Cittadella sits in the lovely Euganean Hills
You’re a well-travelled italophile. You know all about Venice, and Romeo and Juliet’s Verona. But you might not be quite so instantly familiar with the rest of the elegant, affluent region in which they both sit. Veneto is tucked up in Italy’s northeast corner, unfurling its pretty landscapes from the otherworldly stone needles of the Dolomites to the green flatlands of the Po Valley, and from the gilded shores of Lake Garda to the wide blue shallows of the Adriatic.
For all its geographical loveliness, Veneto is best known for its exquisite urban environments. This is not only the region of Venice and Verona, but also of handsome Treviso, colourful Padua, and Vicenza with its wealth of Palladian villas. There’s a great deal of architectural charm in this corner of Italy, with highly-decorated buildings, fine stonework and delicate balconies adding a sense of refinement to street scenes. Head north and things take a turn for the Tyrolean, with chalet-style houses effusively decked with flowers. On the seaside, meanwhile, it’s all pretty pastel gaiety.