Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Venice & the Veneto
Why Go?
Pinch yourself, and you might expect to awaken from this dreamscape of pink palaces, teal
waters and golden domes. Instead you're in Venice, and all five senses never felt so alert.
Gondoliers call 'Ooooooeeee!' around canal bends, nostrils flare at fresh espresso wafting
from 250-year-old cafes, mouths water at cascades of purple artichokes on Rialto market
stalls, and everywhere, constantly, water gently laps at your feet.
Scan the Veneto coastline, and you might spot signs of modern life: beach resorts, malls
and traffic. But look closer and you'll also discover stately villas on the Brenta Riviera, and
newly restored masterpieces: Titians and Veroneses in Venice, Palladios and Tiepolos in Vi-
cenza, and Giottos in Padua.
This calls for a toast with local
prosecco
(sparkling wine) or cult wines from Valpolicella
and Soave. Elsewhere in Italy,
cin-cin
(cheers) will do - but in Veneto, raise your glass to
la bea vita
(the good life).
When to Go
Jan & Feb
Snow-covered gondolas, skiers on the Dolomites slopes and Carnevale partiers
in Venice.
