Venice off the Beaten Path

Venice has 30 million visitors a year, but only 50,000 residents. The tourist crowds concentrate on a narrow axis: Train station → Rialto → St. Mark's Square. Anyone who goes 200 meters aside finds a completely different Venice.

Dorsoduro ★★★

The district south of the Grand Canal is Venice's intellectual and artistic heart: the Gallerie dell'Accademia (12 €, Venetian painting from Bellini to Titian), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (16 €, modern art in a palace on the Grand Canal) and the Punta della Dogana (François Pinault's contemporary collection). Also: the lively Campo Santa Margherita with student pubs, the Zattere promenade with views of the Giudecca, and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute — Venice's most photogenic church.

Cannaregio ★★

Venice's most authentic district: The former ghetto (the word "ghetto" comes from Venetian — here was the foundry, "getto"), the Madonna dell'Orto (Tintoretto's parish church with his works), and the Fondamenta della Misericordia — Venice's best nightlife area with bars and restaurants without tourist surcharges.

Giudecca ★★

The elongated island opposite St. Mark's Square has few tourists, some of the best restaurants in Venice, and the church Il Redentore by Palladio. The view of San Marco from the Giudecca is the most beautiful photo spot in the city — especially at sunset.