As well as the Sestiere of Castello it is the largest and populated quarter of the city, it takes the whole northern part of the city, it is delimited by the Lagoon, the Grand Canal and the Castello and Saint Mark Sestiere. The Cannaregio canal is the most important water way of the quarter right after the Grand Canal and it is the only inner canal crossed by the ACTV (public transport company) boats. Also Cannaregio is linked to the mainland by a bridge, it is the long railroad bridge from the Santa Lucia Train station to the mainland.

Its name come probably by the fact that here there where many reed thicket. This appear also on a book date 1410. This is a popular quarter of Venice, well know for the presence of the Jewish getto (the oldest in Europe). The majority of the operas in this part of the city can be admired inside  churches.