Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE VENETO
Most visitors to the Veneto devote all their time to Venice itself, which is perfectly under-
standable - until you discover the rich variety of experiences that await just an hour or two
away.
First, there are the city-states Venice annexed in the 15th century: Padua (Padova), with
its pre-Renaissance fresco cycles; Vicenza, with Palladio's peerless architecture; and Ver-
ona, with its sophisticated bustle atop ancient Roman foundations. All are easily reached by
train from Venice.
Then there are the wines, in particular, Valpolicella's bold Amarones. In a party mood?
The hills around Conegliano produce Italy's finest bubbly: Prosecco Superiore. For harder
stuff, charming Bassano del Grappa obliges with its own eponymous firewater.
On the rare day when the Adriatic wipes Venice clean of its mists, you can catch
glimpses of the snowcapped Dolomites. It's hard to believe, but in less than two hours you
can go from canals to the crisp Alpine clarity of Belluno and Cortina d'Ampezzo - land of
idyllic hikes, razor-sharp peaks and the world's most fashion-conscious skiing.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Brenta Riviera
Every 13 June for 300 years, summer officially kicked off with a traffic jam along the
Grand Canal, as a flotilla of fashionable Venetians headed to their villas along the banks of
the Brenta. Every last ball gown and poker chair was loaded onto barges for dalliances that
stretched until November. The party ended when Napoleon arrived in 1797, but 80 villas
still strike elegant poses along the Brenta and four of them are now open as museums.
BRENTA BY BIKE
Speed past tour boats along 150km of cycling routes along the Brenta Riviera.
Veloce
( 346 84 71
14;
www.rentalbikeitaly.com
; Via Gramsci 85, Mira; touring/mountain bicycle per day €20/25;
8am-8pm) offers a pick-up and drop-off service at railway stations and hotels in many Veneto towns,
including Padua, Venice and Mira. City and mountain bikes are available, along with GPS units pre-
loaded with multilingual Brenta itineraries (€10).
