Veneto attractions

Italy’s Amalfi Coast may be the capital of la dolce vita, but Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) has its own brand of effortless elegance that has attracted celebrities and artists for centuries. Ringed by steep alpine foothills, tiny spa towns, and vineyards, the lake offers a heady mix of languid leisure and cosmopolitan flair.

Historically, Piazza dei Signori (also known as Piazza Dante in honor of the poet’s statue in the square center) was the civic and political heart of Verona, and is still home to the Loggia del Consiglio, the former city hall. Lined by medieval palaces and elegant arches, this square is a vibrant local gathering place.

As poignant as it is beautiful, Venice’s 17th-century, white-limestone Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) spans the narrow Rio di Palazzo canal between the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) and the New Prisons just opposite. It’s one of the most famous bridges in the Floating City.

Of the many historic opera houses in Italy, few are more legendary than Venice’s Teatro La Fenice. Opened in 1792, the theater quickly became a major venue for opera and ballet. Today you can view the sumptuous 19th-century-style interiors during a musical or dance performance, or join a guided tour of the theater.

To get a glimpse into authentic Venice, a visit to the city’s historic outdoor Rialto Fish Market (Mercato di Rialto) is a must. Venetians have been purchasing their fish and seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, and other foods at the Rialto Market since 1097, making it one of the most long-lived aspects of daily life in the Floating City.

With its ornate facade and towering dome, the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute is one of the most beautiful sights along Venice’s Grand Canal. Known simply as La Salute, the church dominates the mouth of the canal and its steps seem to rise directly from the water, inviting visitors to explore its soaring interior.

The largest square in Italy isn’t in Rome or Florence, but in the charming northern city of Padua. A turn through the oval-shaped Prato della Valle, considered one of the most beautiful public spaces in Italy, to admire its grassy central island encircled by an elegant statue-lined canal, is a must while visiting Padua.

In a quiet corner of Venice ,the Venetian palace (palazzo) believed to be explorer Marco Polo’s former residence is easy to miss. Stop by Corte Seconda del Milion, a square named for Marco Polo's travel memoirs, Il Milione, to honor Italy's most famous adventurer while visiting the Floating City.

Tucked away from the crowded piazzas of Venice, Campo Santa Maria Formosa is a charming little square in the Castello district. With a handful of cafés, a co-op market, and local shops, Campo Santa Maria Formosa offers a nice reprieve from the tourist hustle of Venice and allows a glimpse into local life.

Commemorating the influential Della Scala family, the Scaliger tombs are a series of five Gothic funerary monuments found outside the Santa Maria Antica church in Verona. Dating back to the 14th century, the monuments are famous for their elaborate decoration.

Verona’s largest church, the impressive brick facade of Basilica di Sant'Anastasia has been a fixture of the city for hundreds of years. Located in the historical center, it’s also one of the city’s finest examples of Italian Gothic architecture.

Cannaregio is the largest and most populated of Venice’s six central districts (sestieri). Home to the Jewish ghetto, the art-filled Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto, the Renaissance Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and the restaurant-lined Fondamenta de la Misericordia, Cannaregio offers something for everyone.

Spanning the Adige River on the northern edge of the city, Ponte Pietra reflects Verona’s remarkable history. This stone-and-brick footbridge was built by Romans in 100 BC and remained largely intact until several of its arches were blown up during World War II. Today, the reconstructed bridge is one of Verona’s top attractions.

A must for oenophiles, the rolling hills of Valpolicella are one of Italy’s most important wine-producing areas. With its temperate microclimate, this stretch of countryside just west of Venice has been home to vineyards since the time of the ancient Greeks, and today produces the most DOC-classified wine in Italy after Chianti.  

Sitting high above St. Mark’s Square and visible from the Grand Canal, the remarkable clock in St. Mark’s Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) has served as Venice’s official timepiece for more than 500 years. Touring this historic symbol of the city is a highlight of any visit, not least for the sweeping views from the top of the tower.

A symbol of Verona, the 14th-century Castelvecchio Bridge (Ponte Scaligero) spanning the Adige River had the largest supporting arch span in the world when it was completed in 1356. The original was destroyed during World War II, but a new bridge was rebuilt with the same red-brick crenellations as its predecessor.

