Day trips from Venice
 

I'm going to Venice for five nights in the fall. This will be my third trip there. We've been to Murano and Burano. Any suggestions on day trips outside the city? We enjoy taking in local color, shopping (low end), admiring architectural beauty, museums. Would prefer not renting a car.

Verona is one, and an easy train ride.<BR><BR>Venice to Chioggia <BR>www.chioggia-apt.net, also timeout.com/venice<BR>Chioggia is a fishing port and it never gets crowded in the way Venice does. The usual way to get from Venice to Chioggia is to take a (water)bus from the Lido. <BR><BR>www.boglewood.com/palladio/map.html for map and list of Palladian villas on theBrenta Canal. There is a Brenta Canal boat that leaves from Venice and that stops at several of the villas.<BR>tour boats: www.deltatour.it website gives rates but not a schedule<BR><BR>also www.antoniana.it/individuali-i.html lots of detailed information<BR><BR>http://goeurope.about.com/travel/goeurope/library/planner/blp_venice_sights_culture.htm<BR><BR>

luvtotravel - Go to Padua for the Scrovegni Chapel with its floor to ceiling Giotto frescoes. Be prepared to be over awed. I just pulled out the book I bought there and dream of going back. Of course, fresco is my favorite art form.<BR><BR>If you take a fast train from Venice I think it's only about 1/2 hour. The chapel is less than a 10 minute walk from the train station. Just next to the chapel is a church which was not very memorable and a museum with about a million paintings of Madonna and Child. <BR><BR>adrienne<BR>

oh, I forgot to mention my beloved Torcello, the farthest out of the &quot;big three&quot; lagoon islands.<BR>Boat ride is about 80 minutes, island is pretty close to Burano.<BR>Torcello has few inhabitants and only a couple of restaurants. It has a 7th century cathedral with magnificent mosaics, and another church is next door. That's pretty much it.<BR>If you are feeling flush, reserve in advance for lunch at Locanda Cipriani, but do it on a nice day when you can sit on the terrace.

You've gotten great advice. Thought you might like to know there are outdoor markets in some of the towns surrounding Venice on different weekends. Here's a website that will tell you where &amp; when.<BR>http://www.initaly.com/regions/veneto/markets.htm<BR><BR>The town of Asola which is an hour's ride by train is supposed to be beautiful and has a street market the third weekend of the month.

Adrienne--at last, another fresco-holic! Me too! So yes, I'd rec. you go to Padova and see the Scrovegni, then stroll down toward the university and hang out--it's lovely.<BR>Verona is larger, but very gracious piazze, the Roman forum where shows are still played, the incrdible Giardino Giusti and there's an incredible small church with some of themost amazing wood carving and intarsial work (wood inlays cut to make complex &quot;paintings&quot;), I think it's teh Madonna del'Orto.<BR>I also enjoyed just strolling around Treviso, with its amazing wealth of outdoor frescoes, trendy shops, and some of the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted!<BR>Asolo is a wonderful small hill town with a lovely aspect, a few empty castles, fortresses and palaces and a killer lunch spot. <BR>And I'll second elaine and say I love teh deep quiet of Torcello. The old church there has amazing mosiacs, and the pace and feel of theplace is wonderfully calming.<BR>Finally, I suppose this might be a bit macabre, but I'm a bit of a cemetery hound. I love to see the way we say goodby to loved ones, and Italian cemeteries are unbelievable for their statuary and intimate monuments. In view on the Fondamenta Nuova is San Michele, the cemetery island. Some famous folk are laid to rest here and it's a quiet stroll. You can learn more about Italian cemeteries in a great book called &quot;Permanent Italians.&quot; Be respectful and dress appropriately, it's still very much a working cemetery!<BR>

I forgot one of the best websites for planning something like this!<BR>www.trenitalia.it is the Italian rail service site (the FS or ferrovie dello stato). You can input from to stations and get travel time. Remember it's a 24 hour clock and day month year to enter!

Wonderful suggestions -- thank you, all. Not sure I can wait for fall!

Speaking of frescos, I will be in Florence for 3 days in Sept.<BR>This will be my 4th time there, and I would love to devote a day to seeing some of the more interesting frescos (also my passion) any suggestion would be helpful.<BR>Thanks,<BR>Fluffy

Hello everyone. This is a great thread, and I'm nowhere near ready to travel to Venice. However, I'm copying faster than my click finger can click. All the suggestions sound glorious. The mosaics in Torcello's church? Can you tell me more? luvtotravel, thanks for letting me barge in. no pun intended. J.

I love talking about Torcello and Venice!<BR>Part of the cathedral dates from the 7th century.<BR>In the cathedral in front of the altar is a beautifully carved marble pulpit incorporating part of the original from the 7th century. You will see the Byzantine style of the architecture and the mosaics. The most striking for me was the Weeping Madonna set on the gilded background of the half-dome. One book called this image &quot;A sad young woman holding god&quot;. On the opposite wall,at eye level, is the mosaic of the Last Judgement. Amazing detail.<BR><BR>

Verona is a must. Lovely town, nice shops of all prices. In the main square facing the Roman Arena (where the opera is) there is a Italian fastfood place called Brek. Everything is freshly made and not expensive at all - fish, pasta, pizza, salads, fruit and veg. Also a visit to Giusti Gardens is rather nice - as long as you get some directions. Enjoy your trip.