Little Venice (Kleines Venedig) is the network of canal streets west of the castle, built in the seventeenth century to house the officials and courtiers of the ducal court. The channels are branches of the Oker river, and the rows of half-timbered houses reflected in the still water give the neighbourhood its nickname. It is one of the most photogenic corners of the town.
The streets here are quiet and residential; there are no shops or restaurants to speak of, just the houses and the canals. It is best experienced in the early morning or late afternoon when the light catches the facades. The Kleines Schloss (Small Palace), a secondary ducal building, sits at the edge of the neighbourhood and can be viewed from outside.