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Veneto

What’s so special?

Venice! This magical city of canals is unlike any other and really is something that should be on the top of every traveler’s bucket list. It truly is one of the greatest cities on the planet, with a life, flavor, and spectacle all its own. But there is more to the Veneto beyond its famous lagoon city. From the majesty of the Dolomite mountains to the eastern shores of Lake Garda, the beauty of Italy is on full display across the region. Several small but unmissable cities rich in art and history – such as Padua, Verona, and Vincenza – are also must-visits. And for those who love wine, particularly sparkling wine, this is one of the two regions where Prosecco is produced. So, grab a glass and toast la dolce vida!

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About the Veneto

The Veneto is Italy’s most visited region—largely due to Venice—and accounts for about a fifth of all tourism in Italy. The region sits at the end of the Adriatic Sea, at the northeast corner of “the boot.” It is quite diverse geographically, with coastal beaches giving way to the fertile plains of the Po River valley and the rolling vineyard-covered hills, until you reach the iconic teeth-like Dolomite Mountains on the Italian side of the Alps.  

 

The region is rich in history, particularly given that Venice was one of the strongest Italian city-states during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, controlling much of Northeast Italy and extending along the Adriatic Sea, all the way to Greece. As a maritime republic, it was Europe’s gateway to the East and the region was well connected with a diverse collection of cultures, foods, languages, and goods. That heritage has left its imprint on the region in ways not seen in other parts of Italy.

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While Italian is the official language and English is widely spoken, given its robust tourism sector, the local Venetian dialect is strong throughout the region, with local variations, depending on the area.

Getting Around

The region’s three main international airports are in Venice, Treviso, and Verona, making it easily accessible from abroad. Venice’s cruise port, which moved from the city center to the mainland industrial port in 2021, is also a major access point for those arriving by cruise ship, while ferries from neighboring Croatia and Slovenia still dock in Venice proper.

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Within Venice, public transportation is by vaporetto (a ferry bus that follows set routes), though luxurious private water taxis and gondolas are also available.

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Venice and Padua are well-connected with the rest of Italy via the national rail system, while regional trains connect major cities and towns throughout the region. There’s also a good intercity bus system. Private tours or car rentals are probably best for those looking to explore the Prosecco Hills.

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Major Cities and Towns

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  • Venice: It is no exaggeration to call Venice one of the most beautiful cities in the world. While over-tourism and summer heat can leave some visitors and locals a bit cranky, this is truly a magical city to explore in the shoulder seasons and winter, when crowds are thinner and spending the day outdoors feels less oppressive. Home to the world’s most glamorous Carnival Festival, this city of masks, canals, and gondolas drips with romance and the celebration of life. The city is also home to some of the world’s most important works of art from Renaissance realism to abstract modernism. The nearby islands of Murano and Burano are great day trips well worth taking.
     

  • Vicenza: The entire city of Vicenza was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021 for its architectural wonders. The city is synonymous with Andrea Palladio, the architect whose marriage of ancient Greek forms, living spaces, and Renaissance aesthetic has many believing he was the greatest architect who ever lived. The city is an open-air museum to his work.
     

  • Verona: The hometown of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is another one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, filled with medieval fortifications and Renaissance palaces. The Roman arena, one of the best preserved in the world, dominates the main square. It is a perfect place to imagine what it was like to be a gladiator or to attend a modern concert. Yet, for many, just wandering the historic old town and imagining the places where the world's most famous star-crossed lovers may have exchanged hidden moments makes for a very romantic experience.
     

  • Padua: Home to one of Europe’s oldest and most venerated universities, Padua is a bustling college town set in a fairytale city of frescoes. The city is a famous mixture of science, art, food, and culture that won't disappoint.
     

  • Treviso: This charming town moves at a slow and relaxing pace, making it the perfect gateway to the Prosecco hills spralling just to the north. The medieval historic center is crisscrossed by a series of canals and bridges interlacing the two rivers that pass through the city. It feels like an inland provincial Venice, just without the gondolas or ocean air.
     

  • Marostica: Known as the City of Chess, this small medieval town is famous for its celebration of the strategic game. Every two years, it hosts a festival featuring a life-sized chess match in which real people move around a giant chess board in the town square, reenacting a real-life duel of wits between two nobles vying for the hand of a local maiden. When the festival is not in session, this charming town has a well-preserved city wall connecting upper and lower castles along the hill overlooking the town, providing a scenic trail for visitors to explore. Marostica is also famous for cherries, which burst into season every spring.
     

