We have reservations in Italy for the the whole month of March, flying into and out of Milan. Everything is refundable (including flights) up til mid-February; if we cancel after that we would lose a few hundred €€€ on our Venice apartment, but that is all.
The trip plan is a resurrection of the March 2020 trip that we had to cancel, and the focus is Puglia. We planned to work our way down there by train, after 4 nights in Venice, and then return to Milan via Bologna and Ferrara (a few nights in each). The Puglia section has us in 3 bases with 3-5 nights each, plus a night in Termoli on the way down, and one in Caserta on the return, to break up the long train journey to the heel.
Last night we decided this is too much moving around, and too much train time, for the current situation. We want longer stays in fewer locations. So we are canceling the whole Puglia section, and adding time to Venice and Bologna. That leaves us with about ten days to fill in between the two, and I am looking for suggestions, particularly in Emilia-Romagna, my husband’s new love) or the Veneto. We would like at most 2 locations.
We love to walk—-it is what we do at home and when we travel. 5 to 10 miles a day. In urban settings, we plan walks to include stops at museums, churches, or other sights of cultural or historic interest. My husband has a keen interest in architecture. And we love to hike on rural trails, although March will not be a good time for walking in the mountains. But we would like to be able to walk in the countryside close to the town where we stay, if that is possible. We want to travel around by train, not rent a car.
Using my regional guidebooks for Italy (not Rick’s) I have so far come up with Treviso and Vicenza in the Veneto, and Brisighella in Emilia-Romagna. The latter is a small town, which bills itself (or is called by others) “One of the most beautiful medieval villages in Italy”. https://www.brisighella.org/en/
But what drew me initially is the fact that it sits along the Via Dante, the long-distance walking path between Ravenna and Florence. That suggests to me there could be at least two days of walking there—-one taking the trail in each direction.
Has anyone here been there? And what else should I consider? Parma and Modena come to mind, but I know little about either, and I wonder if they might be too similar to Bologna? Anywhere else in Emilia-Romagna to consider? Or the Veneto? Padua does not draw me (we spent a day visiting the city from Venice). We have been to Verona and Bassano del Grappa and like both, but I don’t know that they offer enough outside of town or nearby to warrant at a multi-day stay.
Maybe we should expand and look at Lombardy and Piemonte as well? I feel they might be too high (in latitude or altitude) for early spring walking.
Keep in mind that this will be March. We don’t expect perfect weather (we are used to rain in Seattle) but if someplace is particularly known for either bad weather or good in early spring, I would like to hear about it.
I really appreciate your help!