The First Ghetto

Best Time to Visit

Late morning or early afternoon on a weekday, when the Ghetto is calm and the light falls into the campo. Arrive at the Ghetto before midday to have the square nearly to yourself, then let the walk carry you out to Cannaregio's quieter canals as the afternoon opens up.

Pro Tips

• •Approach the Ghetto over one of its two historic bridges and look for the low arches where the gates once hung; the two former gate-bridges are part of the story you are walking into.
• •In Campo di Ghetto Nuovo, stand in the center and look straight up to read the extra stories on the tall houses; the vertical crowding is the single clearest piece of physical evidence on the whole walk.
• •The interiors of the synagogues can be seen only on a guided visit through the Jewish Museum of Venice, so book ahead if you want to go inside; from the campo you can still read their hidden upper-floor windows for free.
• •Give yourself extra time on the Fondamenta della Misericordia leg; it is an intentional longer stretch and the point is to slow down and feel a working Venetian neighborhood, not to rush to the next stop.
• •Madonna dell'Orto and Ca' d'Oro are ticketed sites, and Madonna dell'Orto is part of the Chorus circuit of Venetian churches; check opening hours before you go, since smaller churches keep limited times.
• •The Ca' d'Oro reads best from across the Grand Canal, from the fondamenta near the Rialto fish market or from the Ca' d'Oro vaporetto stop, so you do not need a museum ticket to close the walk on its gilded facade.