Venice dominates Veneto tourism so completely that three quarters of travellers arriving at Venice never leave the lagoon, missing two of Italy's most historically layered cities: Verona, with its Roman amphitheatre and Shakespeare connections, and Padua, a university town since 1222 and home to Giotto's frescoes. Both sit less than an hour by train from Venice, both offer the substance of Italian city life without the lagoon's relentless crowds.
This guide explores the Veneto beyond Venice.
Verona, Two Millennia in Five Square Kilometres
Verona packs more historical layers into its compact centre than almost any Italian city: a first-century Roman amphitheatre, Romanesque churches, a 14th-century Scaliger castle, 19th-century Austrian fortifications. Everything is walkable in an afternoon, yet rewarding enough to spend days exploring.
The summer opera season at the Arena (June through August) alone justifies the journey. For the rest of the year, the historic centre unfolds as a three-hour walk connecting Piazza Bra, Piazza delle Erbe, Castelvecchio, and the Adige riverfront.
Catena Bridge House sits in a strategic location: within walking distance of the historic centre and convenient to Ospedale Maggiore, a detail that makes it equally practical for visitors seeing hospitalised relatives. One of those apartments that works equally well for different kinds of travellers.
Padua, the City of Three Absences
Padua is said to have "three absences": the Saint without a name (everyone simply says "il Santo" meaning Sant'Antonio), the Meadow without grass (Prato della Valle is an enormous piazza with an island in its centre), the Café without doors (Caffè Pedrocchi, historically open at all hours).
Add a fourth: the University without equal, Italy's second oldest after Bologna, where Galileo taught. And the Scrovegni Chapel, covered in frescoes Giotto painted in 1305, which requires advance booking.
Appartamento Portello Università sits in the Portello neighbourhood, the university quarter on the Piovego river: students, bars, bicycles everywhere. The perfect base for experiencing the city as a living place, not just a collection of monuments.
Palladio House occupies the heart of the historic centre, steps from Piazza dei Signori and Prato della Valle. For those who prefer walking to cycling.
What to See Between the Two Cities
Padua and Verona are connected by a railway line running through Veneto's heart, with Palladio's Vicenza halfway between them: 23 Palladian villas on the UNESCO list, reachable as a day trip from either base.
With more time, visit Soave and its vineyards between Verona and Vicenza, and the Euganean Hills around Padua, where Petrarch lived in Arquà.
When to Go
Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are ideal. Summer is manageable but hot on the plain, and Venetian humidity is legendary. Winter brings fog, low prices, and a singular atmosphere in the illuminated piazzas.
Getting Around
Regional trains run Verona-Padua every half hour, taking 50 minutes. Padua-Venice takes 25 minutes. In both cities, cars are unnecessary and expensive: paid parking, extensive pedestrian zones, short walking distances. Padua is a cycling city, even for tourists; bikes are available for rent everywhere.
In Brief
For most travellers, Veneto means Venice alone, but Verona and Padua rank among Italy's most historically complex and genuinely lived-in cities. Staying in an apartment in their historic centres costs half what a hotel room runs in Venice, and you get something entirely different: the everyday reality of real cities rather than tourist spectacle. The properties in this guide are listed on Italish, contact them directly, and your payment goes straight to your hosts.
