Venice & The Veneto
Venice, Piazza San Marco
The Veneto extends west of Venice on the sea to Lake Garda and north to the Dolomite mountains.
Venice glitters with colour: the Grand Canal’s still splendid palaces, the gold and mosaics in San Marco Basilica.
Love art? The Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim Collection are musts. The Accademia showcases 14th to 18th century Venetian art. Guggenheim’s 20th century art collection in her former Grand Canal palazzo dazzles you with works by Picasso, Chagall and more.
Want to eat like Venetians? Head to small, casual bars and trattorias where locals enjoy drinks and small plates of seafood, vegetables or soups.
In The Veneto
If you love architecture, stop in Vicenza, famous for Palladio’s basilicas, palaces and villas, all in one big UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Verona, imagine sitting outside in its Roman theatre with 30,000 opera fans on a summer night seeing Aida! If you’re romantic, visit Juliet’s balcony and serenade your love. In Verona’s heart, market stalls and splendid Baroque palaces line lively Piazza delle Erbe.
Lake Garda’s beautiful lake and mountain scenery, great wines and fine olive oil make it very popular. Charming towns include Bardolino famous for its wine and Riva di Garda for hiking paths and windsurfing.
Cuisine
Sample dishes: tagliatelle with radicchio, seafood risotto, sardines in a tangy marinade, veal meatballs with potato, radicchio or eggplant.
Wines
Seventeen D.O.C. areas produce top wines like Bardolino, Valpolicella, Soave, Prosecco and Amarone.
Some Events
Flamboyant Venice Carnival in February
Spring of Prosecco, March to June in Conegliano area towns with tastings, special dinners, sporting events.
Venice Biennale, huge contemporary art shows in odd numbered years June to September
Verona Opera Festival, mid June to early September in the Roman arena
Bardolino Grape Festival, first Sunday in October, to celebrate the harvest. Many grape harvest festivals happen throughout the Veneto in the fall.
Getting There & Away
Fly into Venice’s airport or the airport near Verona. The fastest train to/from Venice gets you to Bologna in 1 hour 20 minutes, Florence in two hours and Milan in 2 ½ hours. All have international airports.
Weather
Venice and Verona Temperatures:
Winter December 3-8 C, 37-46 F, January 1-6 C, 34-43 F, February 2-8 C, 36-46 F
Spring March 5-12 C, 41-54 F, April 10-17 C, 50-63 F, May 13-21 C, 50-63 F
Summer June 17-25 C, 63-77 F, July & August 19-27 C, 66-81 F
Fall September 16-24 C, 61-75 F, October 12-19 C, 54-66 F, November 7-12 C, 45-54 F
In Venice November to February weather is unpredictable with rain, cold winds and fog. Until Carnival, few tourists go. From October to March Venice often floods so bring rubber boots.
In both Venice and Verona, best times to come are spring and fall, when it’s milder, sunny, not too hot and less crowded. Veneto summers can be very hot and in Venice, quite humid.
Mama Margaret’s Tours in the Veneto
None yet!
Why not explore the Veneto before or after your Italian cooking school and wine tours in nearby Piedmont or Bologna with Mama Margaret?
If your trip begins or ends in Venice, you could easily travel to Bologna about 2 ½ hours south by train.
