Hidden history – reviews

Byzantine art on the walls in Venice

Reviews for the Hidden History in plain sight walk.

The experience goes beyond what initially meets the eye

Rated 5 out of 5
February 19, 2022

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.

Anders

Rene was a great tour guide.

Rated 5 out of 5
February 18, 2022

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

Deanna

We really enjoyed the experience

Rated 5 out of 5
February 17, 2022

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!”

Susan

We all had a great time

Rated 5 out of 5
February 17, 2022

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

Lionel

No Title

Rated 5 out of 5
January 27, 2022

Ottima esperienza. Abbiamo visto cose molto interessanti e nascoste.

Patrizia

Very informative

Rated 5 out of 5
January 22, 2022

Very informative! René could easily be a university professor!

Andrew

Good tour

Rated 5 out of 5
January 18, 2022

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

Alexandr

No Title

Rated 4 out of 5
January 7, 2022

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!

Carin

No Title

Rated 3 out of 5
January 3, 2022

Very interesting content, René truly knows what he’s talking about and is able to answer all the questions that might come up. However – but that might just have been the tour I was on – we stayed in the first Campo where our meeting point was, for most of the time. While the facts and stories we listened to were super interesting, it did become a bit uncomfortable to stand in one place for such a long time in cold weather.”

Katerina

Thank you so much

Rated 5 out of 5
January 3, 2022

We had the tour as an introduction to Venice in our first day in the city. It was super interesting. René is very knowledgeable about Venice’s history. I very much recommend it!

Ana

Thank you

Rated 5 out of 5
December 26, 2021

René was not only so knowledgeable about Venice’s history but very personable and authentic!

Rose

Rene was an excellent guide

Rated 5 out of 5
December 22, 2021

Rene was an excellent guide and gave a very clear description of Venice from a historical and structural point of view. Thoughtful and he clearly enjoyed sharing his extensive knowledge base.

Sunil

This was a great way to kick off our stay here

Rated 5 out of 5
December 21, 2021

Rene is a wealth of knowledge! We learned so much about the history of Venice, infrastructure, governance- any question we had Rene answered for us, with stories and anecdotes that will stick with us forever. This was a great way to kick off our stay here. Thank you Rene!

Claire

Rene is very knowledgeable

Rated 5 out of 5
December 21, 2021

Rene is very knowledgeable and know a lot about the history of Venice. He is also very passionate about what he knows. Thank you for a wonderful lesson 🙂

Kelly

Great experience

Rated 5 out of 5
December 20, 2021

Great experience with a lot of great “behind the scenes” stories of Venice.

Sarah

Grazie mille per la grande preparazione e passione che ci ha trasmesso

Rated 5 out of 5
December 19, 2021

È stata una bellissima esperienza per entrare nella storia di questa città unica e meravigliosa. Abbiamo potuto capire e conoscere tanti aspetti che normalmente sfuggono, tanti dettagli che nascondono pezzi di storia, e fare inaspettati collegamenti con l’arte, la vita quotidiana e le particolarità di Venezia

Sara

Thank you so much for taking the extra time with us!

Rated 5 out of 5
December 12, 2021

René was a brilliant tour guide. He knows so much about every corner of Venice, covering info you won’t find in guide books. His knowledge of the history of both the city and the region added so much to our experience. Thank you so much René! Would highly recommend the tour to anyone visiting Venice.

Zara

René is full of interesting knowledge

Rated 5 out of 5
December 9, 2021

René is full of interesting knowledge and was very passionate about sharing it with us. He is a human encyclopedia and adapted the tour to our special interests. We would highly recommend booking a tour with him!

Charlotte

Definitely recommend!

Rated 5 out of 5
December 9, 2021

Excellent tour. Great communication, very, very interesting. Definitely recommend!

Horatio

Thanks for a fantastic experience

Rated 5 out of 5
December 9, 2021

Rene is certainly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject. Quite a unique tour. Even my teenagers found it rather illuminating.

Elaine

Rene is incredible knowledgeable

Rated 5 out of 5
December 1, 2021

Rene is incredible knowledgeable about history in common and Venice in particular! he knows a lot about The history but also how it is to live in a city that is so special! ask questions and you will get tons of answers and he is someone who won‘t stop after the time is over, when he has time he will go on telling you stories about things you probably would not notice. we have done another typical tourist tour which wasn‘t good at all, so we can only recommend this kind of tours, if you are interested to hear something off the beaten path and where you don‘t have the feeling to being ripped off.

