This account was kindly written by Ms. Seno, our dear Guest and an avid traveler!
A day in Venice by train leaving from Montegrotto Terme: yes, you can!
I recently stayed at the Hotel Miramonti di Montegrotto Terme, and, after a few days of complete relaxation among the beautiful thermal pools and the wonderful Spa, I asked where I could go on a trip that would be a little different.
It was then I discovered that Alessandra, the Relilax public relations manager, is a real-life Venetian, quite a rarity these days! Over a pleasant chat, she gave me a few “tips” on how to spend a day in Venice avoiding typical tourist mistakes. This chat gave made it possible for me to enjoy a day in Venice filled with wonderful monuments, organized to perfection for the amount of time I had there.
A mere 5 Euro for the train ticket and 40 minutes of travel time will get you to Venice with incredible ease. It is the regional train travelling between Bologna and Venice, and it runs every hour. See the timetable here.
Terme Euganee train station is near the Hotel and is just a short walk away. I arrived in Venice on a beautiful sunny day, and from Santa Lucia station, I went toward the Jewish ghetto, which is the oldest in Europe, where I visited the Jewish museum and one of 5 synagogues. For more information click here, their website is quite detailed.
Then I proceeded toward the fondamenta della Misericordia, in the sestriere of Cannaregio, making a few quick stops to sample the typical “cicchetti” (Venetian tapas) and enjoy a few glasses of Prosecco in the many “bacari” (typical bars) scattered along the fondamenta, with the unmissable final stop at the old Osteria alla Vedova, which is on a side street off Strada Nuova near Cà D’Oro, famous for its beautiful interiors (practically unchanged for a century!) and its delicious meatballs. (Try it for yourself!)
Following this unusual lunch over many “stops”, I made my way toward Saint Mark’s, (about 30mins on foot) and visited the unmissable Saint Mark’s Square, which is worth seeing from all angles, and the Byzantine Basilica with its splendid gold mosaics. For my final stop, I chose the 18th century caffè Florian, where I treated myself to coffee and a slice of cake in the elegant rooms of this historical bar known the world over.
From Saint Mark’s Square, in order to avoid the streets with the most tourist traffic, I went in the direction of Accademia bridge, passing by Campo Santo Stefano and continuing toward Piazzale Roma, crossing the much debated Calatrava bridge to bring me back to the station.
If you are a fan of tourist maps, use them, or the fantastic google maps is both a useful and fast way to prevent you from losing your bearings.
I arrived back at the Hotel in time for dinner a little tired but happy.
It was a very full, but absolutely doable day.
I’ll be bringing lots of new memories and notes taken in my diary and things that I want to see in future home with me, and perhaps, who knows, I’ll write about them again here at Relilax!