Giardini Pubblici (Giardini Napoleonici)

A gondola rowing lesson in Venice

A quiet park in the Castello neighborhood of Venice

An art event in the Giardini Pubblici (Giardini Napoleonici) of Venice

An event at the 19th century greenhouse in the Giardini Napoleonici/Giardini Pubblici of Venice. (Photo courtesy of La Serra del Giardin)

The largest patch of green space in Venice, these formal public gardens are way out near the far end of the Castello neighborhood, past the Arsenale.

They are sometimes called the Giardini Napoleonici (after Napoleon, under whose reign they were first laid out in 1807 on the site of several religious complexes), and sometims called the Giardini Biennale (since they sometimes host art and sculpture exhibit spillover from the Biennale—plus most people who aren't local only ever visit them during the Biennale).

They feature wide, gravely paths, benches, and shade trees—lindens and hackberries, plane trees and laurel and privets. It's not much, but it's the best you're going to get in the historic center of Venice.

La Serra del Giardin (tel. +39-041-296-0360; www.serradeigiardini.org) occupies a 19th century steel-and-glass greenhouse at the edge of the gardens (Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 1254) and organizes everything from art exhibitions and gardening shows to evening yoga classes and children's workshops in the park.

It also hosts a cafe, open Tuesdays to Sundays 10am–9:30pm, Saturday 10am–midnight.

Tips & links

Details

Giardini Pubblici (Giardini Napoleonici)
Largo Martiri d'Italia/Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi/Viale Trento (neat the far western end of Castello, off Riva dei Sette Martiri/Viale Giardini Pubblici) (Castello)
Vaporetto: Giardini
Open daily
Free

Nearby sights, dining, hotels

Sights nearby
★★★ Biennale (art exhibit)

Where to eat nearby
★★ Ristorante Corte Sconta [meal]
★ Trattoria Da Remigio [meal]

Hotels nearby
Double Arch Apartments [premier]
Hotel Corte Contarina [cheap]
Hotel Ca' Formenta [moderate]
RR Metropole [premier]
RR La Residenza [cheap]
RR Danieli [splurge]

» More hotels in Castello from Booking.com

Venice links & resources

Sights & experiences
Lodging
Transport

Tourist info
Turismovenezia.it

Other useful sites
Agendavenezia.org [events]
Veneziaeventi.com [events]
Veneziadavivere.com [events]
Veniceforvisitors.com [guidesite]
Venezia.net [guidesite/events]
Veneziatoday.it [news/events]

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Public transit
Actv.it (vaporetto [public "water buses"]; traghetti; land buses)
Motoscafivenezia.it (water taxis)
Alilaguna.it (airport ferry)

Maps
Amazon.com (print maps)
Maps.venicexplorer.net (address locator)
Smu.insula.it (route finder)

Venice airports
Veniceairport.it (Venice Marco Polo airport)
Trevisoairport.it (Treviso airport ~30 min. away; used by some low-cost airlines)

Airport transfers: By sea (to downtown Venice)
Alilaguna.it (public ferry: €15)
Viator.com (shared boat: €30; private boat: from €34)
Motoscafivenezia.it (water taxi: €100)

Airport transfers: By land (to Piazzale Roma)
Atvo.it (shuttle bus: €6)
Actv.it (city bus: €6)

Venice rail station
Venezia Santa Lucia: Grandistazioni.it, Fondamenta S. Lucia (in the NW corner of the city)
Vaproetto to San Marco: 1, 2, N

Driving/parking
Asmvenezia.it (Piazzale Rome garage: most central, €23–29; S. Giuliano lot: farthest, €12)
Veniceparking.it (Tronchetto garage: fairly central, €21)

Car resources
Emergency service/tow: tel. 803-116
Highway agency: Autostrade.it (traffic info, serivce areas, toll calculator, weather)
Italian automotive club (~AAA): Aci.it
ZTLs: Ztl-italia.blogspot.com (lightly outdated, but handy, links to cities' traffic-free zones)