Venice is a truly unique city that has canals instead of streets, and water instead of traffic. Venice is the birthplace of romance and passion, the home of
Casanova, folklore and fun, and a vibrant carnival. Art is everywhere in this city, as are the gondolas!! The city is divided in six zones or “sestiere” which are San Marco, San Polo, Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello and Santa Croce. Although there are six zones, it is possible to cross the city on foot
in under an hour. The zones do not really have strict divisions, but they are characterized in different ways:
- Dursoduro contains students and the city's university;
- Cannaregio is home to the historic ghetto;
- San Marco has the Basilica and the Piazza  which is probably one of the world's most famous squares;
- San Polo is a down-to-earth area where the locals live and hang out;
- Castello has the beautiful Giardini and the Biennale d';Arte (the Venice Arts Festival);
- Santa Croce is next to the station, just after the Ponte degli Scalzi.