About this experience
If you want to see non-touristy places in old Venice, then head to the Jewish Ghetto and Cannaregio district. These small cities within the city hold stories of famous Jews, a great artist, and folklore and literary characters. Walking through the Ghetto and Cannaregio, you will learn about squalors, Casco, and Murano and immerse yourself in that part of Venetian history that will envelop you with its mystery and magic of the everyday life of bygone times.
What to expect
The history of the ghetto
The world's first ghetto appeared in Venice for a reason, and I will tell you why it happened and what the word 'ghetto' actually means. During the walk, you will learn to distinguish the synagogue from other buildings, find out which famous Jews lived in this area of Venice, and what is happening here today. Here you will see Venetian skyscrapers and try to guess which Shakespearean character 'wandered' the local streets centuries ago and whose fate is tied to the ghetto. The history of this small city within the city will tell you about Venice in a way you never suspected.
Cannaregio District
After walking through the Ghetto, you will enter the old Cannaregio district, where you will see merchants turned into stone, a palace with a camel, and the Church of the Madonna dell' Orto. I will tell you why the church has such a name, how it is connected to Tintoretto, and where the house of the great artist is located. On the shores of the Bay of Mercy, which hides in the Cannaregio district, you will see the House of the Spirits and the transparent waters of the lagoon. Look at the island of San Michele—a Venetian cemetery, and then visit a genuine German courtyard from the 14th century; there is an observation deck on its roof that you can climb to. After passing by the Rialto Bridge, you will reach St. Mark's Square, the heart of the city, which by that time will reveal another side of its rich and colorful past.
