The three major central parts of Venice are SAN MARCO, SAN POLO and DORSODURO.  Our "Alcova" is located in the latter area, DORSODURO, which enjoys a very special affection in the hearts of travellers who know and love Venice.   

In the Dorsoduro, you enjoy not only the very unique charm of cosmopolitan Venice, but you also feel the typical warm athmosphere of an Italian village.  When you walk across Campo Santa Margarita, the square which is the focal center of the Dorsoduro, it is hard to imagine, that you are just a few minutes from famous Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, whith their throngs of foreign tourists and crowded alleys.  It looks and feels just like any village square in Italy.

Leaving your apartment in the morning, you walk among the local working people going to work or shopping in the neighborhood and stopping to chat at the corner.  Right on our own Rio San Barnaba there is one very special attraction and that is the "Floating Vegetable Market" on a barge,  and on Campo Santa Margarita there is a daily market with numerous fish and vegetable stands. 

Only later in the day do the more adventurous and dedicated tourists show up in our neighborhood on their walking tour from the Accademia Bridge via San Polo towards Rialto Bridge or the Piazzale Roma. 

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The streets here are generally wider and less crowded, with picturesque little squares scattered all over.  However, a pleasant and leisurely 5-10 minutes walk will bring you to the Accademia Bridge, which is one of the only three bridges spanning the Canale Grande.  From the Accademia bridge, it is another 20 minutes walk to Piazza San Marco.  In the opposite direction, a 20 minutes walk through the little alleyways of the SAN POLO section with its many interesting shops brings you to the famous Rialto Bridge.  If you are tired of walking, a vaporetto at the end of our alley will bring you to all the attractions of Venice in even less time. 

Another aspect that gives the area around our apartment its very special flavor is the fact that the universities of Venice are located in our neighborhood.  You cannot help noticing that the area is home to thousands of students.  The central point of their activities is Campo Santa Margarita.  When, later in the evening, the tourist areas on the other side of the canal are deserted (with the exception of Piazza San Marco), our neighborhood literally hums with activity well into the night. 

Another very special treat is to spend the early evening at the Gelateria Nico on the Zattere waterfront of the Canale della Giudecca, enjoying one of their delectable ice cream creations.  If you are lucky, you may get to watch one of the large cruise ships passing by on its way to a faraway destination.