Veneto - region in Italy
Veneto is a region in north-eastern Italy, with its capital in Venice. It was an independent republic until the invasion of Napoleon in 1797.
Regions
It is composed of 7 provinces:
Cities
- Venice - with St. Mark's Square, the Great Lagoon, the gondolas on the Grand Canal, Venice's Carnival together with great architecture, artistic masterpieces, particular narrow streets, the Biennale, the Marine Republic, but Veneto is not only Venice.
- Castelfranco Veneto - is a walled city, with its medieval castle still in nearly-perfect condition.
- Cortina d'Ampezzo - in the province of Belluno, is part of the Veneto as well. A place with spectacular views of the Dolomites where you can relax and walk in summer and go skiing in winter. The Olympic Wintergames in 1956 helped Cortina d'Ampezzo to become a city known anywhere in the world.
- Padova , the ancient and learned city with its Basilica del Santo that houses the relics of Saint Antonio is one of the major attraction points for millions of pilgrims every year.
- Rovigo
- Verona - The city of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. If you plan to go to Verona you should at least try to get one of the rare tickets for the opera in the Arena.
- Vicenza
- Treviso
Other destinations
- Lido di Venezia 10 minutes from Venice, the golden beach
- Bibione - seaside town
- Eraclea - seaside town close to Jesolo
- Jesolo - large seaside town near to Venice
- Quarto d'Altino - situated about 15 minutes, by train, from Venice's main island
- Valpolicella - world famous wine region north of Verona
- Lake Garda - the largest Italian lake, and a well known tourist destination
Understand
Talk
English is not widely spoken, even in tourist areas, but many young people speak a decent level of it, and many Italians will go out of their way to help you even if you don't speak their language. Venetian is the traditional language of the region, though these days, all Venetian speakers are also able to speak Italian.
Get in
The Veneto region is well connected, with 3 international airports in Venice, Verona and Treviso with dozens of airlines flying in.
International trains travel to Venice and Verona.
Get around
Train travel is comfortable, safe and cheap and reaches small towns as well as big cities. Info and tickets at the Trenitalia website.
Bus companies mainly operate only within their provinces and connect each provincial capital with the surrounding towns.
See
There is a lot to see in the region, including art and culture in the cities and Lake Garda with stunning towns.
Do
Activities in the region include hiking and skiing in the Alps, going to beaches and wine and food tours.
Get a map of Venice with the water bus routes. You can see major parts of the city just by getting on and traveling the canals around the major islands.
Just sit in St Marks Square and watch the pigeons, listen to the music, watch the people go by.
Be careful about the time of year you go to see Venice. It is under water sometimes (mainly in November). Planks are put out to walk on when the sidewalks are not walkable. If you go at the right time of the year, it is a beautiful city and well worth the trip.
Buy
Venetian glass is beautiful, still made and for sale.
Eat
The regional food reflect the humble times of the early 20th century with the so-called "cucina povera" (poor food kitchen). Despite this the food is still great and varies greatly between provinces. In Venice you will find food focused on fish while on the northern part of the region it will be more traditional with influences from the Alps.
Drink
Aperol spritz is a must in Veneto while the region is also famous for its excellent wines.
Grappa is also a must try, a strong but smooth digestive to have it after dinner. It is served as a shot but is better to sip, as it is quite strong.
Stay safe
The region is very safe. The only people that may bother you are the ones at the bigger train stations asking for change or "helping" you at the automated train ticket machines for a fee (usually 50p or 1 euro).
Driving is perfectly safe, despite the reputation, and roads are well maintained. Motorways are perfect for long distances movement but somewhat expensive (0.10-0.20 cent per km).
Do not drive under the influence of alcohol as the fines are really expensive.
Like everywhere in Italy, it is customary to order at least a coffee if you want to use the toilet in a bar.