Wave Murano Glass Srl - Factory, Experiences & Curated Tours — Attraction in Venice

Visited the factory and it was cool to watch the artists work. However when we went into the store and were looking around, we realised that the guy at the counter only bothers talking and introducing products to Caucasians?

At first the two of us (Asian) were the only people in the store and a shop lady said hi to us and we said hi back. (thank you for saying hi to us) Then a white family entered the store and suddenly the guy at the counter went over to them to ask them where they were from and told them about the tax refund. He proceeded to tell them more about the cups in front of them when we were standing there the whole time looking at the cups…. Then that family bought a few cups and left.

We didn’t think much of it at first but it happened 3 more times (the same: where are you from? We do tax refund above 70e and joking/ introducing products only to white visitors) while we were still in the store.

It felt as though he was ignoring us… like why are you introducing your products to everyone but us? And we were already showing such interest in your products… And LMAO… don’t you think that if anyone’s a tourist it wld more likely be the Asians? Why not ask us where we were from and tell us about the tax refund? It doesn’t make sense…

And it wasn’t as though we didn’t make it clear that we spoke English because while we were in the store, we were talking to each other about the cups in English. (The store is small btw, interactions are audible)

Nail in the coffin: When we finished picking out the cups we wanted and went to the counter to pay, it felt as though he didn’t even want to look at us LOL not a smile, no mention of tax refund like oh if you buy another cup you can get tax refund… nothing and he looked away avoiding eye contact while saying thanks in an obviously reluctant manner.

We bought 2 cups at 26e each (52e total) because we liked the colours of the cups but after we walked out and were chatting we both agreed that we did not feel welcomed at the store by that guy and it left an extremely sour taste…

Like… yay colourful cute cups but also were we not seen as equals human beings(?) that’s honestly insane in 2025 and even more so from artists… I would expect broader and more...

Highly, highly recommend taking a trip to Murano for this place alone! If I could review this higher I would. Let me try:

Highlights: They sell the glassware they produce in front of your eyes at whole sale prices (22-26€ for drinking glasses) which is far less for hand crafted glassware than a lot of the shops on the island, but just as beautiful! They don’t do fake demos. This is a working factory in which you can watch the artists at work, completely free of charge, without any tour or waiting time or pressure to buy anything. If you however would like to have a more in depth tour, they do this too I believe. You can participate! For 65€ a glass blowing master will take you through the factory and produce a glass item customised to your liking together with you which you then get to take home. I didn’t need a reservation for this I imagine it’s first come first serve since they do these several times a day: we didn’t need to wait at all, and we were there in high tourist season. There is also a more intensive beginners glass blowing course they offer a few times a day. The staff. From the sales staff in the shop to the glass blowing masters every person is super nice and helpful. We had the pleasure of working with Benji, one of the artists. His humour, and genuine enthusiasm and love for his craft honestly made me want to quit my job and become a glass blowing artist. 🫣😅 He and another Artist, Marco, even took the time and created a piece we commissioned on the fly, right then and there in front of our eyes. Watching them at work, creating something they had never made before, was mindblowing to me.

Lowlights: Absolutely nothing. I loved every...

Everyone talks about the amazing experience they had at this glass factory, and I would agree that this place is the best glass blowing class you will have on Murano Island. After all, they have almost 1300 5-star reviews, which is not an easy feat. Where I really think this place shines head and shoulders above anywhere else is their integrity. Our family of five booked a glass blowing experience class with this company, and we walked away with one of our core memories. We enjoyed it so much that we went a little overboard and purchased several of their pieces in their showroom. Some of the pieces are one of one, beautifully crafted by well-known local artists, and we wanted to take a piece of Italy back home with us to remember forever. Unfortunately, one of the (very expensive) pieces was damaged during the shipping process back to the United States. This company took full ownership, and asked the original artist to try and replicate the damaged piece. Unfortunately, the new artwork was not to our standards, and I declined the remake. Wave Murano offered a credit for me to use in the event we came back to Italy in the future. I requested a refund instead, and Wave Murano did not hesitate and promptly transferred the money back to my bank account. Their communication was flawless throughout this entire process, keeping me up-to-date every step of the way. I will definitely go back and visit in the future, and I would go out of my way to purchase their magnificent artwork again. If all companies conducted business with the integrity of Wave Murano, the world would be a better place. They are well-deserving of their...