europeannovice

Hello everyone,

I am interested in people's thoughts about Palladio's Vicenza. Do you recommend for only a day trip from either Padua or Venice? Or do you recommend staying there and using it as a base to visit the surrounding areas for a few days? If so, what restaurants do you recommend? What other museums--houses do you recommend visiting besides the Teatro Olimpico and Rotonda?

Moderator3

Moved to Europe board and tagged for Italy

bilboburgler

I toured the buildings alone the Brenta by bicyle and stayed in a converted abbey in the middle and that visit took a whole day. There is a road all along the canal so that is easy and the local community maintain a good crop of restaurants there. Casa a Colori was pleasant enough and far enough away from the road to be pretty easy to sleep.

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/712/

progol

We started our Fall 2019 trip to Italy in Vicenza and loved it. Mind you, my husband was an architectural photographer and has an interest in Palladian architecture, so it was a good base for a visit to several of the villas as well as a visit to Padua, where we saw the Scrovegni Chapel (a masterpiece!). We hired Roberta Parlato, an art historian and wonderful guide, for the day and visited Villa Barbara and Villa Emo with her, then visited the Rotunda on our own.

Here’s the first part of the trip report, which covers our time in Vicenza. There weren’t any notable restaurants in Vicenza that we visited, but we did enjoy the pizza in the main square.

Nearly 5 weeks in Italy – Fantastico!

TDudette

Progol sends good advice.

Our goal was to visit La Rotunda because of its relationship to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. We trained to Vicenza from Verona, and took a taxi from the station to Palladio (it was out of town). Caught a bus back to town and walked a bit before returning to the station.

Based on that one experience, I'd almost suggest taking a tour. I know there were several of the Veneto homes and Vicenzo buildings, and I regret not seeing more. Pre-covid, tours were available from Venice and I'll bet you can find something that interests you online.

Peter_S_Aus

I think you can cover Vicenza in a single day. Besides the theatre, there is a Palladio museum that is worth a look - it explains many of the intricate aspects of his work.

Easy train trip from Venice, about 1.25 hours.

BritishCaicos

Another vote for the route down the Brenta canal by car/bike/boat . Peaceful and interesting architecture.

TDudette

..."took a taxi from the station to Palladio La Rotunda ". Oops!

bilboburgler

The canal barge trip looked good fun, BC, out of Venice somewhere. I watched it go by.

patriciatbrogan

I recall spending a day in Vicenza and discovered there was SO MUCH to see there - I forget - there is a 10-ticket option to buy and we only covered one or two sights, do give Vicenza more time, you'll regret not fitting in all one can take in there, look it up (ask for advice on the travel websites), get a book (library), do research on food too

HappyTrvlr

We did a Palladian focused trip after doing a cruise up the Brent’s Canal from Venice the year before. . We stayed in Vicenza and Bassano de Grappa.
Vicenza is a nice place to base for this area. It is an interesting city with lots to see and do.
We loved Bassano de Grappa with it’s Alpine setting and beautiful Palladian bridge.

europeannovice

Thank you everyone for your comments. Much appreciated.

Progol thank you for your trip report. I remember reading it a while back and have jotted down Roberta's information!

From city center how best to get to Villa Rotonda? By bus? Is it feasible to walk? I know you can cycle there but is there a walking path or best to take a bus? Has anyone been to Mount Berico? Can you get there without a car?

Sassafrass

Three notes.

I am a huge fan of Palladian architecture and IMHO, Teatro Olimpico is one of the most perfect buildings in the world. Plays and concerts are still held there. Perhaps nothing is being held because of Covid, but if it is, it would surely be an unforgettable experience if you can get tickets to an event. Otherwise, simply sitting in the space is a spiritual experience.

I like Vicenza a lot. It is a charming, small town, lovely for walking. The buildings are absolutely beautiful and it has a wonderful market. There are a couple of restaurants that were highly recommended to us, but we did not get to them. We stayed five days, but had a crazy, fierce, stormy week and flooding, plus I had crowns break on two teeth and needed emergency dental work, so obviously we did not see as much as I hoped. Anyway, I would certainly spend a couple of days, but would not use it as a base for visiting Venice. To see Venice, stay in Venice.

https://thepalladiantraveler.com/201...-monte-berico/
A favorite thing we did was Monte Berico. We took a taxi up (about a 2 to 5 minute ride for $5.00) and walked back down.
It was a highlight because we sat for a service in the church, just to feel a part of the community, and afterwards so many people came and welcomed us, inviting us to return for a dinner. The views are wonderful. It is a a bit of a hike up (if you have the energy) and nice walk back down. There is also a bus, takes about 13 minutes up and cost about a dollar, I think.

europeannovice

Sassafrass--Thanks for your comments on Vicenza. I will have to check when we are finally ready to go if there will be any concerts held then. Sounds like it would be a wonderful experience.

