We will be in Venice for 5 nights then have 4 days to travel the country side. We are considering traveling to Padua, Vicenza, Verona and then on to the Dolomite area of Bolzano and Trento. Does this seem possible? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
To see all of these in 4 days will be VERY rushed. Were your planning to drive or take the train? And do you have to return to Venice to fly out, or were you going somewhere else after these 4 days? I'd pick a few of these destinations, depending on what your interests are and where you have to be afterward, and enjoy them, rather than running around to check them all off the list. I haven't been to Vicenza, but I really liked Padua and consider it underrated. I liked Verona, but not as much as some. Trento was only so-so, but I liked Bolzano. The museum with the Iceman is a must - fascinating, not just for the man himself, but for placing him in the context of his time, and the eras before and after. I also liked Bressanone (Brixen in German), north of Bolzano.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11835 posts
Pat, What time of year are you traveling? We just returned from a Verona/Ortisei trip (Ortisei is in the Val Gardena), and we also stopped in Bolzano. It is very cool (a refreshing change from Rome!) in the Val Gardena. We wore jackets every morning, started an Alpe di Siusi hike at 09:00 when it was 44 degrees and sunny! For us, it was perfect. If you like outdoor activities, especially hiking in a beautiiful Alpine meadow, this is a great place. If you are going between May and September, consider going up into the Val Gardena (Ortisei, Santa Christina, and Selva) for 3 nights. We went to Padua last year. It was fine, but not a top-of-my-list place. As it was our second trip to Venice and we had 6 nights, we took one day to go to Padua. I will not likely return but I am glad I saw it. Verona is nice, but we only went to attend the opera in the Arena (fantastic!) Good place to wander around for a day and while many love love love it, and I am glad I saw it, it's not a must-see in my book, but we'll probably go back for an opera again next year. Bolzano is charming, but you are not really in the Dolomiti at that point. You will notice a big cultural shift, though, to German/Austrian/Ladino. Lot's of cute shops, though. Museum was very busy and line so long we had to skip it as we only had 3 hours in the town. Perhaps you could go to Padua or Verona on your way to Bolzano, spend a night in Bolzano, then go up to the Val Gardena for a couple of days.