Hotel La Calcina

Located across the Accademia Bridge from San Marco, Dorsoduro is the largest neighborhood in Venice, not to mention the centuries-old home to starving artists and romantic hipsters. Ha! These days, Dorsoduro rents are so pricey that artists are starving elsewhere.

Despite the absence of real live artists, Dorsoduro still boasts the must-visit Accademia art museum, the Peggy Guggenheim museum, numerous galleries and romantic waterfront cafés. The University Ca’ Foscari is smack dab in the middle of Dorsoduro, and the city’s late night scene, dominated by students, is clustered around Campo Santa Margherita.

Sleeping in Dursoduro: As many visitors to Venice spend much of their time wandering around San Marco, choosing a hotel in Dursoduro allows you to exhale when you come home at night, returning to a quieter neighborhood of tiny canals and less crowded Campos. Our favorite budget hotels in this area include the Hotel Galleria (charming, with a stunning location at the base of the Accademia Bridge) and the Antica Locanda Montin (delicious restaurant with simple, art-filled rooms upstairs).