The Long Light

Best Time to Visit

Late afternoon into early evening, when the low sun rakes across the south-facing Zattere and warms the white dome of the Salute. The morning market brings Campo Santa Margherita to life on weekdays, so a start around ten and a finish near sunset catches both the working city and the long light this walk is named for.

Pro Tips

• •Walk this route east to west as laid out, so the sun moves onto the Zattere as your afternoon goes on and you finish in the evening buzz of Campo Santa Margherita.
• •You do not need any ticket for this walk. The Salute basilica, the point at the Punta della Dogana, the Zattere, the Accademia bridge, the boatyard view, and the campo are all free from the outside.
• •If you do want to go inside the Gallerie dell'Accademia or the art space at the Punta della Dogana, book a timed entry online ahead of your visit to skip the queue, then step back onto this route.
• •Watch the Squero di San Trovaso from across the rio San Trovaso, never from inside. It is a working boatyard, not a museum, and the view from the opposite bank is the whole point.
• •Carry a refillable water bottle and use the public fountains. Dorsoduro is calmer than San Marco, but the flat Zattere offers little shade at midday.
• •Pause on the crown of the Ponte dell'Accademia for the classic view down the Grand Canal to the Salute, but keep moving so you do not block the narrow bridge for others.