Verona to Venice: it’s a journey that leads to some of Italy’s finest art treasures and stunning architectural gems. It’s also an itinerary for those who enjoy the works of Shakespeare. Located about a two-hour drive from Milan and around ninety minutes by car from Bologna, Verona makes an excellent departure point for this voyage of discovery.

Total drive approx: 200 kms

Day 1 Verona

Verona

Arriving from Milan or Bologna, plan on spending at least a couple of days in Verona, which is without doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. Apart from its magnificent architecture and a wealth of Renaissance art, the city is renowned for its summer opera season, staged each year in the ancient Arena di Verona (a better-preserved version of the Colosseum in Rome).

Steeped in history, Verona has another side: it is also one of Italy’s wealthiest towns, boasting many elegant streets lined with equally elegant shops and a wonderful choice of restaurants – the best of all worlds. You will want to park your car while exploring Verona, which is very much a walking city.

The city is nestled along the banks of the Adige River (the second longest river in Italy)  at the foot of the Lessin mountains -- the stunning red marble, which can be admired in many historic buildings in Verona, comes from these mountains.

The Romans colonised Verona more than two thousand years ago, and because of its strategic setting in the centre of a network of roads and trails spreading through the region, it naturally became one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire.

Verona was shaped by more than just a Roman influence: during the Renaissance, Verona was a part of the Venetian republic, and it ardently absorbed the full splendour of the period's culture and art. It also became a centre of the many duplicitous dynastic power struggles that characterized much of medieval Italian history.

Napoleon later occupied the city, and on his defeat if became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. Following the Six Weeks War in 1866, Verona, along with the rest of the Venetian republic, became part of Italy. There are rich reminders of all these periods to be explored around the old city.

Casa di Giulietta, or Juliet’s house

Verona is the setting of two of William Shakespeare’s works -- The Two Gentlemen of Verona and his far more famous Romeo and Juliet. There are (unsurprisingly) several Romeo and Juliet tours of the city. And thanks to Shakespeare, the balcony of Casa di Giulietta is without doubt the most photographed balcony in the world -- despite the fact that Shakespeare never set foot in Verona and his Romeo and Juliet are fictional characters. The city of Verona bought the house back in 1905 and declared it to be the family residence of the Capuleti family – a wonderful bit of early tourism marketing.

Feeling romantic – and ready to splash out? In the courtyard of the Capuleti house there is a boutique sixteen-room hotel (a couple with four-poster beds) called Il Sogno di Giulietta: the courtyard is closed to the public during the night.

In discovering Verona, start out on the Piazza Bra, which is bounded by the Roman arena and several important medieval buildings – the Romans wouldn’t recognise the square today with its array of cafes, restaurants and shops. Continue along Via Mazzini (shopaholic heaven: think Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vouitton, Prada and a host of other brands). You’ll come to Via Cappello and Casa di Giulietta, or Juliet’s house.

There are so many places of interest in Verona that you will have to make your own choice – or you could be there for several days. Antique hunters will want to head for the shops around Corso Santa Anastasia.

The Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore is a’must’: one of the most beautiful Romanesque basilicas in Italy. It was created under the direction of Pepin, son of Charlemagne, and built over a burial site dating back to Roman times. Shakespeare enthusiasts will know that the crypt of Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore was where Juliet married Romeo.

Another ‘must’ are the ornate yet somewhat forbidding Scaliger Tombs, a group of five monumental, Gothic-style shrines celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled Verona with an iron fist from the 13th to the late 14th century. The tombs are a short walk from Via Cappello on the Piazza dei Signori.

Here’s a tip: you can save money on entrance fees in Verona with a Verona Card, valid for either one or three days. It includes admission to all the important sights and offers free journeys on local transport. Several museums also offer combined tickets for two or three attractions. Check out the latest deals and prices when you arrive.

The museums and attractions of Verona are mostly open throughout the week, but close on Monday afternoons. Opening hours vary according to the time of year and (in the case of the Arena) the opera season.

Parking in Verona is not a problem, The historic city centre is fairly compact and because it is an area of small narrow streets it is designated as a limited traffic zone (zona traffico limitato) for local traffic only. On some roads in the city the Verona Park scheme is operational. consisting of a pre-paid ticket valid for unattended marked parking places. The ticket is on sale from shops, tobacconists, newsagents and bars.

