Castello, Venice: 2026 Guide to the Arsenal and Biennale

What is Castello in Venice?

The district is named after the island of San Pietro di Castello, settled since at least the 8th century. From the 13th century onward, Castello grew around the Arsenal, the state shipyard that built the bulk of the Republic's fleet and has been called one of the earliest large-scale industrial enterprises in history. A Greek merchant community of around 5,000 people lived here, and the Greek Orthodox church of San Giorgio dei Greci still stands. Napoleon closed the Arsenal and laid out the gardens that now host the Venice Biennale. The island of Sant'Elena, at the far eastern tip, was created more recently on reclaimed land. Today the western edge near San Marco is lined with hotels along the Riva, while the eastern half, around the Arsenal, is mostly homes.

What to see in Castello

Castello's sights are spread out, so pair the ones near San Marco with a long walk east along the water.

• Riva degli Schiavoni — The monumental waterfront along the San Marco basin, from the Ponte della Paglia by the Doge's Palace to the Rio di Ca' di Dio.
• Venetian Arsenal — The former state shipyards and armouries that built the Republic's navy from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.
• Santi Giovanni e Paolo — San Zanipolo in Venetian: a Dominican church with the rank of minor basilica.
• San Zaccaria — A 15th-century former monastic church on Campo San Zaccaria, just off the waterfront south-east of St Mark's Basilica.
• Santa Maria Formosa — A church built in 1492 to a design by Mauro Codussi, on its own wide campo.
• Biennale gardens — The main site of the Venice Biennale, held every two years, with around 30 permanent national pavilions.

Bridge of Sighs gondola rides and stations in Castello

The Bridge of Sighs crosses the Rio di Palazzo between the Doge's Palace and the New Prison, and the prison side stands in Castello. You can only see it from below from a boat on the canal, and the narrow inner canals are gondola territory, which is why so many rides start nearby. The official Danieli station sits on the Riva degli Schiavoni; its Google Maps profile is rated 3.8 from 337 reviews (October 2026). Several pre-booked rides meet at a shop on Campo San Zaccaria; shared Bridge of Sighs rides there start at about $35 to $44 a person in the October 2026 listings, against the official €90 (about $100) for a whole 30-minute daytime boat. Further east, a small operator on the Fondamenta de l'Osmarin is rated 4.8 from 23 reviews on Google Maps. The canals behind San Zaccaria and Santa Maria Formosa are narrow and residential, with far less boat traffic than the Grand Canal, which carries most of the city's water traffic. If the Bridge of Sighs is your goal, read our page on the Bridge of Sighs gondola ride and the history in the Bridge of Sighs guide. For every station, see where to get a gondola in Venice.

How to get to Castello

Vaporetto Line 1 runs along the Castello waterfront after it leaves the Grand Canal, stopping at San Zaccaria, Arsenale, Giardini and Sant'Elena before it crosses to the Lido. On foot, walk east from St Marks Square past the Doge's Palace and over the Ponte della Paglia; you are on the Riva degli Schiavoni, in Castello.

Who should stay in Castello?

Castello suits two kinds of traveller. The western part, around San Zaccaria and the Riva, suits first-timers who want to walk to the Piazza in minutes. The eastern part, towards the Arsenal and the Giardini, suits anyone who wants a residential base, and visitors coming for the Biennale. The trade-off is distance: the far end of Castello is a long walk from the Rialto and the train station. For more, see things to do in Venice and San Marco next door.