Veneto and its wonders: 10 unmissable places reachable from Venice

Veneto is a beautiful region located in the North-East of Italy, which lies on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. It is rich in places to visit and to live, many of which are not far from Venice, and easily accessible from it: splendid cities, landscapes, mountains and lakes that will leave you breathless.

Thus begins a journey that will make you discover a wonderful land that you will not be able to forget. I have selected 10 must-see places for you! Here they are:

These are easily reachable by vaporetto from Venice and immersed in the Venetian Lagoon, the small islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, famous throughout the world for their spectacular landscapes, the characteristic architecture with bright colors and the uncontaminated nature among historical ruins and vegetable gardens. A true wonder for the eyes and the soul, which will detach you from the hectic daily life of Venice. Absolutely not to be missed!

The islands of the Lagoon are easily reachable with the ACTV vaporetti of Line 12 from the stop "Fondamente Nove". The navigation time is 10 minutes to Murano, 45 minutes to Burano and Torcello.

The villas built by the great Italian architect Andrea Palladio around the middle of the sixteenth century are among the most beautiful attractions that can be found in Veneto, scattered here and there between the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso and Padua.

Equipped with exceptional elegance, they have revolutionized the way we understand and see architecture. Furthermore, the architectural fusion with sculpture and painting creates a vibrant "beautiful compound", unique atmospheres that still influence the choices of modern architects. 

Beautiful and famous, among the most visited there is certainly Villa Foscari called "La Malcontenta" because it is located right in Malcontenta, a town in Mira, a town in the Venetian hinterland. It owes its name to the family that commissioned it, the Foscari, nobles among the richest and most powerful of the Republic of the Serenissima. Mira can be reached in about 25 minutes with the ACTV buses of the Venezia - Padova line which leave approximately every 15-30 minutes from Piazzale Roma. 

Impossible not to mention Villa Almerico Capra, called "La Rotonda" due to its central plan structure. Commissioned by Paolo Almerico, it was then finished by Vincenzo Scamozzi, who did not betray Palladio's project, for the Capra brothers who purchased the building. The easiest and fastest way to reach Vicenza is by train: from Santa Lucia Station you will need 45 minutes of travel. 

Also worth visiting is Villa Barbaro in Maser, created for the Barbaro brothers, the humanist Daniele and Marcantonio, ambassador of the Serenissima. It owes its fame not only to the great architect, but also to the great cycle of frescoes by the Italian painter Paolo Veronese. To reach Villa Barbaro the nearest train station is Montebelluna, about 70 km from the Santa Lucia station in Venice. If you prefer the bus from Piazzale Roma leave those operated by the Mobilità di Marca that reach the destination in about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Villa Emo is in Fanzolo, a hamlet of Vedelago in the province of Treviso. Commissioned by the noble Emo family, the central body is raised above a high base and connected to the garden by a long stone staircase. The Villa is easily reached on foot from Fanzolo station, reachable in about 1 hour and 15 minutes from the station of Venice Saint Lucia, even if the train is not direct. 

All the aforementioned villas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Not bad!

The Scrovegni Chapel is one of the greatest masterpieces of the 14th century. The interior of this wonderful place of worship was completely frescoed by the famous Italian painter Giotto who, with his innovative style, anticipated the transition from medieval to Renaissance painting. To see absolutely at least once in your life! 

Padua can be easily reached by train from Venice from the Santa Lucia station, in just about 15 minutes.

We are still in the city of Padua, which this time offers an incredible pearl to see: the Botanical Garden, Unesco World Heritage Site.

Founded in 1545, today it is the oldest botanical garden in the academic world, it can be considered as a great union between botany, science, architecture and art.

Padua can be easily reached by train from Venice from the Santa Lucia station, in just about 15 minutes.

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

It seems that the famous Shakespearian Juliet has recited these words from the balcony of what is known as "Juliet's house". In reality it is a medieval palace in Verona, located in the historic center, not far from the central Piazza delle Erbe. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet found, in fact, in Verona the ideal place to express oneself, so much so that various sites were recognized where the story narrated by William Shakespeare would take place: everything mixes between reality and fantasy in short, but the love and poetry remain.

Verona can be easily reached by train from Venice Santa Lucia. The fastest train takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

The Dolomites, among the most famous areas from a naturalistic-environmental and touristic point of view of the entire Alps, home to a national park and eight natural parks and the largest Italian ski district: unique natural heritage of exceptional value not only for the national territory , in fact since 2009 they are part of the Unesco World Heritage Site. Enjoying the views that this piece of Italy can offer will really be one of the most beautiful experiences that a person can live during his life.

The fastest way to get to the Dolomites from Venice is to take a train from the Santa Lucia station. The journey is long, from 3 to 4 hours, but it's certainly worth it!

Trying to believe!

Remaining in the theme of the alpine landscape, one cannot but think of Cortina d'Ampezzo, nicknamed the "queen of the Dolomites" for its refinement and its breathtaking views. It is the largest and most famous of the 18 municipalities that make up the so-called "Ladinia", as well as a renowned winter and summer tourist resort, the scene of numerous sporting and artistic events of international importance. It has already hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and is ready to host the 2026 Winter Olympics together with Milan. 

It is possible to reach Cortina by ATVO bus line 29 from Venice Piazzale Roma, Venezia Mestre station and Venezia Aereoporto Marco Polo.

Bassano del Grappa, wonderful town in the province of Vicenza built on the banks of the river Brenta, has many villas and historic buildings including Villa Angarano, Villa Rezzonico, Palazzo Sturm, Palazzo Bonaguro. In addition to this, the Cathedral and the monumental Church of San Francesco are also very interesting. In the upper part of the city stands the historic Castle of the Ezzelini, and exceptionally impressive is the view, especially in the evening, the famous Ponte degli Alpini, on the river.  

Bassano del Grappa is easily reached by train from Venice from the Santa Lucia station, in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Very interesting is the town of Treviso, not far from the city of Venice, and able to offer a splendid walk among the refined architecture and its small canals. That's right, even Treviso, like Venice, is crossed by several canals, all originating from the nearby Bottinega river. This makes some corners of the city that some even call "little Venice" extremely picturesque. Extraordinary no?

Treviso is easily reached by train from Venice from the Santa Lucia station, and takes only about 25 minutes to travel.

Even the small town of Chioggia, immersed in the Venetian lagoon, has an extraordinary potential for attraction, given also its urban conformation, which between nature and architecture is truly a surprise. As you can see from Treviso, also chioggia has some characteristics that lead it back to Venice and also this town is sometimes called "Little Venice". Compared to Treviso, there may certainly be more analogies with the city of the Serenissima, but it is important to emphasize that each territory has its own story.

It is absolutely worth a visit! 

To reach Chioggia it is necessary to make a double trip by vaporetto, but one of these foresees the route along the Grand Canal, so it is really worth it! From Piazzale Roma or from the Santa Lucia Station (or from any other stop on the Grand Canal) take the ACTV Line 1 waterbus or Line 2 towards Lido. Arriving at the Lido, take Line 11 which reaches Chioggia in just over an hour of sailing in the Venetian Lagoon.