Geographically, the Veneto is a region of great diversity. It abuts the Adriatic Sea to the east, and shares Lake Garda with Lombardy to the west. Its northern boundaries reach up to the pale, pink-tinged mountain range of the regal Dolomites that separate Italy from the Austrian Tirol.
The southern boundary is the mighty Po River, its relentlessly flat alluvial plains punctuated by the Berici Mountains south of Vicenza and the Euganean Hills near Padua. But the Veneto is really defined by the valleys flowing down from the Dolomites and Alps in the north: The Adige, Brenta, Piave, and other rivers make fertile the Veneto’s middle hills, rich with the vineyards, fruit orchards, and lucrative small-scale farms that together create the agricultural wealth that has been the Veneto’s sustenance.
The Veneto’s three major cities, Padua, Vicenza, and Verona, not only hold the most historical and artistic interest in the region, but they are also extremely accessible by public transportation.
Trains between these cities run on the Milan–Venice line and hence are inexpensive, frequent, and user-friendly. In fact, the distances between them are so small that you could very well stay put in Venice and tool into Verona—the most distant of the three—for an easy day trip. But this would be a great shame, indeed, as each of the cities warrants the time it takes to explore it slowly.
Enjoy the Veneto in the late afternoon and early evening hours when the day-trippers have gone and the cities are left to their own—sip an aperitivo or take a leisurely passeggiata, windowshopping along streets lined with tony boutiques that represent the well-to-dostatus of the Veneti. End your day with a moderately priced meal of homecooked regional specialties in a characteristic wine tavern amid much bonhomie and brio (vivacity), followed by a good night’s rest in a small, friendly hotel located just off the postcardperfect main square.
Spend time in the region’s lesserexplored cities and small towns such as Treviso, Bassano del Grappa, and Asolo. All offer a host of excursions into the real countryside, where you only need a car or the slightest sense of adventure to jump on a local bus and enjoy the back roads and backwaters of the Veneto. Top it off with a leisurely cruise down the Brenta Canal to returnto Venice and hop back on the welltrodden tourist path.