Holidays in Venetian Coast

Overview

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With long (and simply glorious) sandy beaches that are lapped by clear blue sea, the Italian Adriatic is just perfect for swimming, windsurfing, sandcastle-making or just taking it easy in the summer sunshine.

Taking a Keycamp holiday along Italy’s Adriatic coast, however, also means a chance to explore rolling countryside and puts you in easy reach of many beautiful cities. Plus it’s not too far to head over to the spectacular Dolomites for a day spent walking.

Only a short drive away is Venice. Known as “La Serenissima”, the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, Venice is built on hundreds of tiny islands in a vast lagoon and is linked by a maze of canals and tiny bridges. Other cities of note that simply should not be missed include Vicenza, Treviso and Ravenna.

Add chic boutiques, stylish shopping and the Veneto region’s reputation for good food and good wine, holidaying on the Adriatic coast means a beach holiday, plus lots more besides.

Download your car free guide!

Your simple guide includes the following so your car-free holiday is hassle-free, giving you plenty of time to enjoy yourself whilst exploring the Venetian coastline:

• Information on how to get from both airports, Marco Polo and Treviso via various forms of public transport including taxi, bus or waterbus
• Language tips and useful phrases
• Information on local attractions and the best places to go on the Venetian Coast
• Helpful hints to give you a happy holiday!

Places to visit

Lido di Jesolo

A purpose-built resort, Jesolo offers around ten miles of sandy beach and attracts thousands of visitors every summer. Built around one main street that is split by several piazzas the Lido is quite easy to get around. Catering entirely for the holidaymaker, there is no shortage of ice cream parlours, cafés, restaurants and bars, as well as arcades and shops. A good way to see the Lido is to hire bikes and cycle towards the lighthouse. In the evenings the Lido’s main street becomes totally pedestrianised, making it easy for visitors to stroll around.

Places to visit

Aqualandia waterpark

Island-themed Aqualandia at Lido di Jesolo has 26 attractions, ranging from the gentle to the scary. If you don’t intend to spend a full day here, check to see if reduced admission is available in the afternoon.

Places to visit

Venice

Staying on the Adriatic coast puts you within a stone’s throw of Venice. So it would be a real pity to miss discovering this amazing city during your holiday. Once you arrive in Venice (take the car or catch a bus along the S11 to Tronchetto and Piazzale Roma), it’s easy to get to all the main sights on foot. Venice is packed with places to explore and admire. Climb the bell tower in Piazza San Marco for fantastic views of the city and lagoon. The city is best seen by taking a gondola around the labyrinth of canals, or by waterbus down the magnificent Grand Canal, passing under the famous Rialto Bridge and taking in the hundreds of palaces that line the banks.

Vicenza

Vicenza was the home of one of the 16th Century’s most accomplished stonemasons – and it shows. Right across the city you will find remarkable buildings decorated with quite extraordinary scenes. If nothing more, spend half a day here to soak up the architecture and immerse yourself in the culture. Then treat yourself to a coffee at one of the many pavement cafés. Vicenza also has stylish shops and boutiques.

Treviso

This attractive medieval fortified town, on the River Sile, boasts frescoed house façades and Venetian-style canals. Make your way to the Calmaggiore and start your adventure from here, as this is a convenient spot to see both the 12th Century cathedral and the 13th Century town hall. Plus try and visit the daily fish market that takes place on a small island in the middle of the city’s great river. Treviso was once a haven for poets, musicians, writers and architects, and open-air concerts are still staged in the main square during the summer.

Comacchio

Made up of thirteen small islands, linked together by a series of interesting bridges, Comacchio is a charming medieval town with colourful fishermen’s houses and a network of canals. The catch of the day tends to be eels which are often caught using methods that go back to Roman times.

Ravenna

Famous for its Byzantine mosaics, this ancient Roman port is a peaceful town which still displays the riches accumulated as an imperial city. It is full of beautiful old palaces, courtyards and cloisters. The local museum, Museo Nazionale, is a good place to find out more about the town’s mosaics and its architecture.

Ferrara

The home of an incredible dynasty in medieval times, Ferrara is an impressive walled town with ancient palaces, spacious squares and a 12th Century cathedral with a magnificent marble façade that has to be seen to be believed. The town’s castle, Castello Estense, has moats, towers and ramparts, not-to-mention dungeons with grizzly secrets.

Bologna

Home to Europe’s longest-established university, in the heart of historic Bologna you will find a simply delicious maze of porticoed streets leading to simply incredible architectural masterpieces and medieval palaces. Must-sees include the world-famous Neptune Fountain, dating back to 1566, the sky-piercing 12th Century Torri degli Asinelli e Garisenda towers and the ancient San Petronio church. Capital of the Emilia Romagna region and home to spaghetti Bolognese, Bologna is the epicurean centre of Italy.