Which City for Day Trip from Venice?
 

I've been researching the various cities to daytrip from Venice, but can't seem to make up my mind. So, my question to my fellow Fodorites is this.

If you could take one day trip from Venice to any surrounding city, which one would it be and why?

Hello Statia, I would visit Padova if you have not been there before.

It is a beautiful city and so easy to walk in. Padova is a jewel of a city with so much history. The Basilica di Sant'Antonio is unbeliavable! You have to see it to see what I mean. It was started in the early 1200's and holds the remains of St. Anthony of Padova.

The Piazza dei Singori is so attractive, a wonderful place to sit and have something to drink. Many wonderful little shops, cafes etc.

Padova has the second oldest University in Italy. I believe it was started in the early 1200's also.

The marketplace is a not to be missed visit.

The Duomo and Baptistry has wonderful medival frescos.

It is so easy to see everything because everything is all right there.

I could go on and on obviously but anyway that would me my suggestion.

Have a beautiful trip!

I'm sure LoveItaly just forgot to mention another treasure of Padova, the Scrovegni Chapel, which is totally covered with Giotto's frescoes. Padova is only 30 minutes from Venice by train or bus and the sites are all close.

I would choose Padova or Verona. Verona has an intact pink granite arena, great wine bars and food, and interesting, pleasant piazzas and markets. Verona is a bit more than an hour from Venice by train.

If you do go to Padua and do want to see the Cappella degli Scrovegni, Google "Cappella degli Scrovegni" and buy an advance ticket. Unfortunately, it has become one of those sites that limit you strictly to a certain time: 15 minutes to watch a film about the recent restoration and 15 minutes in the chapel itself.

The chapel is Giotto's masterpiece and the real beginning of what was to become the Renaissance. Well worth seeing, in my opinion. But oh for the days when I could spend hours in the chapel!

If not Padua, then let me put in a vote for Vicenza, the town with the most buildings by Andrea Palladio, probably the greatest architect of the Renaissance: the Teatro Olimpico, the Palazzo della Ragione (town hall) and many downtown palazzi as well as what is most likely the building most copied throughout the Western world: the Villa Rotonda. (It is not downtown, but buses go there from in front of the station.)

And if you do decide to go to the Villa Rotonda (check opening hours at www.cisapalladio.org; the interior, which is much later than the building, is not, by far, as interesting as the exterior), then also walk a few hundred yards to the Villa Valmarana ai Nani. The "forestiera" or guest house has wonderful frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo, the son of the more famous Gianbattista Tiepolo. And if you are very polite and a little insistent, Count Valmarana will also let you see the frescoes in the main building.

Sorry, forgot: Vicenza is about 50 minutes by train from Venice Santa Lucia.

We took a day trip to Verona from Venice this summer and did not regret it. It has the ancient arena, Juliet's balcony, and wonderful piazzas. Great architecture, charming place.

Hi Statia, yes Ellenem is right, I sure did forget to mention the Scrovegni, that was stupid of me.

Also forgot to mention the Caffe Pedrocchi or Pedrocche. Thanks to your thread I have been dreaming about Padova all day.

I love Verona of course but Padova really captured my heart.

Hello. Statia. We were in Venice last week and took a day trip to Ravenna. It was wonderful! There are lots of Byzantine mosaics to look at--beautiful and fascinating. It's about 80 mi. south of Venice.

Hi smalti, I agree with you, Ravenna is another beautiful city. I have stayed there several times and have always loved it. The mosaics are beyond description and visiting Dantes tomb is a moving experience. And the Piazza Del Popolo is a wonderful spot to just sit and drink and eat and people watch. Believe we both like Ravenna!

It does take longer to get from Venice to Ravenna however versus Venice to Padova.

If you have have not been to Padova this is a city you would no doubt enjoy during your next trip to Italy.

Italy has so many treasures I think a lifetime would not be enough to see all of them.

Statia: I think you might enjoy looking into Bassano del Grappa-a lovely town that I visited a couple of weeks ago, which sits on the Brenta river. You can walk the entire town in about an hour, (it has some great restaurants Osteria Terraglio was particularly good) as well as the historic Ponti degli Alpini-a wooden bridge with scenic views of the river and the Grappa mountains beyond. There is also a liquor shop, Nardini's, alongside the bridge where you can stop in and do some grappa tasting (one of the main reasons to go to Bassano-others are around as well) and a grappa museum close by.

