Giudecca Island, Venice

After their 2005 civil partnership ceremony, Sir Elton John and David Furnish honeymooned at their house in Giudecca, a 1.2-mile-long island in the Venetian lagoon. The island lies opposite the Venetian sestiere of San Marco and is just a 15-minute boat ride from Piazza San Marco, yet feels distinctly distant. “Giudecca it’s what Venice used to be 20 or 30 years ago before the beginning of mass tourism,” explains native Venetian Pietro Rusconi, executive assistant at the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, which is on Giudecca. “It’s a little peaceful oasis within Venice. There are gardens, galleries, artists in residence, and little grocery shops. We don’t have fancy designer boutiques. It’s very charming and a retreat for Venetians.”