14 Most Beautiful Canals In Venice
If you’re staying a few nights, the first thing I suggest you do in Venice is wander and get lost. Don’t take a map or your phone. You may turn down the occasional dead end, but it won’t take you long to stumble across some of the most beautiful canals in Venice.
I’ve compiled this selection of the most beautiful Venetian canals from over 15 visits to the Floating City, and countless miles of walking the many calli and canals. They’re spread across most of the city, from the quiet corners of Cannaregio to one of the most famous canals (and bridges) in the world.
I describe what to look out for at each canal, and also advise how to get there, listing the nearest vaporetto stop. I also suggest a hotel near each of these canals, should you wish to stay in the surrounding area.
I hope you find this guide enjoyable and helpful. I begin with the most obvious one, the first that you’re likely to see, the Grand Canal.
Best Tours And Experiences In Venice
Grand Canal Gondola Ride – with app commentary included if required
Grand Canal Boat Tour – much faster and a longer trip than the gondola, a great way to see one of the most beautiful streets in the world
Off The Beaten Path Private Gondola Ride – highly recommended, one of the best ways to see and savour Venice
Sunset Walking Tour With Food and Wine Tastings – a great way to see Venice, and a superb introduction to Venetian food
Grand Canal
One of the grandest streets in the world
The Grand Canal is one of the most beautiful streets in Europe, a two-mile long collection of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque palaces and churches probably unequalled on any other street in the world. If your family could afford to build a palazzo facing the Grand Canal, they would have seriously made it.
Many of you will see the Grand Canal for the first time having arrived at the Piazzale Roma bus station or Santa Lucia train station. No guidebook or movie can prepare you for the bewildering, enchanting sight of the Grand Canal with its many waterbuses, cargo boats and polished wooden water taxis weaving their way through the water, with the grand green dome of San Simeone Piccolo church completing the scene. And this is the part of the city that the vast majority of people pass through as quickly as possible, only seeing it again on their way out.
The many sights along the Grand Canal are far too numerous to list here. Ca’ d’Oro, on the left (Cannaregio) side is one of the finest Venetian Gothic palaces, and the iconic Renaissance-era Rialto Bridge is the first permanent stone crossing of the Grand Canal, next to the city’s famous fish market.
The southern end of the Grand Canal is perhaps the most magnificent, with a collection of 5-star hotels on the San Marco side commanding views across to the domed Basilica of Santa Maria dells Salute. Beyond the Punta della Dogana – named after the customs house that once operated there – it empties into the Bacino di San Marco, with sights including the Campanile of St Mark’s, the Doge’ Palace and, to the right, Palladio’s gorgeous San Giorgio Maggiore.
I would urge anyone to complete the journey along the Grand Canal on the number 1 vaporetto at least once. It takes around 35 minutes to make the journey from Piazzale Roma (bus station) or Ferrovia (train station) to San Marco, which has two stops – Vallaresso before the Piazza (St Mark’s Square), and San Zaccaria (just beyond the Doge’s Palace, on the Riva degli Schiavoni).
Transport in Venice – you can order your 24, 48 or 72-hour waterbus and bus pass here – bear in mind that you’ll need to print your pass at a vaporetto stop in Venice
Where To Stay – Residenza d’Epoca San Cassiano – one of the outstanding hotels on the Grand Canal, a very short walk from Rialto with superb views across the Grand Canal
Rio di San Trovaso, Dorsoduro
Picturesque canal with one of the last gondola boatyards in Venice
The Rio di San Trovaso links the Grand Canal to the north with the Giudecca Canal to the south, the two busiest canals in the city. Whichever direction you approach it from, you soon leave the busyness and bustle behind.
It’s named after the Church of San Trovaso, a Renaissance-era (late 16th-early 17th centuries) church dedicated to Saints Gervais and Protais. ‘Trovaso’ is a Venetian dialect shortening of these names. The simple interior is well worth a visit to see Tintoretto’s Adoration of the Magi.
Next door to the church, the Squero di San Trovaso is one of the last working boatyards in Venice. This is where gondolas are built from scratch, and also maintained and repaired. You can often watch the boat builders at work outdoors in the yard.
