VENICE / VENETO

The north-east of Italy contains one of the most celebrated and beautiful cities in the world - Venice. Loved by everyone who visits, despite the crowds, it really is an unmissable destination if you are visiting this part of Italy. The other islands in the lagoon are also very interesting and include Burano, Murano and Torcello.

The surrounding Veneto-Friuli region has the stunning dolomites as a backdrop and  contains some of the most highly regarded cities in Italy - Trieste, Vicenza and Verona among them. Near Trieste be sure to visit the Grotte Gigante - the largest (visitable) cave system in the world.

Heading inland from Venice towards Padua don't forget to explore along the Brenta canal and enjoy some of the incredible villas en route.

To the west of the region Lake Garda is a very popular and very scenic destination.

Heading north from Vicenza and Padua there are a cluster of pretty towns to explore - Asolo, Bassano del Grappa and Castelfranco Veneto among them. The very beautiful Treviso is another unmissable town in the region.

 
BASSANO DEL GRAPPA (photo is copyright)

Continuing on through the Veneto region, explore the towns of Conegliano and Belluno, and if you are part of the jet-set you will want to spend a few days at Cortina d'Ampezzo, the renowned ski resort. Tolmezzo, and the small town of Pordenone, are also very worth visiting.

The eastern part of the region contains the architecturally interesting town at Udine, the colourful town at Gorizia and the impressively located Cividale del Friuli. Also in the region are some very fine ruins at Aquileia, bringing to mind its important role as a centre of Roman Italy.