A guide to the Veneto, Italy

Venice is one of Europe’s most remarkable destinations – a graceful fantasy of palaces, basilicas, bridges, palazzi and gondola-crammed canals. But the city known as La Serenissima is just the beginning of the adventure in northeast Italy.

Surrounding Italy’s legendary lagoon city is the wonderful Veneto region, spilling north from the shores of the Adriatic to the rocky spires of the Dolomites in the Southern Alps. This guide to the Veneto will introduce you to one of the most intriguing corners of Italy, and the things you need to know when you travel here.

Inland from the Venice lagoon, the Veneto is a patchwork of former city-states annexed by Venice in the 15th century: architecturally refined Padua (Padova), cosmopolitan Vicenza, and Romeo and Juliet-obsessed Verona. While visiting, you can toast your health with some of Italy’s finest wines, including full-bodied amarone and Veneto’s famous prosecco.

In the north, the bare outcrops of the Dolomites rise over green valleys that turn white in winter as snow fills the pistes around Cortina d’Ampezzo – one of the settings for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Year-round, the mountains are a thrilling playground for outdoor activities, from winter skiing to summer cycling and hiking.

Whether you’re drawn by the architectural grandeur of the southern cities or the rugged landscapes of the Dolomites, this guide to the Veneto will help you get more from a trip to Italy’s wonderful northeast. 

When should I go to the Veneto?

The best time to visit the Veneto depends on what you want to do when you get here. As for the rest of Italy, the summer is the busiest time of year, as travelers spill out from Venice to the cities of the south, or roam north for outdoor adventures in the mountains. However, prices peak, crowds surge, and summer storms can bring bursts of rain in August. 

However, the most enjoyable time to visit the southern part of Veneto is probably the spring, from March to May, when wildflowers paint the countryside, prices fall, and crowds thin out. The early fall, from September to October a great time to experience the Dolomites, with lingering summer warmth giving way to colorful foliage, lower prices, and fewer people on the mountain trails. 

Winter is the time for winter sports in the ski resorts around Cortina d’Ampezzo, but the south can be wet and chilly, with lots of fog and acqua alta floods drenching the streets of Venice. Prices are high in winter in the mountains, but low in Padua, Verona and other southern cities. 

How much time should I spend in the Veneto? 

That all depends on how much Venice you want in the equation. If you are starting in the canal city, you’ll want to set aside at least 3 days before moving on Padua, Vicenza and Verona, which each warrant a couple of days of exploring.

For the mountains, the topography lends itself to slow travel, and this is something Italy specializes in. If you want to get out into nature, give yourself at least 5 days in the Dolomites, basing yourself in or around Cortina d’Ampezzo, and heading deeper into the mountains by rental car, by bike or on foot. 

Is it easy to get into and around the Veneto?

Venice is the most popular gateway to the Veneto, with huge numbers of visitors arriving by plane and cruise ship. However, considering Venice’s problems with overtourism, you may wish to bypass the city and start on the mainland in Verona or Treviso, both served by plenty of budget airlines. If you do start in Venice, pick up a rental car at the airport or in Mestre on the mainland. 

Alternatively, take the train – Trenitalia services run from across Italy to Venice, Treviso, Padua, Verona and Vicenza. To explore the countryside in the south and the mountains in the north, a rental car is the best option. Rentals are easy to arrange in cities across the Veneto, including at the railway stations in Verona and Padua. 

The closest train station to Cortina d’Ampezzo is 35km south at Calalzo di Cadore, so getting here by public transportation will involve using buses for at least part of the journey. Coming by hire car is the easiest option, and it will give you the freedom to drive out to hiking trailheads.

If you do explore the Veneto by hire car, pay attention to local road rules and areas closed to traffic in the historic centers of cities such as Padua and Verona. In the Dolomites, cable cars run to winter ski slopes and summertime viewpoints and trailheads dotted across the mountains around Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Top things to do in the Veneto

The best things to do in the Veneto region range from tours around elegant Palladian villas to hikes in the Dolomites. 

Immerse yourself in history in Padua 

Though less than an hour from Venice, Padua (Padova in Italian) feels a world away, with its medieval marketplaces, WWII-era facades and hip student population. As a medieval city-state and home to Italy’s second-oldest university, Padua once challenged both Venice and Verona for regional hegemony. 

Padua’s most famous sight is the Cappella degli Scrovegni, whose lavish, fresco-covered interior – painted by the great Giotto – rivals the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which it predates by 200 years. Book ahead as you can only visit in a pre-allocated time slot. 

Also swing by Padua’s World Heritage–listed Orto Botanico, the world’s first formal botanical garden, planted in 1545 by Padua University’s medical faculty. Then there are the city’s palazzi, including the Palazzo Mantua Benavides, a 16th-century oasis that today functions as an elegant heritage hotel. Inside its doors is a 9m-high statue of Hercules, said to be the largest statue in Europe. 

