Cannaregio — the Ghetto & the Northern Fondamente
Cannaregio is the largest of Venice's six sestieri and the one where the city feels most like a place people actually live. Walk north from the train station and within ten minutes the souvenir shops fall away, replaced by neighbourhood bakeries, elderly men playing cards outside bars, and the profound quiet of the world's first Jewish Ghetto.
The Jewish Ghetto
The Ghetto Nuovo — established in 1516 and the origin of the word 'ghetto' itself — is a wide campo surrounded by Venice's tallest buildings, built high because the community was not allowed to expand outward. The Museo Ebraico di Venezia tells the history with clarity and respect, and guided tours of the synagogues run hourly in summer.
Five synagogues are hidden in plain sight above the campo's rooftops, identifiable by their arched windows. The Scola Canton and Scola Spagnola are particularly beautiful inside.
The Fondamente Nuove & Fondamente della Misericordia
Walk east along the Fondamente Nuove — the northern waterfront — for unobstructed views across the lagoon to the cemetery island of San Michele and, beyond it, Murano. Vaporettos to Murano, Burano and Torcello depart from here, making it a practical as well as scenic base.
In the evening, the Fondamenta della Misericordia is where Venetians go for an aperitivo. A string of bars including Paradiso Perduto and Al Timon (a boat-bar moored on the canal) fill with locals from about 18:00. Spritz prices here are a full euro cheaper than in San Marco.
More of Venice
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Venice →