  • The Towns of Lake Garda: Lake Garda is a great alternative to the more popular Lake Como in neighboring Lombardy, with stellar natural beauty and innumerable outdoor activities. The town of Peschiera del Garda is set on several small islands at the base of Lake Garda and is famous for its fortress and city walls, which were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017. While some find it a bit commercial, it’s a great jumping off point for exploring the entire lake region. Torri del Benaco is another lakeside town, 30 minutes to the north, and is home to another impressive castle and miles of hiking trails along cliffs overlooking the lake. Nearby Malcesine is a picturesque town of winding cobblestone streets set between the blue lake and the sharp ridge of Mount Baldo.
     

  • Belluno: This gorgeous city nestled at the base of the Dolomite Mountains is the perfect staging point for those headed north for dynamic hiking treks or world-class skiing. The Celts called it the “splendid city” due to its fairytale-like natural surroundings.

Food and Wine

Veneto’s cuisine is a story of its history as a sea and trading power. Staples of modern Venetian dishes, such as polenta, beans, cod, and rice, all had their origins in lands in the Far East, the New World, or the North Atlantic. Yet, these simple ingredients sored to new heights with their integration into the cuisine of a city-state that is famous for mixing the greatest parts of other cultures to create something all its own.

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Unlike the rest of Italy, pasta is not a mainstay of Veneto’s cuisine, although it is easily accessible if that’s what you want. There is a local pasta, bigoli, that is made from buckwheat and resembles a thick spaghetti. But it’s not as central to the regional cuisine as rice-based risottos or creamy polenta are. And as you might expect for a once grand ocean-going trading empire, seafood is where Veneto’s cuisine really shines. Shellfish is bountiful and common fish dishes include sea bass, bream, and the lagoon’s own black goby.

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But like all things in the Veneto, the rich diversity in its land creates regional favorites and local specialties. For example, in the Dolomite mountains, you’ll find pastin – sausages flavored with wine and herbs that is served either with polenta or as a sandwich – or casunziei, a beet-filled pasta. In the fertile plains around Padua, Vicenza, and Treviso, you’ll find wide selections of produce, including radicchio, peas, and asparagus, which are all local favorites. Meat lovers will also find plenty of options, particularly in and around Padua, where oca in onto padovana (aged, salted goose), gallina padovana (local chicken), sfilacci di cavallo (thin dried horsemeat) are popular.

 

For dessert, the classic coffee and mascarpone dessert known as tiramisu originated in Treviso. Another sweet favorite is pandoro, a classic Veronese brioche-like golden cake dusted with sugar.

 

In terms of wine, the Veneto is one of only two Italian regions legally allowed to produce the sparkling wine called prosecco (the other being neighboring Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where the town of Prosecco sits.) Prosecco is popular the world over, given that it’s quicker fermenting technique coupled with quality grapes make it a generally cheaper and more accessible sparkling wine than champagne or cava. Prosecco also use to be the name of the grape used to make it, but the grape’s name was changed to Glera in 2009. This was to prevent other countries from claiming they produced "prosecco" too, simply because the used the same grapes.

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While prosecco gets a lot of attention, it is far from the only wine important in the Veneto. Some classic Veneto white wines include the fragrant and mild Soave and Gambellara, each produced with the locally grown Garganega grape. The primary indigenous red grapes are Corvina and Rodinella, which are used to produce the velvety Valpolicella, the dense and rich Amarone, and lighter Bardolino.

 

The unofficial cocktail of Venice is the spritz. It’s a mix of 1/3 prosecco, 1/3 sparkling water, and 1/3 Aperol (a bright and slightly herbaceous orange liqueur) or Campari (a deep red blood orange liqueur with pleasantly bitter notes). This thoroughly refreshing drink is perfect for watching the sun go down. The original Venetian version of the spritz used a deep ruby red local liqueur called Select, which has strong juniper and herb flavors. So, if you see that on the menu while in the Veneto, give it a try, since it’s harder to find outside the region.

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Must See and Do

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  • Wander the alleys of Venice’s back canals and get lost in the mystical setting of this masterpiece of urban design and marine engineering.
     

  • Take an elegant water taxi or ride in an iconic gondola at least once to explore Venice from the water.
     

  • Gaze on the impressive art throughout Venice, including masterpieces by Donatello, Titian, and Bellini at the Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
     

  • Relax, swim, or boat along the shores of Lake Garda.
     

  • Hike to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Crown, an impressive church suspended on the cliff-face of Mount Baldo, near Malcesine on Lake Garda.
     

  • Taste some incredible sparkling wines right at the source, including the king of sparkling wines: Prosecco! There are multiple wine routes worth exploring.
     

  • Nature lovers should head to the Dolomites for skiing in the winter and epic hiking trails through several national parks when the weather is warmer.
     

  • Take a trip to Slovenia or Croatia via ferry (trips are 2-3 hours, depending on the port, but many are in the evening, so would require an overnight stay).

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