Small towns in northern Italy not to miss

You'll probably get more helpful responses if you tell us what you're interested in and what you enjoy doing. And are you a total of 6 people, or will there be children in addition to the adults? Best wishes.

Have you consulted a guidebook or three? Which towns appeal to you? Why? How are you defining northern Italy? North of the Po?

Great questions. 6 adults, 4 in their 20's and 2 in their 40's. All active. Like small towns off the beaten path. Enjoy moderate hiking or biking.
Like to explore nooks and crannies of towns on our own. Looking at north of a line between Milano and Venice. Very early in planning and just looking for ideas based on other people's must see. Thanks for any feedback.

Verona is lovely, especially if you like opera. A trip to the open air arena to watch a performance is a wonderful experience. If you go, get the cheap seats (on the stone steps). Disobey the rules like everyone else there and take a picnic and bottle of wine (and a blanket to sit on) and enjoy watching the audience as much as the performance. You'll be sitting on the same seats, warmed by the sun, that people have sat on for hundreds of years.

Thanks Maggie, sounds like a great idea. Also thinking of spending time in Molveno outside Trento. Like hiking and biking. Thoughts on Molveno or another town.

Colleen, You might find it helpful to have a look at the Italy 2011 Guidebook, as there's lots of information there on small towns, and the sights and activities in each one. You should be able to find a copy in larger bookstores. You could also order from this website, or download the E-book version if you have a compatible Reader. Good luck with your planning!

Marostica, just outside of Vicenza is a good option. There's a little walking/hiking path up to the top where the castle ruins are featuring a good view of the area as well. You can combine it with nearby Bassano del Grappa for a good day trip.

Hiking near Vicenza. The 52 Tunnels Trail A few months ago, someone sent me this YouTube video about a hike in the Dolomites and I am champing at the bit to do it. In WWI, Italy fought Austria-Hungary in the Dolomites. Italy built a dirt road through a series of short carved tunnels to supply the front. It's still there, it's been restored and it's open to hikers. Here is the video. The video is a little slow at the beginning; but, after a few minutes, the hikers do a good job of showing the route. Looks like an easy climb, great scenery and a lot of history. The chorus singing WWI Dolomite Front hymns on the video is pretty cool too. If you do the hike, I'd love to know what it's like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS4LuPBBtVw

Colleen, I have to recommend Morbegno, a 30 minute train ride north of Varenna/Lake Como. We took a day trip there in 2005, and it was the highlight of our entire trip. Very small lovely little town, "European" in feel, totally walkable from the train station, NO other tourists, it has an amazing deli that dates from the 1880's, "Fratelli Ciappone" that has extensive wine and cheese caves with lots of antique wine implements going back into the hills that you can wander and explore. There is a link to an article about this area at Travel & Leisure Magazine's website about 2 valleys off the beaten path, Valtellina and Val Chiavenna. I belive Morbegno is in Valtellina. We took another day trip to Chiavenna, but it was pouring rain, so didn't get to experience it at its best. Hope you go!

For a different Verona experience from the opera, consider the Roman amphitheatre, just north and across the river from the historic center. It's where the Veronese go for concerts (jazz, pop, etc.) during the summer. Virtually no tourists to be found. Our hostess there last month told us "The Arena is for tourists. The amphitheatre is for the locals." That's not to knock the Arena. It would be the thrill of a lifetime to see some big opera there, especially Aida. That said, I was actually expecting it to be bigger than it is. But then, we had just been in Rome. :-)