Laurie

We will be on Venice for 6 nights in early June 2005. We would like to take 1 daytrip. Would you recommend Verona or Vicenza?

We enjoy quaint little towns and both Roman and Palladian architecture.

We have already been to Murano and Burano and enjoyed them.

Thanks for your help! Laurie

LoveItaly

Laurie, I would chose Vicenza especially with your interest of Palladian architecture.

But Verona has so much to offer too.

Imagine other posters will give their thoughts. Whichever you do have a beautiful trip.

dickv2

Good morning, Laurie Would add to your duo the city of Padua, it is a half hours journey from VSL and is good for at least a half day trip. The
Scrovengi Chapel and the Duomo, are two items that should not be list. However out of the two would pick Verona, a bit further but with more to see. Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

tedgale

Another vote for the charms of beautiful, though non-Palladian, Padua

Jocelyn_P

Laurie,

Check out my trip report from last May when I visited both Verona and Vicenza (but not Padua). Do a search for Vendors in Venice, Valpolicella in Verona and you should find it. We loved both cities.

Patrick

While I enjoy Verona, I think Padua would fit the bill even better and you can also do boat trips from there to visit Palladian villas.

LoveItaly

Padova (Padua in English) is a beautiful city. I only got to spend one day there. Hope I can return to visit it again. A very good thought IMHO.

Laurie

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am still undecided as to which town we should daytrip to. I will check into Padua a little more though.

Jocelyn, I read your trip report about Verona and Vicenza and they both sound wonderful! I am having a very difficult time trying to decide which one to devote our day to.

I think it would probably be too hard to visit both in one day. I don't want to race around and end up not seeing much of either city.

Thanks again for all your replies! Laurie

stefanaccio

Vicenza is a bit smaller and quite nice. If you walk up the hill to Monte Berico you will get a fantastic view, eat well, and view a Last Supper by Veronese. How good does it get?

Casale-Economical Abruzo Rental Villa
http://www.angelfire.com/film/casale

Laurie

Stefan, Thank you for your reply. I think we will visit Vicenza. Please tell me the name of the restaurant that you recommend near Monte Berico.

How far is the walk to Monte Berico from the city center?

Also, your website is interesting! If we are ever visiting near Abruzo, we may look into renting your villa.

Thanks! Laurie

stefanaccio

Thanks for the compliment. Monte Berico is a short 20-30 minute walk from the train station. When you exit the train station you will follow the road that leads to the right go about 500 meters than take the path that leads up the hill. There is an American military base in Vicenza so there are plenty of people who speak English and will point you on your way. There are two (and only two I believe) places to eat, both connected to the church. The one is a tavola calda, open to groups at lunch, and is less expensive. It is on the second floor over the bar. The second is a pizzeria where the view is beautiful and the food also good. Don't miss the "bigoli con anatra" (a special pasta with duck sauce), one of the signature dishes of the Veneto....

Jocelyn_P

Laurie,

Congrats--you'll love Vicenza. Here is a post about Vicenza and it's food that was very helpful in my planning:

Author: baldrick
Date: 12/03/2003, 05:03 am
Message: Main specialty of Vicenza : Baccalà alla vicentina con la polenta.
This dish is an institution, with 'congregations' defending the true recipe against vile and pale imitations. One of them is the "Venerabile Confraternita Vicentina del Baccalà alla Vicentina". You'll see very easily to which 'fraternity' a restaurant belongs.
Other typical dishes: bigoli all'anatra (special kind of pasta with duck sauce), fettuccine con i finferli (pasta and kind of mushrooms, finferli or galletti, don't know in English, is not my mother tongue). Also some influence by the Tiroler specialties, with their salumi and cheeses.

Some restaurants? There are a lot more than those mentionned and it's been 4 yrs since I have been for the last time in Vicenza, but still, they are all traditional restaurants of regional cuisine.
- Al Pestello, Contrà Santo Stefano, 3, close to the Duomo,
- Ponte delle Bele, Contrà Ponte delle Bele 5,
- Antica Casa della Malvasia, Contrà delle Morette 5, normally only locals here,
- Osteria Vineria Antico Guelfo, Contrà Pedemuro - San Biagio, 92
- Osteria Piccolo Piemonte, viale Verona,
Trattoria Veneta Al Cervo, Via Zambeccari, 36, close to the Centro Storico
- Nuovo Cinzia e Valerio, piazzetta Porta Padova 65/67, close to the city walls, elegant restaurant, also fish and shellfish.

Now, Jocelyn, random choice... I go for 90% on random choice, but it takes a while before I sit down at the table.
I look at the menu first: to many antipasti, primi and secundi on the menu, in general, is a bad point. Traditional cuisine is not made of 20 dishes of each kind...
Then, I have 20 yrs of experience, I speak Italian and I have some tricks...
I will just tell you 1 of them... I very often visit a church before dinner time. While chatting with the priest about his church, I ask him where to eat in the neighbourhood, especially if he has a little belly...

South of Vicenza, close to Verona and Padova, you'll find the Colli Berici (Berici hills), of vulcanic origin, and well known for its wines, as well in quality as in variety: Chardonnay, Tocai Bianco, Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco, Merlot, Cabernet
Red wines: Tocai Rosso, very intense, noble wine.
White wines Garganego, dry, 'straw' yellow of colour, good perfume.

Laurie

Thank you Stefan and Jocelyn for your tips about Vicenza. I have copied them down and I am anxious to experience the food and views from Vicenza.

Thanks very much for your help! Laurie

Eloise

With all due respect to Stefanaccio, the church on Monte Berico is mediocre architecture at best, Veronese or no Veronese.

If you are interested in Palladian architecture, then the places to go in Vicenza are the Villa Rotonda (there is a bus that leaves from in front of the train station and takes you very close); the Palazzo della Ragione and the Loggia del Capitanaio (sp?), both on the main square; the Teatro Olimpico; and half a dozen or so city palaces by Palladio.

A few yards from the Villa Rotonda is the Villa Valmarana ai Nani; the villa has frescoes by Gianbattista Tiepolo and the "forestiera" (guest house) has wonderful frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo, son of Gianbattista.

Some of Giandomenico's best frescoes are now in the Ca Rezzonico in Venice and well worth a look.