Veneto attractions

Home to the city’s town hall and other important buildings, Piazza Bra sits at the heart of life in Verona. The huge city square welcomes visitors from all around the world who come to stroll the wide expanse, enjoy a coffee or a meal at one of the al fresco restaurants, or attend one of the regular music performances held at the Verona Arena.

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.

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.

Back in the 13th century, the Venetian trader Marco Polo journeyed along Asia’s storied Silk Road and recorded tales of his adventures in a travelogue, The Travels of Marco Polo. Today, travelers and adventure-seekers pay tribute to his legacy by stopping by Marco Polo's Home (Casa di Marco Polo)—the site believed to be his family’s former residence. While the surrounding houses cannot be visited, the location is marked with a commemorative plaque.

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, its innovative emotional figures and bright colors marking the start of Venice’s High Renaissance.

Cannaregio is one of Venice’s largest and most populated districts. Best known as the city’s Jewish neighborhood, it’s home to several synagogues, as well as the striking Madonna dell’Orto Church (Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto), and the Renaissance beauty of Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli. In addition to admiring historical landmarks, you should come to see the canal-lined Fondamenta della Misericordia, where lively cafés, bars, and restaurants create the perfect atmosphere for bar-hopping and people-watching.

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.

Leap back in time at the prestigious, yet under-the-radar, Correr Museum (Museo Correr), which charts Venice’s history from early Renaissance times to around the 18th century. Paintings, sculptures, and artistic artefacts fill the space, which is split into different sections covering neoclassical rooms, Venetian culture, and a picture gallery. Lovers of Italian art history will find much of interest here, while those taking advantage of free entry with their Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) admission can explore Venice’s past.

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.

Peggy Guggenheim was a prolific art collector in the mid-20th century who lived by the motto “Buy a picture a day.” The native New Yorker eventually settled in an 18th-century palazzo in Venice along the Grand Canal. Her namesake museum, housed in her former home, grew from the artworks she amassed, and her ashes are interred in the garden. Today, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of the world’s most acclaimed museums of modern art.

Shrouded in legends of fairies, magic mirrors, and tears from a king, Lake Misurina (Lago di Misurina) in the eastern Belluno province is a lake that enchants you with stories and scenery. On calm weather days, its waters reflect the Dolomites’ most majestic mountains, including the Three Peaks of Lavaredo (Tre Cime). Its surroundings are launchpads for outdoor activities, enticing hikers, bikers, and winter sports enthusiasts from around the world.

Venice’s former Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto di Venezia) is one of the most fascinating and moving corners of the city. Found in the Cannaregio district of the city, it is the oldest Jewish ghetto in Europe; Jews from across Europe settled in this neighborhood for centuries. With Campo del Ghetto Nuovo at its center, the neighborhood is home to several 16th-century synagogues, the Jewish Museum, a small Holocaust memorial, and kosher restaurants and bakeries.

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.

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.

Padua is home to one of Italy’s greatest treasures of medieval art: the Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni). Decorated with an exquisite early-14th-century fresco cycle by Giotto—considered a masterpiece of Western art—the chapel was restored in 2002, and the frescoes were returned to their original magnificence.

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.

Topped by impressive domes and spires, the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua is the city’s most important church, attracting pilgrims from around the world. Its architecture blends Romanesque, Byzantine, and Gothic styles, with domes that echo St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Inside, visitors can explore richly decorated chapels, view sacred relics, and visit the Tomb of St. Anthony, while also exploring the collection of beautiful artwork.

San Polo is one of the oldest of Venice’s six districts, or sestieri, and home to many of the city’s most popular sites including the Rialto Bridge that connects San Polo to the San Marco side of the Grand Canal and the historic Rialto Market, a fascinating slice of Venetian life.

Considered one of the best hidden gems in Venice, the Bovolo Staircase (Scala Contarini del Bovolo) is an intricately designed spiral stairwell that boasts picturesque views over Venetian rooftops and canals. Drawing architecture enthusiasts from around the world, this staircase is part of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, a stunning palace once inhabited by one of the city’s most prominent noble families.

The Dorsodurosestiere (district) is home to some of Venice’s most impressive art collections, churches, and architecture, and the heart of this university neighborhood is lively Campo Santa Margherita. This large public square hosts an outdoor market during the day and is a hub of Venetian nightlife after the sun sets.

Linking the central San Marco and Dorsoduro districts of Venice, the pedestrian Accademia Bridge (Ponte dell’Accademia) is popular with visitors for its Grand Canal views and history. Created in the late 19th century, the structure was originally made from iron, which was replaced in the 1930s with wood reinforced by steel supports.

Porta Borsari is a white limestone gate that once marked an entrance point into the Italian city of Verona. With two arched entrances and two sets of windows above, it’s a lasting example of the impressive scale of Roman monumental architecture.

Housing what many consider the finest art collection in Venice, the Accademia Gallery (Gallerie dell’Accademia) showcases Venetian artworks dating from the 14th century to the 18th century. Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is the collection’s most famous—not to mention fragile—work. This popular institution showcases works from many Venetian painters that best capture the spirit of the Floating City, and is a must for art lovers.

Santa Lucia Station (Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia) is Venice’s main train station and principal transport hub that serves as a gateway to the island city, where many visitors catch their first glimpse of La Serenissima. While its modernist design doesn’t resemble the typical look of Venice, its location in the Cannaregio district means that local highlights are just a vaporetto (water bus) away.

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.

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.

Bordered to the north by the Grand Canal and to the south by the Giudecca Canal, this southern sestriere is a historic one, home to a cluster of art-filled churches, bridges, and palazzi—not to mention the island of Giudecca. Dorsoduro’s vibe is both young and touristic, in part due to the students who attend the Ca’Foscari University and visitors attracted by Dorsoduro’s cultural clout. The Gallerie d’Accademica and Peggy Guggenheim Museum are among its draws.

Sitting high above one of Venice’s most famous squares, the 15th-century St. Mark’s Clock Tower has marked the time in the city for over 500 years. Its blue-and-gold dial and bronze bell-striking Moors statues make it a popular photo spot, but there’s more to discover. Climb the narrow staircase past the intricate clock mechanism to reach the rooftop terrace, where you can see panoramic city views.

Had Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet ended happily ever after, the two may have wed in Verona’s beautiful 12th-century cathedral; and, in fact, travelers flock to the duomo on Romeo and Juliet-themed tours. The mix of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance elements make this one of the most beautiful churches in Verona.

Don’t be fooled by the understated exterior of Venice’s Madonna dell’Orto Church (Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto). A collection of masterpieces by Tintoretto, one of the Floating City’s most important Renaissance painters, hangs inside this 14th-century church. Tintoretto lived near the church in the mid-1500s and was buried here in 1594.