Italian & Overseas Property Specialists

Venezio

Capital of this varied region is the indescribable Venice, suspended between land and water, best explored by meandering aimlessly like its beloved canals and waterways. Stretching accross 118 small islands inter connected by over 400 bridges in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea. Venices canals are its roads so either you walk or catch a boat to where you want to go.

There are so many things to do and see in this unforgettable city you might want to stay a while, whilst hotels and accommodation in Venices Centro Storico can be luxurious they are also pricey. However look just outside the city (transport links are good) and you will find a more reasonable deal. Whilst in the area Chioggia should not be missed, it is located at the southern most end of the Venetian lagoon and is a miniature Venice surrounded on all sides by the still, blue waters.

The town is famous for its fishing boats or 'bragozzi' as well as the fine restaurants which cook the freshest of sea food dishes. Venice Lido is the beach resort of Venice together with the dunes and beach of Alberoni and it is a fabulous place to relax for a while. It is also where you will find orchards and market gardens and even agriturismo establishments where you can stay the night

Verona

Verona is the city of the most famous lovers in history, Romeo & Juliet. The alleged home of Juliet and scene of the famous balcony is picturesque but overrun with tourists and Shakespeare lovers. Romeo's home, by contrast, has been transformed into a lovely restaurant and is well worth the visit.

One of Italy's most enchantingly beautiful towns those of you who embrace Italian style will find a wide variety of fashionable shops, a plethora of good restaurants, chic trattoria and cool cafes. Known as 'picola Roma' Verona has a stunning 2000 year old Roman Arena which is still going strong. The opera stage is the largest in the world, can hold up to 22,000 spectators and in the summer months the arena hosts opera and other performances.

Piazza delle Erbe is well worth a visit, it used to be the Roman Forum but now its a wonderful open air market surrounded by historic buildings with frescos and peppered with sculptures. Its a fantastic place to find a quick, cheap bite to eat. San Zeno has a fabulous panoramic view of Lake Garda looking west towards Trentino Alto Adige, and is worth the trip for the panorama alone, if not to buy some of the towns distinctive Olive oil or sample their famous black truffles.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest of Italy's lakes, set on scenic backdrop of the Dolomite Mountains, surrounded by orange and lemon trees it provides a natural playground. People visit from far and wide to mountain bike, ski and the area is also famous for its high quality golf courses.

Lake Garda is well known for its exciting nightlife, its dolce vita, restaurants, cafes, the trendiest discos and entertainment of all kinds are to be found everywhere. For those who are thinking of a holiday in this attractive part of Italy there are many hotels, holiday apartments, farm holidays in the area. Surrounded by pretty villages Lake Garda has something for everyone.

Vicenza

The capital of this region and birthplace of Italy's most revered Renaissance man, was completely transformed by famous architect Andrea Palladia, Vicenza contains the highest concentration of his exquisite villas, which are prevalent throughout Veneto and has become an outstanding memorial of his work.

Strolling through the town you can see many examples of his work from the public buildings to stunning palaces and villas; the most famous of which is located just outside of the main town, La Rotonda. North-West of Veneto in the verdent Po Delta and Vicenza is famous for it's Goldsmiths and jewelry trade and for the very tasty fish dish know as 'baccala'. In mid September every even year, the Renaissance town of Marostica in the province of Vicenza holds its famous life size chess tournament.

Padova

Is sometimes included in the city of Venice and lies 40km west, Padua is very picturesque having a dense network of intertwined  acarded streets opening out into beautiful Piazze and not unlike Venice has many bridges crossing the branches of the Bacchliogne River. The city is the setting for the major part of Shakespeares 'Taming of the Shrew'. The Botanical Gardens in Padova are the world's oldest university botanical gardens.

Treviso

Water plays the leading role in Treviso, the city is characterised by a web of rivers and canals which cross and surround it. Walking through the center visitors there are truly poetic settings, where medieval houses and buildings are reflected in the clear water of the canals. Wander around the maze of alleys starting behind Piazza dei Signori to discover the most charming corners of the city: Isola della Pescheria (fishmarket island), Canale dei Buranelli, Ponte San Francesco with the windmill, Ponte Dante with the university and Ponte S. Martino. A much loved characteristic of Treviso is the murals painted on the outside of wealthy villas, many of which can still be seen today there is a certain concentration is visible near Piazza Duomo, in Via Riccati, Via Canova and Via della Roggia.

