Holidays to The Veneto

• UNESCO World Heritage sites: The Veneto has six cultural sites listed which include the cities of Venice (and its Lagoon), Verona and Vicenza, the Palladian Villas of the Veneto, the Botanical Gardens of Padua and the majestic Dolomites.

• Andrea Palladio: The Renaissance architect Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known as ‘Palladio,’ was born in Padua in 1508. He is credited as being one of the most influential figures in the field of architecture. Three of his best known works are the Villas Barbaro, Foscari (La Malcontenta) and La Rotonda.

• Aperitivo: The concept of having an aperitivo took off in the 1920s. A common tipple in the north is the Aperol Spritz, an Italian aperitif cocktail consisting of prosecco, Aperol and soda water

• Cappella degli Scrovegni: Located in the centre of Padua, the Scrovegni chapel’s interior is entirely covered with beautiful frescoes depicting the life of Christ. Painted by the Florentine artist Giotto and completed in 1305, it is one of the most important masterpieces of Western art.

• Caffè Pedrocchi: When in Padua take a break at this C19th coffee house and ask for the speciality - a Pedrocchi caffè, a perfect blend of sweet mint and bitter espresso coffee. A meeting place for intellectuals and academics over the year, even Lord Byron was a patron.

• Wines of the Veneto: Veneto is among the foremost wine-producing regions, both for quality and quantity. The most well-known are Bardolino, Valpolicella and Soave. The excellent white sparkling Prosecco and the rich red Amarone are not to be missed!

• Torre dei Lamberti: Climb the narrow clock tower (84m high) for fabulous views over the UNESCO World Heritage city of Verona. The tower has four bells of which the largest (Rengo) is used to call the population to arms or to invoke the city's councils.

• Did you know? Galileo discovered the Milky Way during his time in Padua. The arena in Verona is the third largest Roman amphitheatre in the world after Rome and Capua. Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites (49).

• Il Burchiello: Enjoy a full day river cruise that passes about fifty Venetian villas in bucolic surroundings and stop at three of the best: Villa Pisani, grandest of all; Villa Widmann, stunningly frescoed; and one of the oldest, the Palladian Villa Foscari built in 1558.

Airports. The Veneto region is served by three international airports.

Venice (Marco Polo) is the main airport which is connected by rail to the centre of Venice and receives scheduled airlines. There is also a regular bus service and taxi rank to Piazzale Roma, near Venice’s main train station (Santa Lucia). Alternatively, clients can get a vaporetto (regular boat service) or private boat to the centre.

Venice-Treviso, located 41km north of Venice, is used by charter airlines and is connected by rail to the centre of Venice (c.1 hour). There is also a regular bus service and taxi rank to Piazzale Roma, near Venice’s main train station (Santa Lucia).

Verona (Valerio Catullo or Villafranca) airport is located 10km southwest of Verona. It is conveniently located to access, by road, the cities of Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Lake Garda.

Trains

The Veneto region has an extensive rail network, through which you can reach almost any area of the region. The main artistic cities of the Veneto region are connected by frequent daily connections, ideal for pleasant day trips or multi-centre holiday.

Venice City Pass

Venezia Unica is the City Pass for Venice, an all-in-one pass to use for public transportation, admission to tourist attractions and cultural events in the city, and many other useful services.