Out of around 400 bridges that are in Venice, it was definitely not easy to choose the TOP 10 but after all the considerations we successfully created a list of our TOP 10 most beautiful and most photogenic bridges of Venice! In this guide we will discuss also some of the best angles to shoot or the time of the day when the lightning is the best. We really hope you are going to like this little guide and it will help you on your next trip to Venice!
1. PONTE DI RIALTO
Let’s start with probably the most famous bridge in Venice and that is Rialto Bridge. It is the first bridge built across the Gran Canal which makes it also the oldest one out of only 4 bridges that are crossing this main canal of Venice. It is connecting San Marco Sestiere (district) and San Polo Sestiere. This masterpiece of a bridge is like a magnet for photographers and we can understand why! As it is one of the most famous bridges in Venice, it gets very crowded so we recommend you to come here for sunrise!
There are a couple of different angles and spots from where you can take pictures. Here are some of our favourites:
1. From a dock on Gran Canal
There are a couple of docks from where you can take a picture but our favourite one is the biggest and closest dock to the bridge on the San Marco district side of the bridge (right in front of Nino & Friends chocolate shop).
2. At the bottom of the stairs
Sitting on the guardrails of the staircase at the bottom is another great angle to take a picture. You can check out both identical sides and see what you prefer to have in the background.
3. The view from Rialto Bridge
Not only the bridge itself is beautiful, but also the view from the top! Climb up the stairs and take a picture how you stand or sit on top of the guardrails with a beautiful view of Gran Canal behind you!
4. Guardrail in front of Ristorante Al Buso
This guardrail creates a little bit of a balcony effect with a beautiful Rialto Bridge view.
View this post on Instagram
5. From the other side
The most famous spot to take a picture of the bridge that I have seen on instagram is from the other side (San Polo district) in front of Palazzo dei Camerlenghi (Naranzari “street”).
View this post on Instagram
6. From a gondola or a boat
to get a straight angle and direct shot of Rialto Bridge, you have to get on the water. Take a gondola ride and take a picture when you are passing under. It makes a beautiful framing to your picture!
View this post on Instagram
2. PONTE DELL’ACCADEMIA
Another one of 4 bridges crossing the Gran Canal is Ponte dell’Academia. To be honest with you, this is one of the ugliest bridges in Venice! Why is it on the list of most beautiful and photogenic bridges in Venice you ask? BECAUSE OF THE SPECTACULAR VIEW is the answer! It is probably the only bridge from which you have a clear view of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. The best time to take pictures here is during sunset hours.
View this post on Instagram
3. PONTE MARIA CALLAS
This beautiful bridge on a very small canal is hidden between the buildings, which creates a very cosy and picturesque spot. What adds even more charm to it is the Santo Stefano bell tower behind. It is a very quiet spot so you could take pictures at any time of the day and you wouldn’t be bothered by anyone however the sun hitting on the bell tower while everything else is in the shadow doesn’t seem so good. We recommend you to shoot here during sunrise or sunset hours.
4. PONTE DEL DIAVOLO
Ponte del Diavolo or the Devil’s bridge is a small bridge crossing a very small canal a bit outside of the centre of Venice. Stand on one side of the canal to photograph this bridge. When you are going to look for this bridge on google maps, make sure it directs you to the correct one which is in Venice near the hotel Palazzo San Lorenzo. There is another bridge called Ponte del Diavolo but this one is situated on a small island called Torcello (close to Venice).
View this post on Instagram
5. PONTE CHIODO
Ponte Chiodo is one of the only two bridges in Venice without handrails and it looks very different from the rest of them. It is located in the Cannaregio district which is a bit outside of tourist hotspots. This makes it more quiet to take pictures through any time of the day however the lighting is the best during sunrise and sunset. The best way to take a picture is to stand on the parallel bridge – Ponte Racheta.
6. PONTE BALBI
Ponte Balbi has one of the most beautiful decorative handrails which adds a lot of charm to it. Behind it there are buildings with all different colours which makes it even more spectacular. Best time to take a picture is early in the morning. For the best angle stand on the parallel bridge next to the hotel Agua Palace.
