows a story to every street corner and points out things you could’ve easily overlooked 😉 Thank you! We recommend!

We really enjoyed the tour. Rene was very passionate and knew a lot about the history of Venice. He pointed out so many interesting facts which we had missed before when just walking through the streets on our own. Well worth it.

Rene was very knowledgeable about the history of Venice and I learnt a great deal. I was the only person on the tour and he was very generous with his time.

René’s tour was amazing! As a historian, he has a huge depth of knowledge of the history of the city, and showed us the incredible evolution of the architecture and layout of the city over the centuries. He was super open to our questions and filled in a lot of gaps of our understanding of the city. If you were ever curious about anything regarding Venice, book this experience!

Rene is incredibly knowledgeable. His stories made the city come to life. We learned so much and feel like we can now walk the streets of Venice with a deeper insight and appreciation.

If you are interested in history, and the reasons for special historical events and relations between architecture and society, he is the right guide! We really enjoyed the tour!

Excellent guide. Very knowledgeable. He knows everything.

We could have walked with Rene for hours! His knowledge of Venice is impressive. He held both our attention and our son’s attention for the entire walk. Learning about the daily life in Venice from years past was very interesting for us and allowed us to notice other hidden history as we walked the streets on our own the following days.

The knowledge shared is a great supplement after visiting The Doge’s Palace and other locations.

What a fantastic tour. Rene is a historian by education and his wealth of knowledge went far beyond anything you may have learned on other tours or before arriving. The tour enhanced the rest of our trip as we were able to notice things around us that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen – including centuries old grafitti! He even kindly went over the allotted time as we were enjoying it so much. I highly recommend – it was one of our favourite parts of our trip to Venice.

We looked at Venice completely differently afterwards and could see so much more in plain sight. René is extremely knowledgable and engaging.

What a great start to the day, in a quiet part of Venice that we would never normally go to. The storytelling was excellent the history is amazing and you come to understand so much more about the city and the origins and what peoples lives were like back when Venice was built. He presents a vivid picture to imagine the thoughts and daily life of that time. Excellent highly recommend

If you like history and want to see the small details hidden all around the corners and alleyways, you will enjoy it. There was a lot to show. If René goes too deep on one topic, press on, he has so much to show, there is no need spend his time on things you already know. The walk did not seem rigid and René can adapt or so it seems.

René clearly loves history and knows the city very well. He puts a lot of enthusiasm and feeling into his narrative. We felt like we will enjoy our time in Venice more now that we know what we are looking at! Book this walk early in your stay.

Thanks Rene for sharing so much detail about Venice! Jam-packed with information in just two hours.

Rene is super knowledgeable in general history and local history. He helps connect the dots between what you see in Venice reason for being which is an amazing story and combines this with local anecdotes and special insights and observations. I highly recommend this tour when you first arrive Venice, this will give you a great overview to understand where you just arrived and will help you better observe what you see and experience.

Recommend it if you want to learn more about history of Venice . Rene is very knowledgeable and he’s an excellent storyteller.

My husband and I learned so much about the Venetian history from René. Each building tells a story and this tour allowed us to appreciate the details around the city. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who’s looking to dive into the city’s past!

Very knowledgeable historian

Rene is so knowledgable! He went above and beyond to show us the real Venice and to answer our many questions. He also did a wonderful job keeping my husband and I engaged, despite our very different historical interest levels. This is a fantastic glimpse into what makes Venice so special!

That was a fantastic tour! René talked a lot about architecture, history and culture in Venice through the times, as well as modern life. That’s definitely an amazing experience!

Excellent trip, René is a very knowledgeable and polite man. i highly recommend!”

Intresting tour about a part of Venice that not so many people visit.

René isn’t just knowledgeable but also truly passionate about Venice and its rich history. The experience goes beyond what initially meets the eye where René adds layers by comparing the various times in the past.

He was full of cool information about Venice. It was obvious he enjoys leading the tours. He was also happy to answer questions.

This was a brilliant experience! Rene was so knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. He made the stones come alive and took us through the history of the city with many entertaining stories along the way! We were also very lucky to have him to ourselves. Thank you Rene!”

Rene is a well of knowledge and a fantastic storyteller. We all had a great time and learned so much.

Ottima esperienza. Abbiamo visto cose molto interessanti e nascoste.

Very informative! René could easily be a university professor!

Good tour for a slow-paced introduction to parts of Venetian history

A good tour for anyone interested in the general history of the city. René has a profound and vast knowledge and knows every corner of Castello!