Things to Do Around Venice and Veneto

Once you have seen Venice itself, the Veneto around it is one of the most rewarding regions in Italy, and most of it is a train ride away. Here are twelve things to do beyond the lagoon, all reachable from Venezia Santa Lucia or the buses at Piazzale Roma.

  1. See an opera in Verona’s Arena. The first-century Roman amphitheatre still fills for a summer opera season, and by day you can walk its tiers for about EUR10 to 12.

  2. Stand under Giotto’s frescoes in Padua. The Scrovegni Chapel’s 1305 cycle is unmissable, but there are no same-day daytime tickets, so book ahead at cappelladegliscrovegni.it.

  3. Walk Palladio’s Vicenza. The Teatro Olimpico and the Corso Palladio are the core; add Villa Rotonda if its limited public hours line up.

  4. Hike the Dolomites. Take the bus from Piazzale Roma to Cortina d’Ampezzo for the peaks; a long day, better as an overnight.

  5. Spend a day on Lake Garda. Change at Verona for Peschiera or Desenzano, then head to Sirmione for its castle and thermal waters.

  6. Drive the Prosecco road. The UNESCO-listed hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene reward a self-drive or minivan tour among the terraced vineyards.

  7. See the mosaics in Ravenna. Further out at 2.5 to 3-plus hours, but the 1,500-year-old Byzantine mosaics at San Vitale are among Europe’s finest.

  8. Wander Treviso. Just 30 to 40 minutes away, a walled town of canals and porticoes, and the home ground of tiramisu and radicchio.

  9. Soak in the Euganean Hills. The volcanic hills near Padua hold thermal spa towns like Abano and Montegrotto, plus Arqua Petrarca, where the poet spent his last years.

  10. Cross the bridge at Bassano del Grappa. The covered wooden Ponte degli Alpini, designed by Palladio, spans the Brenta beneath the foothills of the Alps.

  11. Climb to Asolo. A hill town of arcaded streets and long views, long a favourite retreat of writers and artists.

  12. Eat fish in Chioggia. At the southern tip of the lagoon, a working fishing town like a smaller Venice, with a lively morning market.

A practical note that shapes all of it: trains for Verona, Padua, Vicenza, Garda and Ravenna leave from Venezia Santa Lucia, while the Dolomites buses and any rental car start at Piazzale Roma. Arrive early wherever you go, since these towns fill with day trippers by late morning too.

Read more: the Venice as a Veneto base guide has the full logistics, and the Veneto day trips guide ranks the trips by ease.