Dog Walks Exploring The Small Canals Of Venice

Part of the charm of Venice in Italy is that there are canals everywhere. The canals crisscross the city and make for scenic walks, with or without a dog. Many of these connect the Venice Lagoon with the Grand Canal. As a bonus, many of these are quieter, with lovely places to sit and enjoy a takeaway drink.

Throughout the small canals are cute bridges, palaces, and examples of Venetian architecture. I also found some places for food or drink with water views.

Canals are essentially the city’s roads, and everything is delivered by boat. I found it fascinating to see deliveries and rubbish collection early in the morning during my sunrise walks.

Photos of Small Canals & Bridges in Venice

I enjoyed taking photos while exploring the smaller branches throughout the city with the dog.

Rio di San Polo

A canal we saw quite a few times was the Rio di San Polo, which we crossed on our dog walks from our accommodation towards the Rialto Bridge and onwards to the attractions near St Mark’s Square. This canal runs through the San Polo district, which is the smallest of the six districts in Venice.

Ponte San Polo is a pretty stone bridge over the side canal of Rio di San Polo with good views from it.

Rio de la Frescada

Another quiet waterway for a walk was Rio de la Frescada in the San Polo district. An eye-catching building on this stretch was the Palazzetto Madonna next to Ponte de la Frescada. There were a few nice-looking restaurants in this quiet section, some with water views.

Río De San Barnaba

One of my favourite canals for early dog walks was Rio De San Barnaba because of its chilled vibe. There were special views on the bridges of this small channel, including pretty churches and the Venetian architecture.

Campo S. Barnaba on the canal is a scenic place with cafes, including one that opened early for beer. The main building in Campo S. Barnaba is the Chiesa di San Barnaba, an old church that is now a Leonardo da Vinci museum.

Rio de San Vio

The Giudecca Canal joins the Grand Canal at Rio de San Vio, a pleasant place to explore. At one end is the Accademia, Palazzo Cini and some splendid views of the Grand Canal. At the other end, the views towards Giudecca are wonderful, including towards Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore.

What’s in between is also special, with many decorative features. One thing that caught my eye was a very decorative hotel on the water’s edge.

Rio de San Aponal

Another stretch I happened upon while sightseeing was Rio de San Aponal. Rio de San Aponal has some bridges, and what caught my eye was a covered walkway alongside the water. The buildings alongside the water were splendid, too. As a bonus, there was a nearby fountain that was perfect for hydrating Henry, my dog.

Rio de La Toletta

Rio de la Toletta is a small waterway that joins the Grand Canal and Rio del Malpaga. It doesn’t have paths alongside but has some bridges to enjoy the views.

Rio Novo

Rio Novo is one of the wider canals, with grand buildings, and it runs from near Constitution Bridge and the railway station. While walking alongside it, you can find Giardini Papadopoli, an ideal place for a chill.

Rio de Ca’ Foscari

The nearest canal to our dog-friendly accommodation was Rio de Ca’ Foscari. Thus we passed this a lot, including seeing lots of activity near Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Pantalon. The bridge near Università Ca’ Foscari was also a good spot to chill and watch boats head towards the Grand Canal, including during my sunrise walks.

Rio del Malpaga

Rio del Malpaga is a pretty narrow channel in the Dorsoduro district of the city. Interestingly, the canal begins between the Moro Palace and the Stern Palace, both on the Grand Canal.

Rio Briati

Another small stretch of water that I frequently walked was Rio Briati. This was either with the dog or to pop into the Prix budget supermarket on the canal side. It’s a pretty stretch with some cool Venetian buildings, including Scuola d’Infanzia Diego Valeri.