Belluna

Belluno looks out of a natural balcony onto the Piave valley that opens out enchantingly over the town's neighbourhoods, encompassed by a ring of mountains set against clear blue skies. The breathtaking view forms a magnificent backdrop to this town which is full of nooks and crannies of great historical interest. The province of Belluna is home to Cortina D'Ampezzo no other place in the Dolomites boasts such beautiful mountains, magnificently snow-covered in the winter and wonderfully pink colored at sunset, especially in the summer. Cortina is an exclusive all year round ski resort and has hosted the winter Olympics with an abundance of facilities both on and off piste. If you were ever in doubt of its winter sports credentials then a trip to the Ski Boot Museum in Montebelluna, will identify not only how far the sport has come but also go some way to persuade you that this outstanding province is the 'Ski Capital of The World'!

Rovigo

This small province is located in the South East corner of the region, like the rest of Veneto it is rich in history and culture and has no shortage of Villas, especially famed for the Polesine Villas. Its main town of the same name, Rovigo, is home to one of the most important art galleries in the region, Concordi Academy displaying more than 450 works of Venetian art. Situated on one of Italy's largest rivers the Delta Po creates a super fertile, rich and diverse wildlife all around the region.

The Veneto gets its name from the original inhabitants of the area known as the Veneti, who were slowly assimilated into Roman culture. However some vestiges of their language may exist in the Venetian dialect and in certain places names. However this former maritime powerhouse had very humble beginnings as a refuge during the raids of Attila the Hun in the 5th century. Before the Republic decided to expand inland, the city-states of the Veneto formed a coalition known as the League of Verona to protect their independence from the Holy Roman Empire.

Today the area could not be more peaceful and is known as much for its wildlife as its beautiful highly diverse cultural cities. Today's Veneto blends a historic past with an agricultural bounty and modern progress. Due to the venetians strong trading position for silk, lace and pottery with the rest of Europe and Asia, they cultivated a rich and superior society whilst the rest of Europe struggled in poverty. This means that the region is literally packed with art, beautiful sculpture and architecture.

• Venice Carnival runs for ten days up to Lent, culminating on Shrove Tuesday with a masked ball. Not to be missed!
• Relax and unwind in the fabulous Spa town of Montegrotto
• Venice Top Six; Doges Palace, St Marks Basilicata, Ground Council Chamber, Giants Stairway, Palazzo Ducale, Bridge Of Sighs.
• Visit one of the best outdoor markets in the world at Rialto
• Rendentore Feast Day 16-18th July- with a spectacular firework finale in Venice
• Take a Gondola ride down the Grand Canal
• Take any number of activities both on and off piste at the world famous Cortina
• Visit Illasi and the Valpolicella Wine Festival in May
• Take a cycling tour to Jesolo many guidebooks are available outlining routes and tours etc. Similar tours can be made by canoe. Try the 40km return trip to Venice.
• White Water Rafting on the Brenta River in Padova, only for the brave!
• Play Golf at Arzaga I: Designed by Jack Nicklaus II, this hilly 18-hole course is laid out between Lake
• Garda and the Alps and carved through woodland with quite a few water hazards. The views are stunning with superb holes that all golfers will love.

By Plane

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.

By Train

There are excellent train links see the following:

• Eurocity - will connect Italian cities to the major European cities Eurostar - serves the main lines like Rome to Florence with few stops
• Diretto - faster than a locale, with less stops Expresso - stops just at the main towns
• Locale - slowest of all the trains that stops at all the local stops (avoid this one if you can!)
• Try: www.trenitalia.it for times and ticket reservations (Italian Only)

By Bus

For travel within any of the major cities, Italy provides a pretty good bus network. You can buy a biglietto at any of the local tobacco shops, indicated with a big black "T". The (intra-city) buses use an honour system, which is even a joke to the locals. Inspectors will do routine spot checks of the passengers to make sure that your ticket is validated by a validation machine that must be punched when you enter onto the bus. It's not worth the potential fine or hassle to try and beat the system by not validating your ticket.

By Boat

Azienda Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV) is the name of the public transport system in Venice. It combines both land transportation, with buses, and canal travel, with water buses (vaporetti). In total, there are 25 routes which connect the city. A one way pass good for one hour costs 6.50 €; longer term passes for 12 to 72 hours are available, costing 14 to 31 €. An even better deal is the "Venice Card" for 7 days, starting at 47.50 €, which includes unlimited vaporetto travel.

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