And opposite the Squero, the Osteria al Squero is one of the best places to eat in Venice, one of the best places I’ve found in the city to sample cicchetti, the Venetian tapa-style bar snacks.
Nearest vaporetti: Zattere for the Squero and Church at the southern end, but the Accademia stop on the Grand Canal is only a five-minute walk away
Where To Stay – Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace – 5-star boutique hotel in a 15th-century Venetian Gothic palazzo on the Canal
Rio dei Miracoli, Cannaregio
Beautiful canal named after the church it runs alongside, Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Like some of our other canals in this article, the Rio dei Miracoli is a section of a canal, so named because it passes through the parish – and indeed the church- after which it is named.
This church is Santa Maria dei Miracoli, St Mary of the Miracles. It is one of the most beautiful churches in Venice, and one of the finest Renaissance churches in Italy. This is partly because it’s a relatively rare ‘single build’, completed in one span between 1481 by 1489 by Pietro Lombardo and his sons Tullio and Antonio.
It’s often referred to as the ‘Marble Church’ and it’s stunning inside and out. I’ve always loved the coffered ceiling with its paintings of saints, and the simple effect of the stairs rising from the nave to the sanctuary, where the dome at the end of the church gives added height, and the feeling that you’re (almost) ascending to heaven.
Outside, the canal passes the west side of the church and a picturesque palazzo (pictured) before becoming the Rio di Ca’ Widmann, just after the bridge pictured.
Campo Santa Maria Nova is a lovely square facing the church, with an art gallery, café, bookshop and a slice of real Venetian life, a self-service launderette. This is also a servizio gondole stop, and only a couple of gondoliers tend to use this as their base. If you’re looking for a quiet gondola journey, this is a great place to start (and finish) your journey, with some delightful canals close by.
Nearest vaporetto: Rialto, then a 5-10 minute walk, depending on the volume of pedestrian traffic around Rialto
Where To Stay – Palazzo Miracoli Apartments – beautiful apartments in a 15th-century palazzo opposite Santa Maria dei Miracoli church
Rio della Panada, Cannaregio
Delightful off the beaten path canal very close to Santa Maria dei Miracoli
I once stumbled across this delightful Cannaregio canal on one of my night-time strolls around Venice (which usually ran to several miles). Bizarrely I kept finding it in the darkness but never in the daylight, until the time I shot the image above.
We don’t know the origins of the name Rio della Panada. It could be a variety of bread soup, or a type of cloth used to cover windows facing the canal. It runs for over 400 metres from the Rio di Santa Marina in the south to the lagoon in the north.
The best view of the Rio della Panada is the one above, from the bridge at the southern end. The building with the ornate Gothic entrance on the left of the image is the
Palazzo Soranzo van Axel. It was originally built for Nicolo Soranzo between 1473 and 1479, and was acquired by the wealth Dutch van Axel family in the 1650s. Their coat of arms is carved into the arch above the main doorway.
The Rio della Panada sits between two of the other most beautiful canals in Venice, the Rio dei Miracoli just to the west and the Rio dei Mendicanti, passing San Zanipolo (SS Giovanni e Paolo) Basilica to the east. An hour’s walk would comfortably cover the length of all three.
Nearest vaporetto – Rialto or Fondamente Nove
Where To Stay –Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia – gorgeous historic hotel a few steps from the Rio della Panada and other picturesque canals – and 10 minutes’ stroll away from either Rialto or San Marco
Rio dei Greci, Castello
Castello canal with the leaning campanile of San Giorgio dei Greci
As well as being one of the most beautiful canals in Venice, it’s also one of my personal favourites. Its name means ‘canal of the Greeks’, after the Greek Orthodox church of San Giorgio dei Greci whose leaning campanile dominates the scene.
There is a great view of the Rio dei Greci from the south, as you walk along the Riva degli Schiavoni, the southeastern waterfront of Venice.
To reach the church, you have to continue to the next calle (street) – Calle de la Pieta – turning left to reach the church. Orthodox churches have a different layout to (Catholic and Protestant) western European churches, with the focal point of the church the iconostasis screen which separates the nave from the sanctuary.
The iconostasis of San Giorgio dei Greci is outstanding, with around twenty paintings by renowned 17th-century Cretan painter Michael Damaskinos.
