Venice, Venetia & the Dolomites, 4th [Paperback]

‘The Cadogan Series of guide books is superb – comprehensive, intelligent, practical and well-written’
– Washington Times (US)

Now fully redesigned, this new edition contains the most up-to-the-minute practical information and listings, along with color photographs and maps. In a country full of treasures, Cadogan leads you through the region that lays claim to many of Italy’s jewels. This sumptuous, sensuous area is full of world-renowned beauty, both man-made and natural, from the awesome peaks of the Dolomites and the lush flatlands of the southern Veneto to the World Heritage city of Vicenza and, of course, Venice, the dreamy city of romance, canals and gondolas. Take in the idyllic views of Lake Garda, the medieval castles of Trento and the volcanic clusters of the Po. This is the region that gave us Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and Tiepolo and when you experience the land in all its glory, it’s not hard to see from where they got their inspiration.

Northeast Italy is Venetia, the lush terra firma acquired by the Venetians during the Renaissance so they could spend their twilight years amid art and delight. That delight is still tangible in the country villas and superb art cities of the Veneto; and Nature has added her own masterpieces: Venice’s lagoon, fabled Lake Garda, and the rosy Dolomites. Beyond these, Cadogan’s guide takes you deeper into this stunning region, uncovered frescoed castles, rare Carolingian churches, wine roads and strudel in the Alto Adige, while East of Venice, beaches follow the coast all the way to multicultural Trieste, where spies spied, Joyce jotted, and pasta shares the menu with goulash and blijeki.

‘If you seek solitude and romance with a capital R, go to Venice in January. Pack a warm coat, water-resistant shoes and an umbrella, and expect frequent fog and mists. It may even snow – in 1987 you could even ski jump down the Rialto bridge. But there are plenty of radiant diamond days, brilliant, sunny, and chilly . . .’­