Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery
Perched on high bluffs above the Piave river and backed majestically by the snow-capped Dolomites, Belluno makes a scenic and strategic base to explore the surrounding mountains. The historical old town is its own attraction, mixing stunning views with Renaissance-era buildings. And you'll be happy to fuel up for hikes in the nearby mountains on the city's hearty cuisine, including Italy's most remarkable cheeses: Schiz (semi-soft cow's-milk cheese, usually fried in butter) and the flaky, butter-yellow Malga Bellunese.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Belluno.
Museum
Although Belluno’s Civic Museum has some 600 notable regional works of art, including some stunning canvases by local talent Sebastiano Ricci, the real star of the show is the beautiful Palazzo Fulcis that houses the collection. One of the best-preserved 18th-century palaces in the Veneto, its interior is extravagantly embellished with frescoes and stuccowork, while underfoot terrazzo floors swirl with florid rococo motifs.
Square
Belluno's main pedestrian square is the Piazza dei Martiri (Martyrs' Sq), named after the four partisans hanged here in WWII. On the north side various bars, restaurants and shops seek shade under arcading; the rest of the square is pleasant parkland.
Cathedral
Belluno’s majestic cathedral with its elegant, onion-domed campanile (bell tower) designed by Filippo Juvarra was originally raised in 850 on top of an earlier paleo-Christian church. It has been rebuilt several times, most recently in 1873 when the apse collapsed following an earthquake. The numerous stone coats of arms, tombstones and bas-reliefs on the unfinished exterior narrate the city’s history, while inside the enormous triple nave is graced by numerous side altars, hung with intense late-baroque religious artworks.