Accommodation options. Hotel Antica Porta Leona, Verona Hotel, Hotel San Luca

Day 2. Depart: Verona O/night: Bassano del Grappa Approx: 110 kms

After breakfast start your drive to Basanno del Grappa, home to the fiery Italian brandy that takes its name. Head out of Verona on the Corso Venezia, continue along the Via Unita d’Italia and on to SR 11, which takes you north-east to Vicenza, a drive of a little under 90 minutes -- if the traffic is in your favour.

About halfway between Verona and Vicenza, a road to your left called Viale della Vittoria leads to Soave. If you are a wine enthusiast you will want to make the short detour.

Soave

Soave has a beautiful 14th century castle, from the top of which you have a spectacular view over the many vineyards below. Many of the wineries, both in the village and nearby Monteforte d'Alpone, are open to walk-in visitors. Soave is mainly famous for its Bianco di Soave (a great wine to accompany fish).  For foodies, the same area produces excellent olive oil and Monte Veronese cheese, a slightly piquant traditional Italian table cheese.

Vicenza was a prosperous town under Venetian rule, demonstrated by its fine architecture, much of which still survives. It’s a compact town, with many of the major attractions bunched close together just inside the old town walls.

Most of the historic buildings along the narrow lanes of Vicenza's old centre date from the 16th and 17th centuries, though some are considerably older. The lanes are called contra, a local word for 'street'.

The Italian word palazzo can mean any large building and not necessarily a palace; but many of Vicenza's palazzi are as close to a palace as you could possibly get. One of the most curious  is the Palazzo Porto Breganze, which was never finished and stands as it was when the builders walked away. It was designed for a wealthy merchant by the 16th century Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio: it’s unclear what circumstances stopped construction, though it obviously had something to do with conniving family politics of the time.

Vicenza, which has World Heritage status, owes most of its fame to the buildings of Andrea Palladio, who remains one of the most influential architects ever to have lived. Vicenza is home to twenty-three buildings designed by Palladio, a priceless artistic heritage.

Among the ‘musts’ while in Vicenza is the Teatro Olimpico, modelled on ancient Roman amphitheatres and one of Palladio's last works. The entrance ticket gives you free entry to other Vicenza museums.

The city’s Palladio links have inspired an architecture study centre and museum, the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio, which houses architecture exhibitions in a palazzo designed by the architect called Palazzo Barbaran da Porto.

The other ‘must’ is the Santuario di Monteberico, a church built on the site of what are said to be two apparitions of the Madonna. A long arcaded walkway stretches up the hill, which is useful on a sunny (or a rainy) day. Try to be there when the bells are ringing.

You'll want to allow a couple of hours or so to discover Vicenza before continuing on to Cittadella, some 28 kilometres north-west on SS 53. It's a small, walled town with a well-preserved medieval defence system. The walls have recently undergone some careful restoration to ensure the safety of the ramparts. Cittadella has four main towers and along its perimeter, which stretches for almost one-and-a-half kilometres, there several more.

Cittadella

The parapet walk tourist office is open every day from 09.00 to 16.00 except Tuesday, and closes for lunch (Italian style) from 13.00 to 14.00. It opens slightly later at weekends. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing. The walkway is closed during rain. You have to pay a small fee at one of two entrances to make the steep climb to the top of the wall, but it’s worth it.

From Cittadella head north to Marostica on SS 45. Watch for the signs to Valdastico/Vicenza, where you take the Vicennza exit and merge onto SP111. At the roundabout take the first exit and continue along SP 428 to Marostica. It’s about a thirty-minute drive.

Marostica is known as the ‘City of Chess’ because every two years, a medieval-themed giant chess game is enacted with human chess-pieces. Known as the Partita a Scacchi di Marostica, the game takes place on the town square, Piazza del Castello, where the paving stones mark out the chess squares. The unusual chess festival takes place in even-numbered years on the second weekend in September.

Marostica has two castles, one at the top of the hill above town, the other in the main square where the chess game is held. The lower castle, the Castello Inferiore, guards the main entrance through the town walls: there are several interesting medieval buildings and churches in Marostica.

