There’s more to the Veneto region than the superstar city of Venice. Most visitors focus on the floating city, but there's plenty beyond Venice’s watery confines. Prosecco, Italy’s iconic bubbly, is produced in the nearby Conegliano slopes. Wine tours through these DOC hills or the Amarone vineyards of Valpolicella near Lake Garda top the Veneto to-do list. For outdoor lovers, the UNESCO-listed Dolomite peaks soar to the north. Meanwhile, art and culture enthusiasts explore medieval masterpieces and ancient ruins in Padua, Vicenza, and Verona to the south.
Grey, rain-filled skies hover over this northern region for much of winter, but the wet weather empties Venice of tourists if you’re seeking a quieter visit. Spring and fall are the best seasons to explore Veneto’s art cities, where temperatures soar in summer. Head to the high-altitude Dolomites if you want to escape the summer heat. Wine enthusiasts flock to the region’s cellars in fall when the vineyards are at their lush best.
Almost all of Venice is car-free, so you can only get around the city of canals on foot or by boat. The main art cities of Padua, Vicenza, and Verona are well-connected by train, but you’ll need to rent a car (or join a tour with transportation) to explore the wineries in Valpolicella and Conegliano or to hit the trails and slopes in the peaks surrounding Cortina d’Ampezzo.
To dine like a true Venetian, search out a traditional bàcari wine bar for a selection cichetti washed down with an ombra. Cichetti are Venice’s version of tapas—small plates and finger foods usually kept in a glass-fronted display case next to the bar and eaten standing up. They're paired with a small glass of local white wine, known locally as ombra. The most popular local wine bars have crowds of patrons spilling out onto the canal-side alleyway.
