Borgo Teresiano

This district takes its name from blocks of buildings commissioned between the late 18th and mid-19th centuries by the Empress Maria Theresa. Before that, the area was simply salt marsh, waiting to be reclaimed. The rules of imperial planning were very clear: buildings had to have three floors, storerooms conveniently placed on the ground floor, servants' quarters upstairs, offices on a floor high enough to receive natural light, and an internal garden-courtyard.

Strolling among shops, boutiques and restaurants today, this is much less noticeable. But you pause to look at the shop windows of a city where small family-run businesses still survive, with their own character and pride. Then you step out onto the water of the Grand Canal to discover moored boats, café tables and churches of various denominations.