My favourite area in Venice is Dosoduro, one of the 6 sestieri (districts) of the city. It has some of the highest land in the islands and includes Guidecca Island and Isola Sacca Fisola.
The original heart of the area was along the Guidecca Canal. The buildings here were built in the 6th century. On the Grand Canal side, the Ponte della Accademia, the bridge which gives access to Dosoduro, was built in the 19th century. I crossed this bridge from the San Marco district.
The views from the bridge are impressive…looking across to Basilica Santa Maria della Salute.
Look down to the the outdoor art belonging to the Instituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere Ed Arti.
…and along the Grand Canal.
Dosoduro is always a quieter area of Venice to wander in, even more so now. I was almost alone on my walk. Many shops are still closed. I spoke to a shop owner who told me the Aqua Alta in winter was terrible and caused huge damage. Because of the lockdown restoration work stopped.
Now there are cranes and workmen all over Venice, including in Dosoduro, working to get things back to normal. As if the Aqua Alta wasn’t bad enough, the lockdown took away incomes for months. The lovely local I spoke to told me it was difficult to do survive without their business being open, but having the city to themselves was wonderful. Everyone hopes things will slowly improve. Serious thought needs to be given to making tourism more sustainable and pleasant for tourists and locals in Venice.
Wandering slowly offers a chance to take in the beauty of the area.
I came upon my favourite piazza, or campo, as they are called in Venice. It is a delightful, secluded area between the Peggy Guggenheim museum and the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute.
I have been in the campo before. It is a peaceful place.
I love this stunning house on the Grand Canal side of the campo.
I passed the gorgeous Fortuny shop. How I would love one of their beautiful lights, or the garment in the window.
I walked to the end of the island, past the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, to get a great view of Guidecca on one side and back towards San Marco on the other.
Here is the Academia Bridge.
…and the lovely scene as I walked towards the steps to cross it to return to San Marco.
Don’t miss Dosoduro if you visit Venice.
Thanks for the lovely memories and I don’t believe I have seen the Fortuny shop and I’m an expert shopper! Roz
By: Roz MacAllan on July 1, 2020
at 9:05 pm
There is another Fortuny shop on one of the streets that link San Marco and Rialto, but this one is huge and gorgeous.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 1, 2020
at 9:09 pm
Fabulous photos Deb – almost as good as being there – that’s my favourite part of Venice too – we are so fortunate to have been able to visit so many times – never too many
By: Elizabeth Valerie Litzow on July 1, 2020
at 9:55 pm
I love Venice! The fact that it exists is a miracle.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 1, 2020
at 10:33 pm
Words alone cannot describe how much we enjoyed this walk with you around Dosoduro..Enough to wish we could immediately get on a plane to Venice right now. All the photos (as usual) just superb. Love all the white flowering trees, shrubs, creepers etc. The weather looks good for your enjoyable walk. PS I would love one of the lights also.
By: Camillus Davall on July 1, 2020
at 10:07 pm
I feel very lucky to see Venice now. I will return before I come home later this year.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 1, 2020
at 10:33 pm
Brings back delightful memories. We loved the Dosoduro area. Peggy guggenheim’s home and the Fortuny shop were highlights for us too. Missed out on the campo though. You’re so fortunate Deb to be able to revisit often; especially in this quiet time. Hoping Italy is back on its feet soon.
By: Christine collins on July 1, 2020
at 10:38 pm
Things do seem to be improving here in Italy. More people are going out to restaurants etc, but it will take a long time to recover and I fear not all businesses will survive.
I hope Venice can come up with solutions to the over tourism it suffers from. To be able to see Venice without masses swarming the tiny streets is amazing.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2020
at 4:41 am
Dorsoduro is my favourite sestiere too. It is much less crowded than other parts of Venice. I stayed in Dorsoduro five times over the last ten years for either 10 or 14 days and just love the area. Your photos bring back lovely memories especially as it was only November last year when I was last there. The acqua alta caused a lot of damage then, but the people who live and work there were doing an amazing job of repairing the shops and restoring the businesses. The really big high tide happened about 3 days before I arrived in mid November. It happened during the night when everyone was sleeping. Even though people prepared for flooding, the tide reached extremely high levels causing untold damage. There were still quite high tides during the 2 weeks I was there so I had to check the 2 tides forecast each day and plan my day accordingly. Thank you for your fabulous photos Debra. So many are so familiar. Italy is such a wonderful place.
Cheers, Robyn in Brisbane.
By: italia4ever on July 2, 2020
at 1:17 am
The lady I spoke to said it was terrifying. The repairs had to stop when lockdown happened and work has just restarted. Venetians are resilient, they have to be, but she said this was the worst she had seen.
I was to stay in Dosoduro, but the hotel group I booked with consolidated guests to one hotel in another area. I will try again!
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2020
at 4:46 am
A lovely tour. Thanks.
By: Coral Waight on July 2, 2020
at 1:51 am
Dosoduro is a beautiful part of Venice.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2020
at 4:46 am
Venice is my heart. I usually stay at the Abbazia and love all areas of Venice. I once lived nearly and visited often. Try to go every few years now. Pray for better times and less tourists in the future. Love your blog!
By: Savan Wilson on July 2, 2020
at 3:02 am
Thank you! I hope a solution can be found for the over tourism. Stopping the cruise ships docking there would be a start, but won’t help much as the tourists will just be brought in from where ever they go.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2020
at 4:49 am
Thank you for your virtual tour through lovely Venice, I can almost smell it.
By: www.corneliaweber-photography.com on July 2, 2020
at 3:26 am
The city was clean and filled with flowers. I love it!
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2020
at 4:49 am
… and no cruise ships embarking so close to the city!!
By: www.corneliaweber-photography.com on July 3, 2020
at 5:38 am
Dorsoduro has always been a favorite area for me. Thank you for sharing, it brings back precious memories.
By: Mulino Dominillo on July 2, 2020
at 5:13 am
It is a beautiful area in Venice. I love it.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 3, 2020
at 6:29 am
Thank you for the wonderful views of a quiet and not crowded Venice. I’ve been following you for the past year and really enjoy your blog.
In fact, I found your site as I was house hunting in Italy. I visited Bagni di Lucca and viewed a few homes but finally closed on a house within the walls of Lucca in January. We returned to the US in February and have not been able to return, hopefully in the fall we will be back. So, I’ve been eagerly awaiting each and every post to get a feel of the area during Covid. I’m glad you’ve stayed healthy and your gardens are a delight.
By: Dena E Warth on July 2, 2020
at 5:19 pm
Thank you for your lovely message. It has been an interesting time here in Italy. I arrived in Italy in late February and went into lockdown soon after. Casa Debbio was the best place to be for isolation. It is great to be able to get out and about a bit now.
I hope you can come later in the year. My husband is hoping to be able to come in September.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2020
at 7:05 pm
We have only been to Venice once for a few days, so clearly we must return and explore this amazing city. We will follow in your footsteps to see all these lovely sights.
By: Kerry & Jim on July 3, 2020
at 12:30 am
Venice needs more than one visit.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 3, 2020
at 6:40 am
It’s so rare to see pictures of Venice without large crowds. I have read that dolphins have returned there which is incredible!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on July 3, 2020
at 1:16 am
I’m not sure about dolphins, but the water is certainly clean.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 3, 2020
at 6:41 am
👍
By: lumeanoastramagica on July 3, 2020
at 3:30 pm
The loveliest pictures yet. You do Venice justice with your incredible talent!
By: Alisa on July 8, 2020
at 2:08 am