Venice—Quiet spaces even in August?

The worst crowds will always be at P San Marco and the pedestrian route from there to the train station
Also Rialto Bridge area

Get up early to visit San Marco or go later at night once day trippers are gone
Go to Rialto market early
Rest of day just wander away from those areas in the little alleys and canals and you’ll be fine and that is where the Venetian magic is- get lost.

Oh thank-you, that makes me feel much better. Are there any places that you like in particular?

If you have enough time, take a picnic to Certosa, which is on the vaporetto line from Osperdale to Lido. Heaps of grssed open space, very few people, a bar and maybe some rabbits running around. You can also get a light meal. Tell the vaporetto boatman you want to get off there.

The other relatively unknown thing in Venice is the Hospital Library. A glorious room with great displays.
Also the cafe and garden at the Querini Stampalia Foundation. My favourite spot in Venice.

Thank you Aussie. The picnic option is right up our alley and will be lovely mid-day! All of the ideas have been noted—and we love to nip in to little cafes associated with museums and gardens.

At the Querini, the garden and exhibition aces were renovated to the designof Carlo Scarpa, Venice’s best known modern archi. It is both stunning and intimate, the way the building accomodates high tides and aqua alta.

If the Querini grabs you, have alook at the Olivetti showroom in the Piazza, also done by Scarpa. He was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Japanese architecture, both evident in the showroom. North side of the Piazza, to the left as you face Qudri. It is a little jewel box of a building.

The map in the article below shows the presence of pedestrians in the various Calle (streets) based on mobile phone tracking data. As you can see the crowds tend to concentrate on Piazza San Marco, Riva degli Schiavoni in front of the Giudecca Canal, Rialto Bridge, Frari, train station, Piazzale Roma, and the main streets (which more or less follow the grand canal) connecting these main landmarks.
https://www.avvenire.it/agora/pagine/big-data
As you move away from that corridor, the City is actually fairly desert. Get a good map because in those areas you won’t find too many people to direct you to the right place.

Some out of the way interesting things.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/venice-italy/places

Thank-you everyone. The phone data map is amazing. and telling. I will plan accordingly!

Campo San Polo is quite nice. In fact, may of the Campo are relatively quiet outside of the dining hours.

Visit some of the many churches for some peace and quiet, along with some incredible art.

Go out to the far end of Castello, the Sant'Elena area. Park-like areas, nice family run bars and cafes, good views across the water, very few tourists.

We enjoyed staying in an apartment on the Via Giuseppe Garibaldi in Castello a few yards from the Canale di San Marco. Short walk to San Marco. Nice places to eat in Castello.

Also, visit the Scuola Dalmata di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni --- it has maybe the best Carpaccio including St. George & the dragon. Take binoculars because the huge paintings are high on the walls in a small room. On Calle dei Furlani in Castello.

An area that we liked that was not too busy one year in May was walking across the Accademia bridge to the Dorsoduro area to Zattere Fondamenta. We enjoyed pizza outside under a canopy on the waterfront at Ristorante Pizzeria Alle Zattere and also got gelato near there. It was a lovely area along the water.