Veneto attractions

Via Mazzini is Verona’s top shopping street. It’s lined with stores selling the latest fashions and chic cafes where you can sit and people watch over a creamy cappuccino. Leading from the central square Piazza Bra to the Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s balcony) it connects some of the city’s main sights.

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.

The 15th-century Scuola Grande di San Rocco is one of Venice’s most important Renaissance attractions, famed for its stunning collection of Tintoretto’s works. The building houses some of the artist’s most celebrated paintings, alongside other notable pieces by a variety of artists, including Titian and Tiepolo. Visitors come here to explore over 60 paintings in opulent halls, making it a city highlight for art lovers.

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.

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.

Steps away from Piazza San Marco is one of Venice's most artistically dazzling places of worship, the Church of San Zaccaria. Looking out over a serene square, this hidden gem dates back to the 9th century, with a layer cake–like facade designed during the Venetian Renaissance. Inside, you’ll find a museum’s worth of art, including a striking altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini, and an eerie crypt that’s visitable despite being flooded for most of the year.

Verona Arena, the first-century Roman amphitheater on Piazza Bra is one of the city’s most famous sights, but Verona also boasts a pristine Roman Theater that is even older than the arena and is set on the banks of the River Adige. Visit the theater to see remains of the stage, stone seating (cavea), and loggia arcades.

In northeastern Italy, close to the Austrian border, the Dolomites form a stunning mountain range of jagged peaks, dramatic spires, and picturesque valleys. The Cinque Torri–a group of five tower-like rocks outside the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo—is one of the most famous attractions in the Dolomites and offers an array of outdoor recreation opportunities.

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.

Long connected to monastic orders and once home to a leper colony, the tiny, diamond-shaped island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni is most famous for its Armenian Catholic monastery. Home to monks of the Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro is a center for Armenian culture and boasts one of the world’s largest collections of Armenian manuscripts. Around the monastery, rose gardens offer views of the nearby Lido island.

With its multi-colored marble facade and striking round windows, the small yet beautiful Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli) is one of the most important examples of early Renaissance architecture in Venice. Built in the late 15th century to honor a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary, it showcases the spectacular work of architect Pietro Lombardo. It’s also considered a highlight of the historic Cannaregio neighborhood.

Along Venice’s Grand Canal, the Ca' d'Oro—or House of Gold, named for the gold-leaf decorations that once adorned its exterior—is sure to catch your eye. Also known as Palazzo Santa Sofia, this 15th-century masterpiece has one of the city’s finest Venetian Gothic facades, with multicolored marble friezes that reflect brilliantly against the water. Inside is the lavish art collection of previous owner Giorgio Franchetti, who donated the palace to the state.

Italy has a host of hot springs, many used as natural thermal baths since ancient Roman times. Among these historic spa destinations is the town of Abano Terme, the largest hot spring resort in Europe. Take a relaxing day trip from Venice to visit Abano Terme, set in the Euganean Hills with natural thermal waters as hot as 176°F (80°C).

Overlooking the Grand Canal, Ca’ Rezzonico is one of Venice’s most stunning palaces, offering a glimpse into the city’s Golden Age. An outstanding example of 18th-century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and decor, the palace dazzles with Murano-glass chandeliers, gilded furniture, and rich silk tapestries. There are also paintings by renowned Venetian masters, including Francesco Guardi, and opulent interiors.

The striking St. Zeno Maggiore Church (Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore) is just as famous for its pink-and-white pastel color scheme as it is for hosting the marriage scene in Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet. A lasting example of Romanesque architecture, the building—parts of it, at least—dates back to the 9th century AD.

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.

Santa Croce is one of Venice’s six central districts (sestieri); it’s often overlooked by tourists, although it is well worth a visit. The area is home to Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio—one of the city’s prettiest squares—alongside elegant palaces, churches, and museums. It’s also where Venice’s busy Piazzale Roma bus station and vaporetto (water bus) hub is located, providing a convenient gateway to explore the city.

Piercing the sky high above Verona’s historic Piazza delle Erbe, the 12th-centuryLamberti Tower (Torre dei Lamberti) is one of the most eye-catching landmarks in this UNESCO-listed city. Climb 84 meters (275 feet) to the panoramic terraces and belfry at the top for 360-degree views over Verona’s historic center.

The Church of Santa Maria Formosa (Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa) dates back to the end of the 15th century, when it was built on a site that previously featured an earlier church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is known for its Renaissance and baroque architecture, including a campanile tower that looms over the adjacent square. An impressive collection of art is housed inside, along with an altarpiece of the Madonna and Child.

While today’s tourists escape bustling Venice on boat rides to the islands of Murano and Burano, the Floating City’s elite once flocked in the other direction to the Brenta Riviera. This meandering waterway flows from Padua into the Venetian Lagoon and is lined with the opulent second homes of Venice’s noble families. Surrounded by greenery, the villas, which date back to the 16th–18th centuries, provide a relaxing countryside atmosphere just a short distance from Venice.

Villa Barbaro (often known as Villa di Maser), masterpiece of 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, is one of the most striking of Veneto’s UNESCO-listed Palladian villas. This group of elegant patrician residences are scattered in the hills between Vicenza and Treviso, and make for a fascinating day trip from Venice.

One of the many magnificent villas constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries in the Veneto countryside, Villa Valmarana ai Nani is named for the 17 stone sculptures of dwarves that line the top of its garden wall, and its interior frescoes by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo are considered among their finest works.

Campo San Luca is a lively square in the heart of Venice, situated between the Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) and St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco). Surrounded by cafés, shops, and historic buildings, it’s a favorite spot for locals to meet and for travelers to take a break between sightseeing excursions. The steady flow of people makes it an ideal place for people-watching and soaking up the city atmosphere.

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.

Though less historical than Venice’s other notable landmarks, St. Mark’s Bell Tower (Campanile di San Marco) is just as much a symbol of the city as the nearby St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Rising over 300 feet (99 meters) above St. Mark’s Square, this 20th-century tower is one of the tallest buildings in the city with spectacular panoramic views of the Venetian islands and lagoon.

The Venice Lido (Lido di Venezia), a long stretch of sand in the Venetian Lagoon, offers visitors something different from the typical sightseeing experience. This barrier island is an easy escape for a quick beach break, round of golf, gentle bike ride, or leisurely meal. The island is just minutes from the center of Venice by boat, so sneaking away from the crushing crowds of St. Mark’s Square couldn’t be simpler.

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.

Villa Foscari, also known as La Malcontenta, is a waterfront mansion by acclaimed Venetian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Built in the 1550s on a pristine green space along the Brenta Riviera, this temple-like villa is an architectural jewel. You can tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site to admire its perfectly symmetrical design, floor-to-ceiling frescoes, and sweeping gardens with views of the waterway.

Just outside the resort town of Peschiera del Garda on the shores of Lake Garda, the 19th-century English-style Parco Giardino Sigurtà, or Sigurtà Park, is considered among the most beautiful gardens in Europe, with a Great Lawn, large hedgerow maze, Avenue of the Roses, and Water Gardens.

Discover a 700-year history of artistic glassmaking at the Museo del Vetro (Museum of Glass), located on the island of Murano, just north of Venice. Master craftsmen still create exquisite pieces of glass art on the island today, and the museum, housed in a 15th-century palace, showcases the world’s largest collection of Venetian glass.