Say Veneto and you immediately think of Venice. St. Mark's Square, the great lagoon, the gondolas on the Grand Canal, the Bridge of Sighs, the wild Carnival, the great architecture, the artistic masterpieces, the sumptuous palazzi, the magic of the narrow streets, the International Film Festival, the Biennale Art Exhibition, the Fenice Theatre, the prestigious universities, the many indications of the splendour and ostentatious wealth of a marine power that dominated the Mediterranean for five centuries. But the Veneto is not just Venice, and its landscape does not just consist of the sea. The mountains of the Veneto have a rare beauty. The Dolomites seen from Cortina d'Ampezzo, the famous holiday resort in the province of Belluno, are a fabulous spectacle. And the whole area of the river Po delta, in the province of Rovigo, is a unique environment of exceptional natural interest. At Padua, an ancient and learned city, the majestic Basilica that houses the relics of S. Antonio attracts millions of pilgrims every year. The attraction of the Palladian Villas is also strong, named after their creator, the great architect Andrea Palladio who, in the sixteenth century, planned and realised buildings whose harmonious beauty is still capable of astonishing, such as La Rotonda in Vicenza. And during the summer at Verona, the city immortalised by Shakespeare in his Romeo and Juliet, a night at the opera in the Arena should not be missed.
Venetian cuisine is known for its variety of dishes and ingredients. This can be expected in a lagoon city which, though born of its own waters, has always maintained close ties with the mainland as well as flourishing trade routes with many faraway countries, from northern Europe to the far East.
Here you find not only the dried Baltic cod and the exquisite Asian spices, but also the genuine if perhaps more modest fresh vegetables from the estuary islands, fish from the Venice lagoon and game fowl captured in the barene, or shallows. A visit to Venice offers an opportunity to discover a fascinating gastronomic tradition.
Venetian cuisine is simple and tasty, fish-based. Vongole, Capparozzoli, Cappe (clams), Cozze (mussels), Gamberi, Gamberetti, Gamberoni, Scampi, Astici (all in the family of shrimps), Seppie, Seppioline (cuttle-fish) are the most popular. It is, however, difficult if not impossible to have fresh fish on Mondays because most fishermen do not work on Sunday nights. You will also notice there is no fresh fish at the market or in the shops just frozen.
Beans are another Venetian speciality. You can have pasta e fagioli (in dialect: pasta e fasoi) but ask in advance if there is meat or meat products in their recipe. Obviously you can have salads including bean salad; and there is a variety of pasta, spaghetti, rice, gnocchi, and vegetable lasagne.
Veneto travel
The Veneto is a short flight from the UK, and is well-served with budget flights to several different airports. Ryanair fly to Treviso Airport, while Easyjet and other UK airlines land at Venice Marco Polo Airport. Verona has its own airport too, while Ryanair use the small airfield at Brescia for flights from Stansted.
Trains connect the major towns in the area, and there are also bus connections between towns and villages. A hire car would be useful if you're exploring smaller places, but is of no use at all in Venice, where public boats will take you around the city and lagoon.