Museums, the Giudecca Canal, and more
For most visitors, Dorsoduro begins at the foot of the Accademia Bridge from San Marco.
However, the sestiere runs all the way from traditional working-class neighborhoods near the Piazzale Roma to the district's eastern tip of Dogana, where the Giudecca and Grand Canals meet on their way to St. Mark's Basin.
Dorsoduro also includes the island of La Giudecca with its Redentore Church.
A few things to see in Dorsoduro:
- Dorsoduro is home to several of Venice's leading museums, including the Gallerie dell'Accademia (Venetian paintings) and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (modern art).
- The
Basilica of Santa Maria Salute is the district's most famous church, but
there are plenty of
other churches
worth visiting.
(Don't miss San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, in one of Venice's oldest neighborhoods.) - The Zattere is a long pedestrian promenade that runs from the
San Basilio cruise terminal to
the
Dogana di Mare at Dorsoduro's eastern tip.
The Zattere faces the Giudecca Canal, which is filled with boat traffic and the occasional cruise ship. - Dorsoduro is dotted with pleasant squares. Two of our favorites are: Campo San Barnaba and Campo Santa Margherita (try the limone gelato at Il Doge, in Santa Margherita's southeast corner).