As you continue north along the canal, look back – especially on a summer’s evening – at the campanile of San Giorgio dei Greci, magnificent when reflected in the canal.
A little further on, the church of San Lorenzo was rebuilt in the Renaissance period, around 1580. The original church on the site was the burial place of Venetian explorer Marco Polo, but when it was demolished (to make way for the present building) it seems that nobody kept a record of where his remains were interred or even transferred. So we have a case of one of the Great Lost Cadavers of the Middle Ages.
Nearest vaporetto: San Marco (San Zaccaria)
Where To Stay Nearby – Hotel Casa Nicolo Priuli – 19th-century nobleman’s residence across the Canal from San Giorgio dei Greci – and only five minutes’ walk from Piazza San Marco
Rio di San Barnaba, Dorsoduro
Superb views and Venice’s best greengrocer boat
This section of canal passes the deconsecrated church of San Barnaba, its Campo (square) and one of the most famous bridges in Venice on its brief journey. But its highlight is one of the ultimate Venetian shopping experiences on one of the walkways alongside it.
San Barnaba church has one of the oldest campanili (belltowers) in Venice, dating from the 11th century, although its small spire was added later. The church was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Neoclassical style, but deconsecrated in the late 20th century. It currently hosts a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition. It has some cinematic history, having appeared in David Lean’s 1955 film Summertime and in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989.
The next bridge as you walk the short distance away from the Campo is the Ponte dei Pugni, or Bridge of Fists. This was the venue for historic mass punch-ups between members of the rival Nicolotti and Castellani clans.
These brawls took place between September and Christmas each year, and would begin with the champions of each clan duelling it out, and others piling in as things went on. If you ended up being knocked into the canal, you would fall into a trench of freezing water and Venetian excrement!
Just before the bridge, you’ll encounter the wonderful greengrocer boat which has been at this location for a great many years. I always buy a few pieces of fruit whenever I pass by – and if you’re self-catering, it’s the best place in the city to find local ingredients, including the renowned artichokes from the island of Sant’Erasmo.
Nearest vaporetto: Ca’ Rezzonico
Where To Stay – Palazzetto Barnaba – small historic hotel just across the canal from San Barnaba church
Rio del Palazzo, San Marco / Castello
One of the most famous canals in Venice, flowing beneath the Bridge of Sighs
Many of those who pause at this canal for their must-have photos or selfies with the Bridge of Sighs might not be aware of its name. But the Rio del Palazzo is one of those unfortunate ‘squeeze spots’ in Venice where crowds gather and seem to take an age to disperse.
The Rio del Palazzo is named after the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) alongside which it flows. The Bridge of Sighs – Ponte dei Sospiri – links the Palace (where trials were held in the courtroom) with the Prigioni (prisons)of the Venetian Republic on the other side of the canal.
As it’s one of the most famous bridges in Venice, you can cheat a little and get a considerably less crowded view of the Bridge of Sighs from the Ponte de la Canonica, to the north (and behind, if you’re looking from the lagoon) the Bridge.
It’s especially evocative at night, when a steady stream of gondolas passes beneath it. The Bridge of Sighs also frames the distant Palladian façade of San Giorgio Maggiore rather wonderfully.
Nearest Vaporetto: San Marco (San Zaccaria)
Where To Stay Nearby – Hotel Danieli – magnificent luxury hotel in a 14th-century Gothic palazzo with views across the lagoon from front rooms and the terrace
Rio del Ognissanti, Dorsoduro
Stunning delightful Dorsoduro canal with one of my favourite views in Venice
This serene canal is just one Venetian block back from the busy Giudecca Canal and Zattere promenade. It’s another of my personal favourites, and I became so familiar with it because a few of us once stayed in an apartment at the end of the canal, overlooking the San Trovaso church from one window and the Squero di San Trovaso gondola boatyard from another.
The canal is named after Ognissanti, All Saints Church, which is now part of the Giustinian Hospital. The best views of it are from the western part, with the dome of Santa Maria del Rosario church, also known as Gesuati, forming the backdrop.
Dorsoduro is one of the quieter parts of Venice, and standing on the bridge watching the gondola glide by and photographing the scene, I vividly recall thinking that this is one of the places that made me think that Venice still deserves to known by its nickname La Serenissima, the most serene. Indeed, large parts of it still do. Check out myVenice off the beaten path article for more of these.
