Sant Elena (Venice)

Sant Elena is the extreme east of the old town of Venice. Sant Elena is actually an island that is separated from the main island by a canal. But there are several bridges between the main island of Venice and Sant Elena. Thus, St Elena appears more as a part of Venice than its own island.

Sant Elena (Italian Sant'Elena) has actually few objects of interest to offer. Nevertheless, the district is interesting for visitors. It is the most remote and perhaps least touristic part of the old town island of Venice. It is a residential area for normal people.

In Sant Elena is the only football stadium of the city of Venezia and a large, modern marina.

Many tourists like to come over one of the bridges to the island Sant'Elena to be away for some time from the hustle and bustle of the mega tourist city Venice. Here the locals hang, as usual in places in Italy, still the laundry over the street (see picture manyabove).

There are several good taverns and some small shops like the fruit and vegetable shop in the picture below. Some parts of Sant Elena are not accessible, the southeast of the island is a military area (navy).

Sant Elena Stadium

Unfortunately, the stadium has come a little over the years. FC Venice played in the lower leagues for a long time. However, the club has now risen twice behind each other and now plays (season 2017 /2018) in the 2. league in Italy (league B). For this class the club has a very small stadium. The Pier Luigi Penzo stadium has just 7,400 seats.

As there are no roads on Sant Elena, as in the whole old town of Venice, the outbound teams have to come by ship from the airport. By the way, not only cars and motorbikes, but also bicycles, roller skates and the like are forbidden on the whole island of Venice and thus also in Sant'Elena. The stadium is located in the east of Sant'Elena. Only the church and the marina (see below) are further east.

Church and marina

Behind the stadium is the large church of Sant Elena, worth seeing. As in most churches in Italy, the door is open during the day. The church is free of charge.

If you follow the footpath that turns left in front of the church, after a few metres you will find yourself in the marina of Venice. Here, you can look at hundreds of ships, often there are also some great luxury yachts. The modern port is called Marina Santelena or simply "Marina of Venice".

Park Sant Elena

There is a small city park directly at the ferry terminal of Sant Elena. Actually nothing special, but there are very few green areas in Venice. Thus, every small park is something special.

How to get to Sant Elena: on foot or by boat?

Of course you can walk to Sant Elena. But it is the part of the old town that is furthest away from Santa Lucia station (a little more than 4 km). You walk for at least an hour. Sant Elena is the easternmost part of Venice's old town. Nothing is more far from the train station or bus station.

This is of course too far for most visitors. They prefer the public transport water bus (Vaporetto). Sant Elena has its own jetty for water buses. Several lines dock here. It is the last station in Venice, the next station is already the island Lido di Venezia a few minutes later with many water buses.

Not too far it is from Sant Marco (Piazza San Marco etc.) to Sant Elena. The fastest way is always along the sea (south shore of the island Venice) direction east. If you walk fast, you can make it in less than half an hour. A trip with the water bus is of course faster and more pleasant.

Plan Venice with Sant Elena