Marostica chess festival

Other events hosted Marostica include a cherry festival in May and June: Marostica cherries are large, deep in color, sweet and firm. During the season you can stop and buy large baskets of them in stands alongside the road.

Antique hunters will be interested in Marostica’s antiques market, which is held on the first Sunday of every month.

Continue from Marostica to Bassano del Grappa, a little more than a fifteen-minute drive and plan to spend the night there.

You should arrive in Bassano del Grappa, known as Bassan by the locals, with enough time to check in at your hotel and head for the Poli Grappa Museum, which is close to the famous Alpini Bridge.

Grappa, the fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italy can be anything up to 60 per cent proof, so if you are going to do a little tasting, it’s better at the end of the day. Foodies will want to come away from the museum with a panettone alla grappa, a sweet bread loaf filled with raisins and Moscato grappa flavoured custard.

The Nardinis are another grappa family: they have been making it since 1779. The founder was Bortolo Nardini who opened an inn at the eastern entrance of the wooden covered Bassano bridge. The inn soon became the Grapperia Nardini, which is still in existence and continues to be owned and operated by the Nardini family.

A far more recent addition to Bassano del Grappa is the avant-garde visitors centre at the Nardini Distillery, built to commemorate 225 years of distilling grappa – it resembles a flying saucer (and that’s before you taste the grappa). It’s open to group visits only, but individual visitors who e-mail in advance can usually make an appointment if they have a particular interest in wine-making.

Accommodation options. Hotel Brennero, Hotel Belvedere, Hotel Dal Ponte;

Day 3. Depart: Bassano del Grappa O/night: Venice Approx: 90 kms

Bassano del Grappa

Start the day by doing little more sightseeing of the old town. The wooden Alpini Bridge, the symbol of the town, was originally built in 1569 by Andrea Palladio (the architect who put Vicenza on the map). It has been rebuilt several times, after being destroyed by high water and wars, but always according to Palladio’s original design

Piazzotto Montevecchio, Piazza Libertà and Piazza Garibaldi are lined with connecting arcades and full of cafes and shops. They're buzzing both during the day and in the evening during the busy summer months.

Sturm Palace, a patrician house from the 1700's, has interesting frescoes and a ceramics museum, while the Civic Museum has a fairly large collection of archaeological artefacts, paintings and prints from the 1800s.

Ernest Hemingway was injured in a battle not far from the city during World War One and it was during his long convalescence in Bassano del Grappa that he began his epic novel, A Farewell to Arms. Maybe a book to read while you are in the region.

Bassano del Grappa stages several big events during the year. Between May and June, the Biso & Verdiso feast celebrates the local white asparagus. In July and August, Veneto Summer Opera Festival comes to town, with 400 performances including dance, jazz and opera.  And in the middle of September every odd-numbered year La Ballata del Millennio with more than 500 characters in costumes re-enacts the most significant moments of Bassano’s history.

From Bassano del Grappa continue on to Asolo, a short drive of about half-an-hour.

Asolo

Asolo has a certain charm of its own and is known as as the 'City of a Hundred Horizons' because of its mountain setting. The British poet Robert Browning once lived in Asolo, and so did explorer and travel writer Dame Freya Stark. If you walk along the colonnade of via Browning you come to Villa Freya, home to the Stark family.

The most interesting monument in Asolo is its medieval fortress and walls. The fortress dominates the sky line of Mount Ricco and is characterized by its many narrow streets and alleyways. The mid-18th century Asolo Cathedral is also worth a visit: it houses a masterpiece by Rennaisance artist Lorenzo Lotto, who was renowned for his altarpieces.

You might want to browse the antiques market, which is held the second weekend of the month, except July and August.

The bustling Piazza Garibaldi with its beautiful 16th century fountain is a good place to relax with a late morning coffee before continuing to Treviso. Head east on SS 248 until you reach Via Forestuzzo (SR 348) where you turn right and travel south-east to Treviso, which should be just in time for a late lunch. Halfway between Asolo and Treviso is Giavera del Montello, which boasts two or three good restaurants.

Here’s a top tip for wine lovers: from Asolo you could make a discovery detour north east to Valdobbiadene and travel east along the Strada del Vino Bianco (the White Wine Road) to Conegliano, a drive through vine-covered hills as beautiful as any in Tuscany’s Chianti Classico region. It would take about 45 minutes from Asolo to Valdobbiadene and twice that to Conegliano, allowing for a winery stop along the way. From Conegliano you would head south to Treviso.

