Venice Day Trips

For lace fanatics, and those who just want a look at another side of the lagoon, this out of the way island is a slice of Venetian life as it was decades or even dozens of decades ago.

Picturesque Padova (as the Italians call it) boasts a cycle of Giotto’s best frescos in the Cappella degli Scrovegni, the oldest botanical garden in the world (circa 1545), and a massive, beautiful town square called the Prato della Valle.

Strewn with Roman ruins, Romeo and Juliet’s hometown has a romantic air about it after dark; don’t miss the Roman Arena (the best preserved in the world) and Castelvecchio, the great masterpiece-filled castle of the Della Scala family.

At the foot of the Dolomites, this town works best as a base for hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter. The Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi is a perfect place to spend the day getting away from the crowds of Venice and enjoying some fresh air.