Nearest vaporetto: Zattere, then a three-minute walk via Sotoportego Fioravante.
Where To Stay – Lo Squero Apartment, the magnificent apartment where we stayed, or Palazzo Veneziano – Venice Collection – a waterfront palazzo overlooking Giudecca and the Canal
Bacino Orseolo, San Marco
One of the biggest ‘gondola parks’ in Venice, and one of the best places to photograph these iconic boats
A basin rather than a canal, the Bacino Orseolo is one of the busiest basins in Venice, where gondolas constantly congregate and wait for the next passing customer. Away from the Grand Canal, this is one of the biggest concentrations of gondolas that you’ll find in the city.
It’s near the western end of St Mark’s Square, close to the Museo Correr, and is reachable from the Piazza via a couple of different sotoporteghi (passageways). Two other landmarks to help you find it are the Zara store and the mustard yellow Cavalletto Hotel.
For me, the yellow walls and red shutters of the white-framed windows of the Cavalletto are what makes the Bacino Orseolo such a great place to visit and photograph. These elements make such a vivid backdrop when reflected in the water of the Bacino with the reflection of gondola prows (ferri) in the foreground. A blue sky helps too!
It’s one of my favourite locations for photographing Venice, but requires a lot of patience. I must admit to a few silent grumbles when gondoliers inadvertently wrecked my near-perfect reflections. But persevere, you’ll get there in the end.
Nearest vaporetto: San Marco (Vallaresso), a 5-minute walk away
Where To Stay Nearby – Albergo Cavalletto & Doge Orseolo – one of the best locations to stay in Venice, a few metres from Piazza San Marco, in a hotel originally founded in 1308
Rio di San Zulian, Castello
Quiet backstreet canal a few steps from St Mark’s Square
I got to know this lovely little canal thanks to some winter trips to Venice in the mid-2000s, when I took advantage of some of the bargain budget accommodation offers that often come up if you visit Venice in winter.
It’s a section of a longer canal that begins as the aforementioned Rio di Palazzo which passes beneath the Bridge of Sighs. The Rio di San Zulian only runs for around 200 metres before becoming the Rio della Fava, the Canal of the Bean, named after the 18th-century church of Santa Maria della Fava which it passes. The Rio di San Zulian is named after the nearby church of San Zulian (San Giuliano, or St Julian) as it runs through the church’s parish boundaries.
When I finally took my first gondola ride in Venice, in the company of my wife and in-laws from Australia, they told me they just wanted to go ‘somewhere quiet’, so I chose this spot. And quiet is what we got as we did a slow circuit of blissful backstreet canals. A beautiful part of Venice.
Nearest vaporetto: Either Rialto or San Marco, there’s not a lot in it.
Where to Stay – Aqua Palace Hotel – luxury 4-star boutique hotel overlooking the Rio di San Zulian
Rio di Noale, Cannaregio
Canal linking Grand Canal with Fondamente Nove, offering superb view of Ca’ Pesaro
The Rio di Noale is one of three Cannaregio canals which run from the Grand Canal to the northern shore of the city. If you ever decide to walk from Rialto or San Marco to the railway station, you may well go via Strada Nova, and pass this narrow canal with its superb view south to Ca’ Pesaro, a Baroque palace now housing the Gallery of International Modern Art.
The best time to enjoy this view is at dusk, with street lights along the canal and Ca’ Pesaro subtly lit. As you look towards the4 Grand Canal from the bridge, the building on the right, the elegant Hotel Ca’ Gottardi, is my recommended place to stay in the immediate area.
Getting there: San Marcuola and Ca’ d’Oro vaporetto stops are each about a five-minute walk away.
Rio dei Mendicanti, Castello
Short canal in northern part of the city, passing two of the city’s most impressive buildings on its brief journey
This canal only runs for about 200 metres, forming the boundary between the Cannaregio and Castello sestieri. Its name means ‘Canal of the Beggars’, referring to the church of San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti. This Baroque church was completed in 1636, next to Venice’s Leper Hospital. We don’t know whether the church’s name was derived from the Mendicant Friars who arranged the building of the church, or the beggars who regularly took refuge there.
