Things to do in Veneto

Top experiences in Veneto that you should never miss

 1. Experience Venice – one of Italy's most magnificent city

“To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius.”Alexander Herzen

Open your eyes, marvel at the masterpieces, get around in a gondola, then relax with a gelato, because you are about to explore one of the most enchanting places in Italy – Venice. Once you get the chance to travel to this wonderful place, keep in mind the next top things to do, in order to feel the real Venetian experience.

See the three most important sights located in one square:

• Stay in the middle of the piazza San Marco, breathe and take as many photos as you can. This is a truly unique experience and the views are breathtaking. Napoleon referred to the piazza San Marco as the ‘drawing room of Europe'.
• You must visit St Mark's Basilica which is the living testimony of Venice's links with Byzantium.
• Doge's Palace is the political and judicial hub and Torre dell'Orologio is the well known tower built between 1496 and 1506, representing the main attractions located in this square.

Get around the town in a gondola:

• A trip to Venice would not be complete without a punt down to one of the city’s picturesque waterways, in an iconic gondola. Don't forget your camera because the experience is unique in so many ways.

Drink like a Venetian

• To the usual Italian breakfast, light snacks, pastries and alcoholic beverages routine, Venice contributes its own specialties: the ombra and the spritz. The former is a tiny glass of wine – bianco or rosso – which is knocked back in no time and is often the whole point of a giro di ombre – an ombra-crawl around selected bacari (the accent is on the first ‘a’). A spritz is an aperitivo of white wine, Campari and a shot of seltzer or sparkling water; a sweeter version is made with low-alcohol Aperol. Also flowing freely into Venetian glasses are prosecco, the bubbly white made in the hills of the Veneto region, and spento, a bubble-free version of the same wine.

2. The home of Romeo and Juliet – Verona – a romantic city that must be on your wish-list

Verona still feels like its Shakespearean legacy, a splendid destination, with lots of ancient corners and a lot of romanticism. Also called the city of love, here you will find the well known place of the famous tragedy. Besides the popular balcony, here are some of the things not to be missed in Verona.

Piazza delle Erbe

• This beautiful square is right at the heart of Verona’s historic center. Take in the beautiful architecture of the square, including the town hall (on the north side), with its impressive Torre dei Lamberti, the intricately frescoes walls of the Mazzanti houses, the Palazzo Maffei, completed in the Baroque style (recognized by its statues of the Greek gods) and the oldest piece in the square: the fountain.

Juliet's Balcony

• Hidden only a few hundred meters away from Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet’s balcony is the reason most tourists flock to Verona, the city of tragic love stories. Shakespeare did indeed take inspiration for his famous play from a true story of family rivalry, forbidden love and feuding, all of which happened in Verona during the 1300's. The names Montecchi and Capuleti (from which we get the Capulets and Montagues) were at the time genuine rival political factions and it is possible to visit their respective houses as well. The love story between Romeo and Juliet has long been popular in Verona and Shakespeare was just one of many playwrights to jump on the bandwagon and put his own spin on it.

Verona Arena

• This gigantic piece of Roman architecture is situated in the comically named Alexander Herzen and is truly unmissable, not least because it’s so big. From June to September the arena plays host to the Arena Opera Festival, featuring famous operas such as Orff’s Carmina Burrana and Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

In addition to these lovely and unique attractions, we also recommend:

Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua

• Padua's version of the Sistine Chapel – the Cappella degli Scrovegni, houses one of Italy's great Renaissance masterpieces – a striking cycle of Giotto frescoes. Dante, da Vinci and Vasari all honour Giotto as the artist who ended the Dark Ages with these 1303–1305 paintings, whose humanistic depiction of biblical figures was especially well suited to the chapel Enrico Scrovegni commissioned in the memory of his father.

The Cathedral in Treviso

• Treviso Cathedral is undoubtedly the most impressive structure in the city and is crowned with five huge green domes. The cathedral is located in the northern part of the historic town center and is easily reached on foot from the Piazza dei Signori. At the western edge of the Cathedral, the entrance features a columned portico that looks more like an ancient Roman temple rather than a 15th century church. Aside from the portico, the exterior is quite reserved and simplistic, but the interior features some gorgeous artwork and frescoes.

To travel is to live … Once you get to Veneto open your eyes, follow your heart and collect each and every memory!

VILLAS IN VENETO