Jörg

No Title

Rated 4 out of 5
November 28, 2021

Renè è stato puntuale ed è sinceramente appassionato. Ama la città in cui vive e la racconta nei particolari.

Simona

Recommend the tour without restriction

Rated 5 out of 5
November 24, 2021

Loved the tour and storytelling of Rene. He incorporated also socialhistoric, technological practices and comparison with other societies at that time. It felt like old Venice came to life and i am feeling richer in knowledge and appreciation of the surroundings. Recommend the tour without restriction

Panagiotis

Thank you René for this very interesting tour!

Rated 5 out of 5
November 17, 2021

A truly interesting trip into the rich history of Venice! Highly recommended!

Klemens

Highly recommended!

Rated 5 out of 5
November 14, 2021

My husband and I had a fantastic time with Rene. Learned so much about Venice and visited many secret gems spread throughout the city that really opened our eyes to the city it was and continues to be today. Highly recommended!

Francesca

Very extensive and fascinating tour

Rated 5 out of 5
November 13, 2021

We had a fascinating walk among less trodden paths in Venice. René enchanted us with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Venice’s history and the hidden marks people in the past have left throughout the city.

Egidius

René is like a walking history book

Rated 5 out of 5
November 8, 2021

René is like a walking history book. He is so knowledgeable about Venice and we learned so much about Venice that were otherwise not possible to know. It is more a history tour, not so much walking, thus may not be suitable for everyone. However, we really enjoyed it and wish it never ended.

Mary

Perfect tour for anyone wanting a crash course in Venitian history

Rated 5 out of 5
October 31, 2021

Perfect tour for anyone wanting a crash course in Venitian history! I’m a history buff and Rene was exceptionally knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about Venice and its role in the world, past and present. Took us through the arc of the Venetian state from the Roman Empire to modern society, and then dove deeper into subjects like architecture, trade, war, politics, and everyday life in Venice. He had an answer to every question – and usually a funny anecdote to go along with it. Highly recommend!

William

Non guarderemo più Venezia con gli stessi occhi !

Rated 5 out of 5
October 15, 2021

René è molto appassionato e ci ha lasciato arricchiti di nuove nozioni ed entusiasmo! Non guarderemo più Venezia con gli stessi occhi !

Giusy

This tour will add depth to your delight of this magical city.

Rated 5 out of 5
October 7, 2021

We did this tour on our first morning in Venice and I highly recommend that. You’ll be ready with so much more awareness of what there is to see here. René, an historian, explains about how to really see all that is there to see in Venice. “Hidden Venice”, but hidden in a way that is often surprising and fascinating. There were a number of times over our 5 days in Venice that we said “oh look, that’s what René told us about!” This tour will add depth to your delight of this magical city.

Andrea

René connaît très bien sont sujet

Rated 5 out of 5
September 28, 2021

René connaît très bien sont sujet, il est passionné et passionnant. Son style atypique est spontané et fascinant. C’est un guide parfait pour les gens flexibles et curieux.

Fabienne

No Title

Rated 5 out of 5
September 27, 2021

Guida molto preparata, disponibile e gentile. Esperienza davvero ottima

Enrico

Tour guidato diverso da solito

Rated 5 out of 5
September 26, 2021

Tour guidato diverso da solito. L’esperienza ha rispettato quanto descritto con note simpatiche e appassionanti, coinvolgendoci con aneddoti personali. Abbiamo scoperto una Venezia che non conoscevamo e la storia di questa città che spesso non viene enfatizzata.

Federica

Highly recommended

Rated 5 out of 5
September 11, 2021

A really interesting tour of some of the sites of Venice. Some great historical information. Highly recommended

Tom

No Title

Rated 5 out of 5
September 10, 2021

È stata un’esperienza interessante per l’arricchimento personale della conoscenza di Venezia

Eliana

Very fascinating to get more historic understanding

Rated 5 out of 5
September 4, 2021

Rene was very kind, organized everything well and you could really tell that he knows what he is talking about. Very fascinating to get more historic understanding and one of the reasons I will definitely come back for another visit. Since the tour I’ve seen the city with other eyes. 😉

Nele

No Title

Rated 5 out of 5
August 25, 2021

Ottimo per chi desidera conoscere in maniere seria ed approfondita la storia di Venezia con sguardo attento ai piccoli dettagli e alle curiosità.

Marco

We absolutely loved our guided tour with René

Rated 5 out of 5
August 24, 2021

We absolutely loved our guided tour with René! If you want to discover Venice’s history and architecture beyond the well known tourist attractions, René is the perfect guide for you. He is very knowledgeable in both Venetian history as well as current events and took a lot of time answering every question and tailor his tour to the groups individual interests.