During its brief journey to the lagoon, the Rio dei Mendicanti passes one of the great ensembles of Venetian architecture. The Gothic red-brick Basilica of SS Giovanni and Paolo stands next to the former Scuola Grande di San Marco, now the facade of Venice’s main city hospital.
The former Scuola was rebuilt after a fire in 1485 by Pietro Lombardo and, later, Mauro Codussi. It’s a masterpiece in marble with a proliferation of statues including the ever-present Lion of St Mark. An Aussie friend of ours collapsed from exhaustion and was taken there, passing beneath this elaborate façade. She joked afterwards that she thought she had died and gone to heaven – and I can see where she was coming from!
Nearest vaporetto – Fondamente Nove or Ospedale
Where To Stay – Casa Colleoni – friendly small B&B right opposite Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo – an incredible location
Rio Brazzo, Cannaregio
Small backstreet Cannaregio canal with gorgeous view of Madonna dell’Orto church
When visiting Madonna dell’Orto Church – one of the finest churches in Venice – in the northern backstreets of Cannaregio, take a short walk around the corner from the church to see this gem of a canal.
Rio Brazzo is only around 50 metres long, linking two larger canals, Rio della Sensa and Rio di Madonna dell-Orto.
To reach it, cross the canal at the bridge on the corner of Campo Madonna dell’Orto, walk along Campo dei Mori until you reach the next canal, and turn right.
You’ll reach Rio Brazzo and the beautiful view of the façade of Madonna dell’Orto in about twenty metres. The buildings either side frame the church wonderfully. In summer the bush on the left of the canal sometimes b looms some lovely white flowers.
Nearest vaporetto: Madonna dell’Orto (4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2)
Where To Stay Nearby: Hotel Ai Mori d’Oriente – one of the best Cannaregio hotels, a two-minute walk from the Rio Brazzo viewpoint
Rio di Santa Maria Formosa, Castello
Narrow canal near church of the same name, winding between evocative crumbling medieval palazzi
This short canal only runs for about 150 metres before joining the longer Rio di San Severo. As its name suggests, it runs alongside the Campo Santa Maria Formosa, passing just to the south of the church of the same name.
The church and Campo are well worth visiting, as are the two museums along the canal. The Fondazione Querini Stampalia is a modern art museum, and the Museo di Palazzo Grimani, the sumptuous palace home of 16th-century Doge Antonio Grimani.
Nearest vaporetto: San Marco (San Zaccaria)
Where To Stay – Hotel Scandinavia – Relais– immaculate 3-star hotel on Campo Santa Maria Formosa, a superb location for exploring backstreet Venice and only a few minutes’ walk from San Marco
Most Beautiful Canals In Venice – Final Thoughts
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this article and that you’ve discovered some new places to visit in Venice.
I’ve visited Venice a great many times, and have also written numerous articles on this amazing city. Here is a selection of them for you to browse:
- Is Venice worth visiting?
- Sunrise In Venice – best places to watch the sunrise in Venice
- Sunset In Venice – the 10 best places to see it
- Grand Canal Venice – Visual Guide To The Most Beautiful Street In The World
- 14 Most Beautiful Churches in Venice
- 34 Wonderful Venice Landmarks – the unmissable sights of La Serenissima
- Bridges In Venice – from the Bridge of Sighs to lesser-known sights including the Bridge of Fists and the Bridge of Tits
- Venice Off The Beaten Path – 18 Hidden Gems In Venice
- Icons of Venice – gondolas, canals, Carnival masks and much more
- 17 Photos That Will Make You Want To Visit Venice
- 12 Most Beautiful Venice Squares – San Marco, Campo San Zanipolo and more
- Cannaregio Venice – the complete Area Guide
- Things To Do In Burano – the colourful fishing village in the Venetian lagoon
- Things To Do In Torcello Venice – where Venice began over 1,300 years ago
- Day Trip To Venice – what to do and where to go if a day is all you have
- Weekend in Venice – 48 hours in La Serenissima
- 3-Day Venice Itinerary – a slightly longer trip to Venice, what not to miss in 3 days
- 16 Best Day Trips From Venice – Burano, Verona, Padua and More
- Squares in Italy – 15 of the most beautiful squares in Italy