Neighbourhoods
Dorsoduro
A time-honoured district with a fresh face
Home to Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the city’s revered design and architecture school, Università Iuav di Venezia, this area has a youthful, artsy feel – with plenty of independent shops and breezy bars that cater to the creative clientele. In the past, however, this southwestern neighbourhood was where many of the vessels that crossed Venice’s waterways were built. Its industrious heritage lives on in contemporary workshops and, notably, one of the city’s oldest boatyards, the Squero di San Trovaso, where gondolas are still made and repaired.
While the edge of the neighbourhood abutting the Grand Canal holds some of the city’s most famous attractions – the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the stunning Santa Maria della Salute – its quieter southerly flank, known as the Zattere promenade, looks out to the colourful façades of Giudecca across the canal. If you’re visiting during Carnival, make a beeline for Pasticceria Toletta for its traditional frittelle (sugar-dusted doughnuts).
Cannaregio
A residential neighbourhood away from the tourist trails
For a taste of everyday life in Venice, don’t make straight for the Rialto Bridge from the train station. Instead, head further north, where the pace slows and the sightseeing crowds thin out. Cannaregio is the city’s most densely populated neighbourhood and proof that, despite overtourism, many still like to call this city home. Along the canals you’ll find shops that cater to local needs; let yourself be enchanted by hardware shops selling doorknobs and fittings for Venice’s ancient palazzos. Still officially referred to as Ghetto di Venezia, the area bears plenty of reminders of its Jewish heritage, including kosher cafés and bakeries such as Panificio Giovanni Volpe.
An aperitivo at Vino Vero is practically obligatory before dinner – and it’s in this neighbourhood where you’ll find some of the city’s most alluring restaurants, including Al Timon and Il Paradiso Perduto, both local favourites. You’ll likely end up lingering along Cannaregio’s tranquil canals well into the evening.
Lido
A picturesque island offering golden sands and vintage refinement
There’s another side of Venice to discover once you cross the water and disembark on the long, thin strip of land – known as the Lido – which separates the lagoon from the Adriatic. It might be surprising to find that cars are allowed on this bigger island and that there are no Renaissance palazzos in sight. Instead, the atmosphere leans towards turn-of-the-century elegance, with stunning art nouveau villas set along leafy boulevards. The island hosts the Venice Film Festival between August and September – the perfect excuse for old-school red-carpet glamour to be on show, particularly at the grand Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort.
The Lido was traditionally where Venetians came to bronze themselves at the beach that extends along most of the island’s eastern flank. The area became a favourite holiday spot for high society in the early-20th century; vintage beach clubs such as Bagni Quattro Fontane still line the strip of sand that looks out to the Adriatic. Those flying into Venice in small planes will have the privilege of landing at the rationalist Nicelli airport, on the island’s very northern tip. Venture down to the southern point for lunch at Bagni Alberoni – or indulge in a chic umbrella-side snack at Des Bains 1900.