Sorry to hear about your dental emergencies intruding on your plans for an enjoyable vacation plus the stormy weather. Do you remember what time of year it was? I remember when we traveled to London my son ended up in the emergency room with a bout of food poisoning. So much for our day trip to Oxford. The doctor there said it was good to have brought him in just to check that it was not his appendix. He spent the next few days in the hotel room--couldn't travel very far from the bathroom.

I agree we will spend time in Venice proper to tour Venice. Our dilemma is whether to do day trips from Venice to Padua and Vicenza. Or use either as a base to explore the other as well as the Palladio villas in the surrounding areas near Asolo etc. At first we were thinking of basing in Padua but now I am beginning to lean more toward Vicenza. Vicenza does have some nice museums besides the Palladian theme such as Palazzo Leoni Montanari which seems interesting.

For Mont Berico is there a decent path to walk back down the hill? Do you happen to remember which restaurants were recommended to you?

Again thanks all for your comments!

Sassafrass

Yes, as I recall, the walk down from Monte Berico is actually all paved, part with lots of steps, some sloping, partly under a colonnaded, covered walking street. It is not a path at all, like through a park. It is all paved, basically a wide side walk or street. I can’t do all the steps up, so took the taxi up, but it was fine coming down. The archway in the pictures is part of the walkway.

Partway down, there is a small hotel with beautiful views. I would loved to stay there. Unfortunately, they serve food and drinks only to guests.
I do not remember the restaurants, but one of the links has some recommendations.

https://www.italiantalks.com/italian...co-in-vicenza/

https://thepalladiantraveler.com/201...-monte-berico/

30Giorni | «A lighthouse of safety and of rescue in the storms of life» (by Pina Baglioni)

As to staying in Vicenza versus Padua, they are so different. I would love to stay in Padua too. It seems more elegant, wealthier, more spacious, wider streets and far livelier, less old world than Vicenza. I am sorry, I really find it difficult to advise. I have not done the Brenda Canal. Next time. . . . I like being in places in the evening, just a different ambience, and I enjoy eating in small places with mostly locals, which is what you get in Vicenza. It may not be a big thrill experience, but is more authentic, I think, seeing local families and people meeting friends, people knowing the waiters, etc. Places like Vicenza offer a lot to explore that few people have time to experience. If possible, I would definitely stay there a night or two, then Venice and visit Padua from Venice. I also like waking up in the place I am going to tour for the day, if possible. An hour each way to sight see mid-day in a different city seems long to me, but not to everyone.

We were there in early September. The weather had been perfect the week before and after the storms, was beautiful again. So unpredictable.

Honestly, as is often said, “you can never see everything,” but I think everything you see and do will be memorable.

Sassafrass

https://www.monasterystays.com/?d=It...-accommodation

This place is very simple, not elegant or lux, but I thought it would be an interesting place to stay. Some might not find it as convenient as the city center, but it is actually very close, the garden and views are beautiful and the food looked great.

annhig

Jumping in here, I did a day trip by train from Venice to Vicenza and found that I could see quite a lot in the time but I felt that I wasn't doing it justice as I hadn't done enough homework on what I could see in the time I had which was perhaps a little more limited than I would have liked because I was cat sitting and didn't want to leave the cat for too long. [sounds daft put like that, doesn't it?] But I did enjoy the parts I saw - the Teatro Olympico, the "Basilica" and one or two of the churches. In retrospect I wish I'd taken a cab up to the Rotunda but there is always another time! Also I didn't find anywhere inspiring to eat but again that was probably lack of homework.

To stay in it rather depends on what you want to do - I have been to Padua twice now and like it very much for the atmosphere and variety of things to see and do. Also it's close to both Venice and Vicenza and you can also get the train to Ferrara and Bassano del Grappa, as well as plenty of other less well known but interesting places. And because I found an excellent restaurant there which is also a hotel; given the quality of the food I think that the hotel would also be good, and not expensive. https://www.alsanto.it/ristorante.html

Sassafrass

Like Annhig, we also had really good food in Padua, but I rarely remember to write down restaurants.
Just noticed spelling in earlier post. Sorry, Brenta, not Brenda. Auto correct insists on changing it.

europeannovice

Sassafrass--thanks for the links and information.

Annhig--Thanks for your input too. Do you remember where you stayed in Padua? Sounds like you need to make another trip to Vicenza to see the places you didn't get to due to cat duty lol.

Yes finding decent places to eat is also important as well as finding decent lodging. So I am gathering from people's experiences here that the restaurants are somewhat better in Padua than Vicenza as far as variety and quality of the food, right? There is enough to do in both places for at least a couple of days.

annhig

<<Annhig--Thanks for your input too. Do you remember where you stayed in Padua? Sounds like you need to make another trip to Vicenza to see the places you didn't get to due to cat duty lol.>>

Sorry europeannovice, I didn't stay in Padua; I had an excellent meal in the restaurant of the hotel I mentioned which if it's as good as the food should be very good indeed.