Venice may be a densely built-up conglomeration of pilings, bricks, mortar and marble, but it is also in the middle of the water. The city is composed of 117 islands, and the grouping was, until the 19th century, completely cut off from the mainland a few miles away. If you go to the edge of the city, you are in another world, one in which water is pre-eminent. The visual effects, particularly in early morning and evening, can be stunning.

1. Isola San Michele

2. Sunset, Cannaregio

3. Sunset, Cannaregio

4. Sunset, Cannaregio

5. Sunset, Cannaregio

6. Sunset, Cannaregio