Rosanna

René is very knowledgeable about Venice and its history

Rated 3 out of 5
August 23, 2021

René is very knowledgeable about Venice and its history. However, I left frustrated. The first hour of the tour we stood in front of the statue at Giovanni e Paolo square and got a little too in-depth with the history. When we started the walking portion, we spent another hour just in the small square, and it was already noon. The tour ran an additional hour over and we made it only about 500m, stopping often to hear about something small. A 30-second information stop turned into a 15-minute lesson. The history is nice and the tour concept is not bad, but I was disappointed I didn’t get to see more of Venice.

Daniel

Die Tour war super

Rated 5 out of 5
August 22, 2021

Die Tour war super um etwas über die Geschichte und Entstehung von Venedig zu erfahren! René hat ein sehr großes Wissen über Geschichte und hat uns viele Details und Kleinigkeiten erklärt, an denen man sonnst achtlos vorbei gelaufen wäre! Ich hab die tour an meinem ersten Tag gemacht U danach geht man mit einem ganz anderen Blick durch die Gassen ?! Abgerundet haben wir die Tour spontan mit einem aperol spritz in einer schönen, lokalen Bar mit lokalen preisen?

Maike

Rene was a great guide

Rated 5 out of 5
August 21, 2021

Rene was a great guide….took us through the history of venice….and was particularly passionate about society through the ages…..would recommend

Rikky

Fantastic tour

Rated 5 out of 5
August 20, 2021

Fantastic tour, and the host has super in depth knowledge of the area and Italian history. Highly recommended!

Boris

This is the best city tour we have attended

Rated 5 out of 5
August 18, 2021

This is the best city tour we have attended. Rene is extremely knowledgeable about Venice and proud to share. He started from the broad-picture Venice history and then zoomed in on the details by showing city layouts, buildings, and even carvings on the walls. The tour started in a quiet Campo (square) and then went to some small alleys, with very little tourist or noise disturbance. Rene was so into the presentation and went over for at least a half-hour. His English is fluent, clear, and easy to understand. Rene was also accommodating by letting us postpone the starting time and then letting us join the next day, as our train arrived late. Our visit to Venice wouldn’t be complete without Rene’s tour. Thank you, Rene!

Gene

Una visione di Venezia che solo chi vive ed ama Venezia può donare.

Rated 5 out of 5
August 17, 2021

Ottima guida made in Danimark. Parla italiano perfettamente. Mi ha fatto scoprire piccoli particolari a cui non avrei fatto caso. Una visione di Venezia che solo chi vive ed ama Venezia può donare.

Alberto

No Title

Rated 3 out of 5
August 17, 2021

Rene’ is a nice guy and was very kind throughout our tour. However, I want to be honest and hopefully this will help his presentation. We just spent way too much time in one place. Should have kept moving and seen more. Rene’ obviously knows his material, however, in my opinion, the presentation was just too slow. My daughter and I took 5 tours on our trip to Europe – Doges Palace, Brussels, Bruges, and Prague were the others . This is the only one of the 5 tours that I would not recommend – at least not in its current format. Again, Rene’ is very knowledgeable and kind, however the presentation was very slow moving and had my daughter and I both looking at our watch to politely end our tour. I do not like giving poor reviews to genuinely nice people like Rene’. I hope this is seen as a constructive way for Rene’ to improve because he obviously has the knowledge of Venice.

Jeffrey

This is an experience I would much recommend

Rated 5 out of 5
August 14, 2021

If you are in Venice for only a short time – this is an experience I would much recommend. I got a much better feel of the place thanks to Rene’s tour.

Frank

René was so knowledgeable

Rated 5 out of 5
August 14, 2021

René was so knowledgeable we learned so so much! This was a great way to kick off our time in Venice since we learned so much about the city!

Christina

No Title

Rated 5 out of 5
August 13, 2021

Intéressa, sympa à découvrir en début de séjour pour affiner son regard sur Venise.

France

Was a great tour

Rated 5 out of 5
August 13, 2021

Was a great tour! I learned a lot about Venice and feel like I know much more about the city. Highly recommend

Alex

Thanks for a fantastic tour

Rated 5 out of 5
August 11, 2021

Hi René, thanks for a fantastic tour today. As an inorganic chemist I particularly enjoyed the attention you paid to the building materials and construction techniques and how they influenced the city’s development and slow deterioration. Fascinating stuff. And of course the politics of then & now gave us lots to discuss long into the evening too. I think the US American guests enjoyed it very much also.

Sandy