The historic center is divided into six districts (sestieri). The districts are: San Marco, , Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Polo and Castello. The city's main thoroughfare is the Grand Canal that intersects each district as it meanders through the length of Venice from the railway station to San Marco.

The Sestiere (district) of Venice St Mark is considered the city centre. St. Mark square it is the point with more places of tourist interest beginning from the Basilica, the Doge's palace, the bell tower (100 meters), the Correr Museum, and it leans out on the splendid Basin from where the island of St. George, the Basilica della Salute and the Giudecca can be admired.

The Rialto area was the first part of Venice to be developed, and it soon became a centre for commerce. The Rialto Area has long been the commercial core of Venice and is famed as the place where the first bridge over the Grand Canal was built.

Venice has more than 400 bridges, but only three span the Grand Canal. The most famous is the elegant Rialto bridge, which is lined with stores and market stalls. The original wooden bridge collapsed under the strain of the crowds gathered here to admire a wedding procession. It was replaced by the sturdier single stone arch design of Antonio da Ponte, built in 1588.

Splendid palaces (palazzo) and numerous churches are filled with Renaissance art and when you have had your fill of Venice’s beautiful churches and palaces, stop in one of the city’s osterie (restaurants) and sample the cicchetti (small tapas) and the italian wines.

An alternative to walking the bewildering streets of Venice is to cruise the waterways onboard the motorboat buses known as vaporetti. The number one vaporetto route from Piazzale Roma meanders up the Grand Canal to the heart of the city, San Marco. The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with marble palaces built by wealthy and influential Venetian families with their front doors opening on to the canal.