Castello is the largest sestiere in Venice, stretching east from San Marco to the tip of the island. It contains the Arsenale, Santi Giovanni e Paolo (San Zanipolo), and the Biennale gardens (Giardini), as well as Via Garibaldi, the widest street in Venice and one of the few places in the city centre that functions as a genuine neighbourhood high street.
The eastern end of Castello — beyond the Arsenale — is genuinely quiet, with few tourists and a slower pace. Families live here, children play in the campi, and the bars and restaurants serve local rather than tourist prices. The church of San Pietro di Castello, on its own island at the far end, was the cathedral of Venice until 1807, when San Marco took over; it now stands somewhat forlornly in a large campo that feels far removed from the tourist Venice of two kilometres away.