Treviso is often overlooked because of its proximity to Venice: a tough act to follow (or in this case, precede) It’s a pleasant town with several attractions. Rebuilt and restored after World War Two bombing, the old centre remains a rambling maze of streets lined with arcaded walkways.

Unlike Venice, this town doesn't depend on tourism: it is is home to the clothing giant Benetton, which (shopaholics take note) has a large store behind the Palazzo dei Trecento in the town centre.

Treviso's smartest shopping street, Via Calmaggiore, stretches from Piazza dei Signori towards the Duomo, between the lengthy rows of arches that characterise Treviso's arcaded streets. The most interesting part of the Duomo is the crypt, which contains extensive fragments of coloured medieval frescoes. Visitors will need some small change to illuminate the crypt, and the same for the fine Titian altarpiece, an Annunciation, which is the Duomo's prized possession.

The main Treviso museum is the Museo di Santa Caterina, a former church and convent. Tomaso da Modena's St. Ursula frescoes are displayed in the centre of the church. The 14th-century artist's charming frescoes pepper the city's churches.

Treviso is a pleasant place to wander, and is a good place to stop for lunch on your drive through to Venice.

Venice

Driving to Venice has been described as being like a trip to a suburban shopping mall: when you get there, you'll need to park your car until it's time to leave. During high season, you may want to consider parking on the mainland -- either at a hotel near the railroad station in Mestre (where trains depart frequently for Venice) or at San Giuliano next to the Venetian Lagoon (where you can catch a boat into the city). This way, you'll avoid the traffic jams that regularly clog the several kilometres between the mainland and the Piazzale Roma in Venice.

If you'd rather not stay or park on the mainland, the Tronchetto parking garage offers the best alternative. The vast garage is built on an artificial island, and is more likely to have empty parking spaces than the more centrally located (and considerably more expensive) public and private garages at the Piazzale Roma. Tronchetto is also the only place to park in Venice if you're driving a large camper or motorhome.

From the mainland, take the causeway toward Venice. Just before you reach the city, take the exit marked Tronchetto. Follow the signs for the garage and parking lots.

Expect to pay a daily rate of €16 for outdoor parking, €21 for parking in the garage, or even more for secure VIP parking. You pay for parking when you leave, using the automated cashier machines. (Keep your receipt, which you'll need it to exit the garage). The garage provides a baggage-check service, which is handy if you're worried about items disappearing from your car. If you're arriving on a weekend or in high season, we suggest reserving a parking space in advance. Use the "bookings" e-form at Tronchetto's official web site.

The No. 2 vaporetto, or public water bus, connects Tronchetto with other parts of Venice. It runs year-round in two directions. An alternative is the automated airport-style People Mover between Tronchetto and the Piazzale Roma. It's fast and only costs one euro for the three-minute ride. Water taxis are a (costly) way to get around Venice – make sure you only use licensed water taxis, and even then you will be burning your budget.

Venice needs little, if any, introduction. It lives up to its every cliché: its name immediately conjures up visions of canals and singing gondoliers in striped jerseys, the Rialto and the Bridge of Sighs; Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square), one of the world's best-known squares. For architectural splendour you will not be disappointed -- but singing gondoliers may be another story.

Allow a couple of days (at least) to take in the classic attractions, more if you want to get out to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Or you could make a week of it and stay beachside at the Lido.

The Venice Lido

The Lido de Venezia is a long, narrow strip of land separating the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. It’s easily accessible by car and very popular with Italian families in the summer -- if you are looking for a peaceful beach, this might not be the place to chill out, though it’s great for a little people watching.

Murano is known for its glassblowing. Don’t be fooled by offers of free boat trips to the island – there’s no such thing as a ‘free’ glassblowing excursion: use the public ferries and avoid the touts working on commissons from the glass factories. Burano is known for its brightly painted houses, a tradition that has its origins in the way local fishing boats were once painted. Both islands are well worth a visit, and offer another memorable aspect of Venice.

Accommodation options. Hotel Arlecchino, Hotel Olimpia, Hotel Al Sole