7. PONTE DEI SOSPIRI
Another one of the famous bridges in Venice is Ponte dei Sospiri which translates to Bridge of Sighs. The main reason for its famousness is the story that comes with it. Apparently the view of this bridge was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. These prisoners would sigh at their final view of Venice before being taken into their cells. So poetic and sad right? On the other hand there is also a legend about Ponte dei Sospiri which says that if you kiss your significant other under it at sunset, just as the bells of St. Mark’s Campanile ring, you will enjoy eternal love. This sounds much better to me!
There are a couple ways to take a picture of Ponte dei Sospiri:
1. Parallel bridge in front of Museo Diocesano di Venezia
This is our favourite spot to take a picture of the Bridge of Sighs. Our suggestion is to have your subject pose on this bridge and photograph them from the next parallel bridge close to Vecchia Murano V.M. You can take the most amazing shot with a zoom lens which brings both the subject and the Bridge of Sighs closer together and closer to you! Unfortunately when we were there, the parallel bridge close to Vecchia Murano V.M. was closed so we put our tripod on the same bridge that we were standing on (the bridge close to Museo Diocesano di Venezia).
And this is how the picture looks like if you shoot it from the next parallel bridge close to Vecchia Murano V.M. like our friends from @loctravelers did. So romantic right?! 🙂
View this post on Instagram
2. Corner “dock”
Not really a dock but there is a little space under Ponte della Paglia where you can stand and take a picture.
View this post on Instagram
3. Gondola ride
This must be obvious but gondolas provide the best views of Venice. If you decide to take a ride, make sure you ask your gondolier to take you here because not all gondola rides include Ponte dei Sospiri in their route.
View this post on Instagram
4. Ponte della Paglia
Most popular picture angle is to stand at Ponte della Paglia as from there you have a very close and clear view of the Bridge of Sighs. Just look at this amazing shot from @explorerboundcouple 🙂 . You definitely need to come early in the morning as it’s a very popular spot.
View this post on Instagram
8. PONTE DEI PUGNI
This bridge was used in the past for an annual battle competition between the west and the east Sestiere (district). It is displayed on many paintings of Venice.
If you stand on the bridge you will have a nice view of a bell tower behind. You can either take a picture of only the view or you can get down and photograph it together with the bridge possibly with your subject standing on top.
View this post on Instagram
9. PONTE DEL PARADISO/PONTE DEI PRETI
Ponte del Paradiso or also called Ponte dei Preti is a bridge made out of red bricks. Its red brick guardrails continue until the next bridge and along the canal and that’s what makes it special. If you have a zoom lens you can stand on the parallel bridge close to a pizza place called Cip Ciap La Bottega della Pizza and photograph both red brick bridges next to each other.
View this post on Instagram
10. A BRIDGE CLOSE TO THE HOTEL ANTICO DOGE
Unfortunately this bridge doesn’t have a name but it is close to the Hotel Antico Doge. A beautiful view of a canal and also of a small square with a church. It is a very picturesque spot! There are also a couple of restaurants along the canal which had a beautiful view. Right next to the bridge there is an ice-cream shop so you can enjoy this beautiful view with a scoop of your favourite flavour of ice-cream! We highly recommend you to stop by!
As we already said, it was hard to agree on only TOP 10 bridges but we definitely chose our favourites.
Here are some next runner ups that we would include if we would continue with a longer list: Ponte degli Scalzi, Ponte Delle Tette, Ponte del Teatro, a bridge close to Hotel Ai Reali, Ponte della Croce and Ponte Priuli.
The best way to explore the bridges of Venice is to get lost and find your own favourite ones. There are so many of them and each of them is characteristic in its own way 🙂 !
For more travel tips about other destinations in Italy check out our:
Polignano a Mare travel guide http://borntotraveldiaries.com/polignano-a-mare-travel-guide/
Ostuni travel guide: http://borntotraveldiaries.com/ostuni-travel-guide/
Alberobello travel guide: http://borntotraveldiaries.com/alberobello-travel-guide/
Cinque Terre travel guide: http://borntotraveldiaries.com/cinque-terre-travel-guide/
We hope this blog post was helpful to you and you are gonna have a great time while exploring all the beautiful bridges of Venice. For more pictures and videos check out our IG story highlight (Venice) and our feed posts. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment bellow or contact us via email or even better via Instagram @borntotraveldiaries. Thank you for your time and stay tuned for our next diary page 🙂.
