Cannaregio is the most northern of the six Sestriaeri or districts of Venice. The entrance into the ghetto is from Ponte de Gheto Novo, where you can still see where the gates were which were closed each evening to contain the Jewish inhabitants.The main canal through this district used to be the main entrance into the city until the railway link came.Beginning in 1516, Jewish people were restricted to living in this area of the city It was enclosed by guarded gates and no one was allowed to leave from sunset to dawn. However, Jews held successful positions in the city such as merchants, physicians, money lenders, and other trades. Restrictions on daily Jewish life continued for more than 270 years, until Napolean conquered the Venetian Republic in 1797. He removed the gates and gave all residents the freedom to live where they chose.

In the 19th century, civil engineers built a street named Strada Nuova through Cannaregio, and a railway and road bridge were constructed to connect Venice directly to the mainland. Today, the areas of the district along the Grand Canal from the train station to the Rialto Bridge are packed with tourists, but the rest of Cannaregio is residential and relatively peaceful, with morning markets, neighborhood shops, and small cafés.

This is the only area in Venice where the houses were built over four floors, to house the large amounts of people. There are five synagagues in Cannaregio, only two of which are still used. The others are used to show tourists around.

There is a Holocaust memorial in Venice's Campo del Ghetto Nuovo.