Dorsoduro District

Dorsoduro is the university district of Venice. The streets surrounding Plaza de Santa Margarita are lined with unassuming restaurants, independent shops, and vintage clothing boutiques.

For me one of the most beautiful parts of Venice. Away from the tourists with great shops and small cafes. At the top is the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. I could sit here for hours watching Venice, the lagoon and the Grand Canal.

The Sestiere Dorsoduro ("hard back") takes its name from the solid ground on which the quarter is built. The western part was once a quarter of fishermen and sailors. Even today, few tourists populate the paths and squares. The heart of western Dorsoduro beats at Campo Santa Margherita, which in the morning becomes a popular marketplace.
Dorsoduro, east of the Accademia, is a comparatively quiet area with shady squares, picturesque canals, magnificent churches and beautiful houses. Wealthy Englishmen settled here in the early 19th century, and the Anglican Church of Saint George on Campo San Vio is testimony to this period.
Among the attractions of the area are undoubtedly the wide views: from Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana di Mare in the east across to St. Mark's Square and over the lagoon, or from Zattere in the south over to the island of Giudecca.
Some important art collections can be found in the surroundings of the Accademia: In addition to the large art gallery of the Accademia itself, which focuses on works of the Renaissance, the Peggy Guggenheim collection of modern art is world famous.