Districts of Venice: a guide to the sestieri, islands and areas to explore

Understanding the districts of Venice

Venice is divided into six historic districts, the sestieri: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce. This ancient organisation is not just administrative folklore: it remains essential for reading the city, planning an itinerary and deciphering Venetian addresses.

House numbers don't restart on every street: they run in sequence across an entire sestiere, sometimes up to several thousand. An address like "Castello 455" can therefore leave visitors rather on their own; knowing the name of the calle or campo is strongly recommended.

Each sestiere has a distinct identity. San Marco concentrates monuments and power; San Polo is built around Rialto; Dorsoduro blends art and waterside walks; Cannaregio remains very residential; Castello stretches from the Arsenal towards the east; Santa Croce provides the transition, not very poetic but highly practical, with its land access routes.

The six sestieri

• Cannaregio: a vast northern area, marked by the Ghetto, the Madonna dell'Orto, the Ca' d'Oro, long canals and a still very present everyday life.
• Castello: the largest, around the Arsenale, San Pietro di Castello and the eastern districts, quieter the further you move from San Marco.
• Dorsoduro: home to the Salute, the Gallerie dell'Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Zattere; it also includes the Giudecca.
• San Marco: the monumental and political heart, with the basilica, the Doge's Palace, La Fenice and a density of palaces that leaves little room for modesty.
• San Polo: the smallest sestiere, but one of the liveliest, around the Rialto, its markets, its bustling calli and the Frari basilica.
• Santa Croce: between the Grand Canal, Piazzale Roma and quieter areas, it forms the main road gateway into the city and retains several often-overlooked palaces and churches.

The Venice lagoon

• Several islands occupy the Venice lagoon, such as Murano and its glassworks, Burano with its colourful houses and lacemaking, Torcello and its Byzantine remains, the beaches of the Lido...