As a student town, Padua is known for its friendly and lively nightlife, so take time to imbibe. While Veneto is famed for its wines, the local craft beer scene is also rapidly evolving – sample local brews at the two Padua taprooms of the CRAK Brewery.

Dive into medieval history in the Euganean Hills

Close to Padua, the Euganean Hills, or Colli Euganei, hide Roman-era spa towns, misty vineyards, hilltop medieval castles and a series of extremely well-preserved walled towns. The area is a popular cycling destination; check out the 63km-long Anello dei Colli Euganei route from Monselice to Lozzo Atestino. 

Village-hopping by car makes for a great day out too. In the tiny hilltop enclave of Monselice, the Complesso Monumentale Rocca di Monselice conjures up centuries of Italian history with its medieval towers and 16th-century Venetian embellishments. 

In Este, robust walls are all that remain of the once formidable Castello Carrarese di Este, raised in 1050 CE. You can explore the town’s rich history at the excellent Museo Nazionale Atestino. Then there’s Montagnana, whose magnificent 2km-long medieval defensive walls wrap around atmospheric streets that are ripe for wandering. 

Escape the Venice crowds in Treviso

Wandering among picturesque canals punctuated by weeping willows and fresco-painted palazzi in the walled center of Treviso is pure joy. Most of the waterways are east of Treviso’s main square, Piazza dei Signori, behind which you’ll find the Palazzo dei Trecento’s curious Fontana delle Tette, featuring a nude whose breasts once spouted wine! 

Treviso is just 40km north of Venice, and other gems in this charming medieval town include the photogenic bridge off Piazza San Vito, Treviso’s island-set fish market, and – inside the Chiesa di Santa Margherita – the ever-changing Museo Collezione Salce, a treasure trove of vintage Italian advertising posters.

There’s 19th-/20th-century art at Museo Luigi Bailo, and you can also try Italy’s original tiramisu, which, according to a notarial deed filed with the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, first appeared on the menu at Le Beccherie in 1972. Treviso is also a handy base for exploring medieval villages such as castle-crowned Asolo, about 35km northwest.

Find romance in fair Verona

Best known for its Shakespeare associations, the city of Verona lures plenty of visitors in search of romance, Romeo and Juliet, and others drawn by its real-life history, Renaissance architecture, and well-preserved 1st-century amphitheater. 

With countless churches, architecturally fascinating bridges, delicious regional wine and food from the Veneto hinterland and some impressive art, Verona shapes up as one of northern Italy’s most attractive cities.

While the touristy Casa di Giulietta was not, in fact, the home of the fictional Juliet, you’ll find real romance in the UNESCO-listed center and on the hilltop terraces of Castel San Pietro. Alternatively, make your heart go pitter-patter on a thrilling whitewater-rafting run along the Adige River with Adige Rafting.

History fans will be wowed by the remarkably intact Arena di Verona – some 14,000 people pack the Roman-era stands on summer nights from June to September for the Arena di Verona Opera Festival. Art lovers shouldn’t miss the superb Galleria d’Art e Moderna Achille Fort i, and Veronese industrialist Luigi Carlon’s extraordinary art collection at the elegant Palazzo Maffei.

Appreciate the genius of Palladio in Vicenza

After a stint studying ruins in Rome in the 1540s, Padua-born architect Andrea Palladio returned to his adopted city of Vicenza, filling the city with buildings in his signature style. His tour de force is the Villa La Rotonda, a landmark mansion on a hill overlooking the city, but you can also marvel at his work at the Teatro Olimpico and Basilica Palladiana in the center. 

For architectural wonders in a different style, the baroque Palazzo Leoni Montanari has a wonderful collection of Italian art and Russian icons. Afterward, take a foodie wander through the streets, stopping in at Babu Dolce e Salato for pastries, Il Ceppo Sòtobotega for wine tastings and bacalà (salted cod) in the cellar, and authentic local pasta dishes at Al Pestello. 

Go skiing around Cortina d’Ampezzo

Veneto’s diamond-class ski resort, Cortina d’Ampezzo is the favored stomping ground of supermodels, snow bunnies and assorted Italian winterati. Nestled in the heart of the Dolomites, this winter sports playground features a whopping 13 black slopes, including the legendary Staunies mogul run, which starts at 3000m. 

Cortina d’Ampezzo forms part of the Dolomiti Superski system – a common ski pass that covers skiers for 12 ski resorts across the Dolomites, including slopes in Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige (Südtirol) and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The pass gives access to 450 lifts and some 1200km of ski runs, many of which offer snow parks and night skiing. 

The Cortina d’Ampezzo resort has nearly 120km of downhill runs, alongside 70km of cross-country routes, with more than 30 lifts. There are facilities for kids and families, but the focus of attention is on the resort’s black runs. Perched at 1224m, the town itself is a scenic base, with several museums and good restaurants and bars for après-ski.