Myself, I didn't care for Verona as much as I thought I would. The Arena was blah and largely uninteresting, Giulietta's balcony is very touristy, and although there is some good shopping along their main shopping street, overall, it didn't leave much of an impression with me.

Other things, in addition to grappa, that Bassano is noted for: ceramics and porcini mushrooms.

The original bridge is said to have been designed by Andrea Palladio.

An excellent restaurant, with a clientele composed chiefly of well-to-do business people, is Da Tiziano al Sole.

But I think any of the other towns mentioned -- Padua, Verona, Vicenza and Ravenna (which might be a bit far for a day trip) -- is more interesting.

Another vote for Ravenna right here!

It does take a bit longer than going to Verona, Vicenza or Padova, but the mosaics are breathtaking.

Isn't Bassana del Grappa also the place with the 'sad trees' (our local guide's description - trees where the Nazis hanged lots of local people) ?

Well, that's interesting that you should bring up Bassano's history, Caroline, because it does indeed bear the marks of its tragic history through both World Wars, I've read.

During the Great War (WWI) the Italians made a heroic stand against the Austrians up on the Grappa Massif by building a fortress, assisted by the townspeople. Had the Austrians succeeded in winning this battle, apparently all of Italy would have been lost, as the Austrians were advancing through the Veneto to get to Venice. The Italians, in a series of battles, were able to repel the Austrian invaders on the mountain, but of course, at a huge loss of lives on both sides.

And then along came WWII. Monte Grappa was the area where the partisan forces organized the resistance, and from their vantage point on the mountain, they could view the Brenta valley, where the Nazis had their main supply lines from Germany to their forces in Italy.

Sometime around 1944, the Nazis had enough of the partisan raids in the Veneto, so they marched Italian men, women, and children in the area in front of them up the mountain and shot any partisan fighters they found, as well as the civilians who harbored them. Others were publicly hanged, while their families were forced to watch-so I think this is the area of the "sad trees" that your guide mentioned.

There is a powerful monument on the summit of Monte Grappa to the resistance forces, (I did not see this, but again, discovered this from reading). Another of the many savageries committed during this period was that the Nazis had tossed flame throwers into places in the mountain where the partisans were located, burning them alive-this statue apparently commemorates that aspect of this terrible time.

When the Nazis went into retreat, they blew up the wooden bridge (Ponti degli Alpini) designed by Palladio in the 1500's, but it was of course rebuilt after the war to Palladio's specifications-and is a lovely place to take pictures, or just admire the view (and then step off and into the grappa tasting taverns located adjacent to the bridge-in addition to Nardini's, Poli's was another I liked!)

Like so many places in Europe, Bassano is a beautiful area with a sad legacy from the World Wars, a real testament to the strength of the human will to survive and go on.

Wow, so many great responses and info. Thanks everyone!

Now I'll have to research all this and come to a decision.

Feel free to add more.

You don't say in your post when you are going. If it is end of June, Jyly or August, I would opt to Veron.About one hour by bus and when you have finished with the sights and shops there is the Verona Opera staged in the Arena in the open air. There are no microphones and the sound is terrific. Bring a picnic, sit on stone step and listen to wonderful music.

Thanks, cambe. We are going the last week of October.

Sypgirl: thanks very much for the interesting background. I wish I had seen the monument you refer to. I believe our guide said that for every Nazi killed, 10 local men were hanged.

I wouldn't argue with any of the above. All make great day trips. But here's another one, totally different that isn't about architecture, art, or culture.

Take the traghetto to Lido. Take the bus/ferry combination all the way to Chioggia. The way is interesting. Chioggia is what one can imagine Venice to be if it never had the wealth -- the "working man's Venice" so to speak. Or perhaps think of it as a Burano undiscovered by the hoardes of tourists.

We arrived mid morning and did coffee and pastry among locals at one of the many cafes along the main street which has virtually no traffic. We strolled the canals and watched fishermen unloading their catch and repairing their nets. The market was going on and we enjoyed a market that was geared totally towards locals. We didn't see a single booth promoting tourist trinkets or souvenirs. We had a wonderful lunch in a garden setting at one of the many great seafood restaurants -- all at a fraction of the price or pretense of Venice. It was a most unique and enjoyable day.

Incidentally, we had been in Italy for about four weeks at that point and were kind of "church and museum weary". Maybe that's what made this day so special.

In case you decide on Padova, you can extend your daytrip and reserve a table at Le Calandre - some would say the finest restaurant in all of Italy (at least, imho, it is.)