Thursday, April 25, 2024

2024 Venice & the Jewels of Veneto

river cruise italy

A small fishing port often referred to as a Venice in miniature, with a well-preserved tradition due to its relative lack of crowds, Chioggia is a wonderfully authentic and picturesque island. Board a genuine Adriatic wooden sailing boat, a bragozzo, to take in the island from the clear blue waters of the lagoon. The palace complex, as it exists now, mostly dates to the 14th and 15th centuries, and it brims with jaw-dropping artistic gems, including Tintoretto’s wall-sized Paradise and works by Veronese, Tiepolo and Titian. Throughout its history, Venice has been a supremely political city. Those convicted of crimes were led across the Bridge of Sighs to prison.

Day by Day

river cruise italy

The town's boutique-lined main streets get old pretty quickly, but the many hiking paths that wind through the beautiful hills surrounding Taormina promise a timeless alternative. A trip up to stunning Castelmola (whether on foot or by car) should also be on your itinerary. Sorrento may have become a jumping-off point for visitors to Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi, but you can find countless reasons to love it for itself. The Sorrentine people are fair-minded and hardworking, bubbling with life and warmth.

Viking River Cruises

We dined with the delightful Elaine, and she told us so many amazing stories (and was quite the character, you’ll love her!). After spending a couple of days in Venice, we sailed south through the Venetian Lagoon to the island of Pellestrina. Then, you’ll experience Chioggia before sailing on the Taglio di Po towards Canal Bianco, making numerous stops on the way. I’ll go into those in more detail a little later in the article. The Italian food, the history, the art, the landscape… it truly is a country that has it all, and it’s there just waiting to be explored on one of our Italian cruises. Chioggia is the quintessential Venetian Lagoon fishing village.

Cruises

To the north, on a promontory between the old and new harbours, lies the picturesque old town, or Citta Vecchia, with a maze of narrow, crooked streets. To the south is the spacious and regularly planned new town, which has developed considerably since 1930, when the Levant Fair was first held here. The busy thoroughfare, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, separates the new town from the old. At the eastern end of the Corso begins the Lungomare Nazario Sauro, a magnificent seafront promenade that runs along the old harbour. Bari and the Apulian region were long recognized for their strategic location, attracting a succession of colonizers such as the Normans, Moors and Spaniards, each leaving their mark. It sits at the foot of Mt. Etna, an active volcano with trails leading up to the summit.

Its centerpiece is the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the oldest church in the lagoon and a monument to Torcello's lost might. The doors open early for you, so you can see the stunning 11th-century mosaic of the Last Judgment without the crowds—and with expert commentary from your art historian guide. Start your morning in one of two of the Veneto region’s UNESCO World Heritage cities, Vicenza or Padua. In the afternoon, you'll reboard the ship for scenic sailing across the lagoon as we head towards Mazzorbo and Burano. Venice has no need to designate a pedestrians-only historic district because no cars are permitted within the island city - all transportation is by foot or water. With your early morning arrival at Doge’s Palace, you’ll be able to marvel at the estate in total peace.

An Italian cruise along the Venetian canals and rivers is an experience like no other. A river cruise gives you the unique opportunity to take in magical routes and views you’re unlikely to be able to experience on the larger river cruises within the region. On one of our Italy cruises, you’ll see flamingos as we pass through a nature reserve on our way to Taglio di Po.

We met with the owners for apertivo and wine at the estate, and received a small tour of the property and its chapel. We docked in Pellestrina alongside a collection of bright and colourful homes. At this point, you can either walk or go bike riding on the island. Justin and I hopped on the bikes as we love cycling when we travel. Whether you’re bike riding or walking, we all met at a small gelato shop in Pellestrina for a treat (they had two vegan gelato choices, including a dark chocolate one).

Venice river Cruises and the Po River

You’ll return to the ship (or stay on board) for lunch before your afternoon activities. This could include another guided tour, wandering around a new city, or an afternoon cruise. Then, you’ll enjoy dinner on La Bella Vita before retiring to your room for the night. It’s really nice to wake up every day in a new place, ready for a new adventure.

10 best cruises in Italy - VisitItaly.eu

10 best cruises in Italy.

Posted: Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Night Milan, Venice & The Jewels Of VenetoDetails

Immerse Yourself In The Art & Music Of Italy On Two Brand New River Cruises From Croisieurope - TravelMole

Immerse Yourself In The Art & Music Of Italy On Two Brand New River Cruises From Croisieurope.

Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:35:13 GMT [source]

In the morning, we went for a guided tour of Ferrara, a fascinating Renaissance Italian city with so much history. Our informative guide showed us a variety of old architecture, intriguing neighbourhoods, and we even stopped for an espresso at a local cafe at the end of our tour. Our small group continued the bike ride along one edge of the island that had a lengthy paved path on the waterfront. We looped back around and arrived back at the barge just in time for dinner (and an incredible sunset!). Later that same day, La Bella Vita set out on a late afternoon cruise towards Pellestrina. The island of Pellestrina separates the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea.

river cruise italy

Alternatively, you can take the afternoon to see the renowned glassblowing artisans of Murano at work. You will continue this exploration by strolling through the historic Castello district. Back in the 13th century the Castello district was home to the Arsenal, where Venice’s ships were built. (Venetians boasted that they could build a complete ship in a single day.) This is also where the famous Biennale art exhibition now takes place. As you pass 800-year-old homes, you’ll hear the murmur of the soft local dialect through the open windows.

Founded in the fifth century, it was known as the pantry of Venice because of its many small truck farms, which supplied Venetian households with produce until just a few decades ago. It is still a thriving fishing port; its wholesale fish market is one of the largest in Italy. On Thursdays, Chioggia also hosts Corso del Popolo—a dynamic outdoor market along its main thoroughfare where stands sell everything from clothes, shoes, purses, gadgets and “every-day” domestic items.

There, visit Padua and its Basilica Saint Anthony, or Verona, city of art and love. It is in this city that Romeo and Juliet found love and tragedy and even today, we can still remember their passion. Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists, and common citizens have left their mark here. Your most memorable experiences may include sitting at a caffè in the Campo de' Fiori or strolling in a beguiling piazza. Once the intellectual capital of southern Europe, Palermo has always been at the crossroads of civilization.

This might be a guided tour, exploring a town on your own, or a morning sailing to the next destination. The Italian barge sailing on La Bella Vita starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday (six nights in total). You’ll board the barge on early Sunday afternoon and leave on Saturday morning. The barge is a fantastic way to slowly experience the colourful lagoon islands and historic places between Venice and Mantua. There’s a fine dining chef on board who prepares delicious meals, three times a day, and there’s an open bar for drinks around the clock.

From the barge, we walked to Piazza San Marco for a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace. We had plenty of time to marvel at the dazzling rooms of the palace before returning to the barge for dinner. For travellers who want to take things slowly and really get to know the authentic heart and soul of this magical country, European Waterways has the perfect way to do it.

Plunge into the carnival atmosphere at an elegant and intriguing soirée overflowing with Venetian glamor. Venice is an open air museum offering an extraordinary set of architectural masterpieces, and displaying creations from some of the greatest artists in the world. Strolling through the narrow streets and escaping on a gondola down the charming canals makes this Italian city so unique.

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