Venice is situated in the Veneta Lagoon, on an archipelago of 120 islands, separated by 160 canals,which in their turn are spanned by 400 bridges. The city, connected to the mainland by both a rail and road bridge, is divided into six districts ("sestieri"): San Marco, Dorsoduro, Cannaregio, Castello, Santa Croce and San Polo.
These zones are divided up by a dense network of canals ("rii") and an intricate system of narrow and windy streets ("calli" and "salizade") which open out onto the canals and "campi" (Venetian squares). The historic centre borders the Grand Canal, which is crossed by the Academy bridge, the Ponte di Rialto and the Ponte degli Scalzi.
San Marco is the most important district and the tourists' favourite. Here the visitor finds the famous square, site of the San Marco Basilica with its magnificent bell-tower and the splendid Palazzo Ducale. The area is surrounded by the major points of interest and tourist sights of the city, together with historic cafes (Caffè Florian, Caffè Quadri), open-air orchestras and elegant shops located under the Procurate arches.
Beautiful buildings flank the south curve of the Grande Canal and indicate the district's limits, these include: Palazzo Mocenigo, Palazzo Grassi, Palazzo Barbaro, Palazzo Fasan, Palazzo Giustinian and Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo.
Dorsoduro is the district for those interested in art. This area comprises the zone around the Academy, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection and various churches that house many paintings and sculptures. The centre of Dorsoduro life is Campo Santa Margherita, which is characterised by its many cafes and the constant coming and going of its residents.
Cannaregio, the northern most district of Venice, occupies a large area from the XXth Century railway station in the west to one of the oldest venetian districts in the east. The gangways in the north look out over the islands in the lagoon while the district is bordered by a large curve of the Gran Canal. It is a quiet area, divided in wide canals, spanned by bridges with antique hostels and bars, surprisingly lacking in tourists.
The Castello district is little visited by tourists and stands in an area between the north part of the lagoon and the Riva degli Schiavoni. Its main feature is the arsenal, where the large war-ships of the Venetian fleet were built. The Riva degli Schiavoni, which is the wide walkway facing the lagoon, is full of souvenir stalls, restaurants and cafes. This route leads to the Public Garden and has always been the most important promenade in Venice.
The rest of Castello is calm and characterised by narrow alley ways, elegant buildings and beautiful churches including the large Gothic Santi Giovanni e Paolo Church and the Pietà Church, whose choir master was Vivaldi and where every Tuesday and Thursday it is possible to admire both the music of Vivaldi and the Tiepolo frescoes.
San Polo and Santa Croce are formed by a tangle of alley-ways and small squares. San Polo is a large open space and the preferred playing field for the Venetian children, surrounded by lively market stalls selling fruit and fish. The main points of interest in this area are the Frari church, the San Rocco School and the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) lined by shops which connect the district to the Grand Canal. Venice is relatively small and the majority of the city is easily reached on foot. Using a street guide makes it impossible to get lost in the maze of streets.
All the buildings in Venice are numbered, based upon the district to which they belong and not to the street. Each house is indicated initially with the name of the district followed by the number.