Wander the Veneto Dolomites in summer

Don’t overlook the area around Cortina d’Ampezzo when the snow melts. As conditions warm up, the slopes become a playground for hikers and other lovers of the great outdoors. Before setting out on foot, take a ride on the Cortina Skyline cable car, which offers incredible views on the 15-minute gondola ride between Tofane (Son dei Prade) and Cinque Torri (Bai de Dones).

Hiking options around Cortina d’Ampezzo include glinting mountain lakes, lofty lookouts, shady forest trails, paths along the flanks of mighty carbonate spires and vertiginous via ferrata routes following sheer rock walls. Starting at the refuge in Auronzo, the 10km-long Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike takes in some particularly dramatic scenery as it circles three towering peaks.

Other activities on offer in the Veneto Dolomites include mountain biking, rock climbing and canyoning along narrow gorges. Or you can always take shorter wildlife-spotting walks from the trailhead car parks dotted through the mountains, looking out for marmots, chamois, ibex, deer and soaring golden eagles. 

Taste the wines of the Veneto

Around the Veneto towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, one of Italy’s most beautiful wine regions announces itself with waves of diving “hogback” hills, known as ciglioni in Italian, draped with Crayola-green vineyards. Welcome to the Prosecco Hills, source of Italy’s most famous sparkling wine. 

La Strada del Prosecco is Italy’s oldest wine route and it covers 120 producers between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. If you’re up for a tasting tour, prosecco counts for half of the 16 varieties at Prosecco Toffoli, whose modern techniques create prosecco with an intense apple, pear and lemon nose. 

At Bisol1542 in the hills of Valdobbiadene, the Bisol family has been producing some of the world’s best prosecco since 1542. Nearby, six generations of the Frozza family have tended centuries-old Galera vines growing on a sunny Colbertaldo hillside at Azienda Agricola Frozza.

The Veneto’s Valpolicella wine region, northwest of Verona, is home to more of northern Italy’s most respected vineyards. Its highly prized amarone is one of the world’s most coveted red wines, prepared using the appassimento process, where grapes are air-dried over several months, increasing the wine’s flavor and alcohol content.

Pre-book tours and tastings at vineyards such as lovely Tenuta Santa Maria di Gaetano Bertani, where the name “amarone” was first coined, with English-style gardens, lakes, orchards and Guyot vineyards to explore. Other vineyards worthy of a visit include respected Azienda Agricola Quintarelli Giuseppe, and Maralisa Allegrini, which offers tastings in the 16th-century Villa della Torre in Fumane.

My favorite thing to do in Veneto

It’s hard to resist the lure of Palladio’s grand constructions in Vicenza. If you’ve visited other grand houses around the world, you’re probably already experienced the influence of the great architect’s Villa La Rotonda, which has inspired buildings as far afield as England, Ukraine and America. 

Don’t overlook Palladio’s elegant urban spaces, such as the graceful Teatro Olimpico, the Palazzo Chiericati, today containing the Musei Civici di Vicenza, and the Palazzo Barbaran da Porto, housing the Palladio Museum. The Vicenza tourist board has created a walking route linking some of the best Palladio-designed buildings in the city. 

How much money do I need for the Veneto? 

With Venice and Cortina d’Ampezzo in the picture, the Veneto can be one of the more expensive parts of Italy to visit, especially for winter sports, but prices drop once you move away from these two hubs. With a hire car, you can roam through rural towns and villages where life is much more affordable. 

Plan on spending upward of 150 euros (€) per day staying in budget hotels or rural agriturismi (homestays), and twice that if you want to stay in heritage accommodations. If you’re traveling on a shoestring budget, there are plenty of hostels in Padua, Verona and Vicenza, but none in Cortina d’Ampezzo. In the Dolomites, rifugio (trekking lodges) typically have lower prices than hotels. 

Here are some sample costs for the Veneto:

• Double room at a hotel in Venice: from €130

• Double room at a hotel in Padua: from €75

• A meal in a Verona restaurant: around €30 per person

• A slice of focaccia or pizza to go from a Treviso deli: from €3

• A cup of espresso in a Vicenza cafe: from €3, or €1.50 if you sip at the bar

• A craft beer in Padua’s CRAK Brewery & Taproom: around €4 

• Entry to Vicenza’s Villa La Rotonda: €15

How do I get from Venice to the Veneto?

If you fly or take the train to Venice to start your trip to the Veneto, you’ll first arrive in Mestre on the mainland, so there’s no need to visit the islands of Venice unless you feel the inclination. If you do roam out onto the lagoon, trains to Padua and other cities in the Veneto run direct from Venice’s Santa Lucia Station, or trains, taxis and shuttle buses can transport you to Mestre to pick up onward transport.