Dedicated to the art and history of Venice, the Correr Museum (Museo Correr) holds objects from the city’s past, including neoclassical sculptures, books, medallions, documents, paintings, musical instruments, and Greek and Roman statues. Located in the ornate palaces lining St. Mark’s Square, the museum includes neoclassical rooms decorated in the period’s opulent style.

Castel San Pietro is a hilltop fortress in Verona. Built in the Austrian style in the 19th century and surrounded by cypress trees, it offers panoramic views of the city, including the Roman theater and the Adige river.

One of the most popular and prestigious museums in Venice, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of modern art provides a welcome contrast to Venice’s ornate Gothic and baroque art and architecture. A visit here is a must for any lover of 20th-century art.

Burial place of 25 Venetian doges and one of the largest churches in Italy, the Italian Gothic–style Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo is among the most important churches in the city. Known as San Zanipolo to locals, it is home to works by Bellini, Veronese, and two generations of Lombardo sculptors.

Old and new come together elegantly at Verona’s Castelvecchio, a historic castle renovated in the 1960s by visionary architect Carlo Scarpa, who paired glass panels, concrete, and metal grills with the surviving medieval stonework to create a striking museum for artworks by Bellini, Tiepolo, and Veronese.

Villa Pisani is considered the queen of the magnificent villas built between the 16th and 18th centuries by wealthy Venetians along the Brenta Riviera, and its original 114 rooms were an homage to its owner, the 114th Doge of Venice. Take a day trip from Venice to admire the sumptuous architecture and vast gardens.

The modest Italian Gothic exterior of Venice’s Frari Church (Basilica dei Frari) belies the wealth of Italian Renaissance masterpieces inside. Titian’sAssumption of the Virgin (1518) altarpiece is especially notable for innovative emotional figures and bright colors.

Prosecco has become one of the world’s most popular wines, and fans of this crisp bubbly will enjoy visiting the scenic hills just north of Venice where it has been produced from the glera grape for a millennium. Stop in a winery for a tasting and tour, and visit the pretty towns of Valdobbiadene, Conegliano, and Asolo.

Venice’s former Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto di Venezia) is one of the most fascinating and poignant corners of the Floating City. The oldest Jewish ghetto in Italy is home to a number of 16th-century synagogues, the Jewish Museum, a small Holocaust memorial, and kosher restaurants and bakeries.

Close to the grand canal, Campo San Bartolomeo leads to the east side of the Rialto Bridge. Named after Saint Bartholomew, one of the 12 Apostles, Campo San Bartolomeo is home to a church (also named after Saint Bartholomew) and a bronze statue of the 18th century Venetian comic playwright Carlo Goldoni.

Tucked down a Venice side street near the Grand Canal, Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is worth a detour for its Bovolo Staircase (Scala Contarini del Bovolo). Named for the Venetian word for snail, this spiral staircase—the most famous in Venice—is housed in a cylindrical tower with open arches that climbs the facade, offering beautiful views over the city.

Spanning the southern end of the Grand Canal between the Galleria dell’Accademia in Dorsoduro and Campo San Vidal in San Marco, the Accademia Bridge (Ponte dell'Accademia) is one of only four bridges crossing the canal. It’s the perfect vantage point to view the church of Santa Maria della Salute and the canal or observe the city’s Carnival festivities.

Piazza delle Erbe (Market Square) is the bustling heart of UNESCO World Heritage–listed Verona. Cafés and elegant buildings front the rectangular square, whose centerpiece is the 14th-century Madonna Verona Fountain (Fontana di Madonna Verona)—an allegory of the city topped by an ancient Roman statue of a female figure holding a scroll bearing the civic motto.

Venice is a patchwork of many islands in the Venetian Lagoon (Laguna Veneta), an enclosed bay on the Adriatic Sea that covers 212 square miles (549 square kilometers). After visiting the main Venetian islands, take a boat trip across the shallow lagoon to the outlying islands of Burano, Murano, and Torcello.