Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day Trips from Venice
See where Venetian elites gambled away their summers in Palladian-style villas.
This vibrant university town is also a treasure trove of fresco cycles from its medieval golden age.
Palladio's adopted home is defined by the architect's classical restraint, while the countryside is dotted with his elegant
villas.
Share a glass of
prosecco
with hardworking locals in one of the Veneto's most under-appreciated areas.
Romeo and Juliet might have been fictional, but Verona's real history is evidenced by its Roman arena, Romanesque
churches and Renaissance gardens.
Valpolicella yields up some of Italy's biggest, boldest reds. Soave is synonymous with crisp whites.
Riviera Brenta
Explore
For centuries, summer officially started on 13 June as a flotilla of fashionable Venetians
headed for their summer residences along the banks of the Brenta. There were once over
3000 villas in the Venetian hinterland, built between the 15th and the 18th century; now
fewer than 80 survive and of those four are open as museums, including Palladio's exquis-
ite La Malcontenta and the grand Villa Pisani. They can be seen in a day, especially on a
river cruise aboard the traditional
burchiello
. If on your own, note that sites are scattered,
so cars are a better option than trains - this very flat country also begs for biking. If you de-
cide to linger, seek shelter in a villa-turned-B&B - or spend the night in nearby Padua,
where the cruise ends.
