Veneto – A flavourful bite of Italy’s North East

Arrival in Milano Malpensa, transfer to Verona, check-in at the hotel and guided tour of the city. We will start by visiting the main attractions of the Old Town such as the ancient Roman Arena, located in Piazza Bra and the Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore. Packed lunch; then we will continue our visit to Piazza delle Erbe, the Loggia del Consiglio, the house of Romeo and Juliet and the Synagogue of Verona, one of the biggest in Northern Italy with its fascinating building of rare beauty which has preserved the original furniture and decorations of the nineteenth century in their entirety. Return to the hotel in the evening, dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Mantua, one of the Renaissance pearls. Arrival and meeting with the tour guide. We will see the Bridge and the Castle of San Giorgio, Piazza Sordello (Duomo and Palazzo Ducale), the Scientific Theatre, Piazza delle Erbe. Visit to the Jewish ghetto and the Synagogue. The Jewish community of Mantua is one of the most ancient and important in Italy. The Synagogue Norsa-Torrazzo takes its name from one of the oldest Jewish families of Mantua: the Norsas. This Synagogue, a national monument, is the only surviving representative of six Synagogues that were a part of the Jewish life of Mantua. Lunch at the local kosher restaurant. Return to Verona in the evening, dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Padua “the erudite”. After checking in the hotel the tour will start from Via VIII Febbraio reaching the University, one of the oldest in the world established in 1222, where, depending on their availability at the time of our tour, we will visit the magnificent Palazzo Bo with its “anatomical theatre”, the Galileo Galilei’s Aula Magna, the “Hall of the forty” and the Aula di Medicina where the first lectures on medicine where originally given, then pass through Piazza delle Erbe, the ancient market square where open markets are still held, Palazzo della Ragione, the Duomo, Piazza dei Signori and Prato della Valle. We will end our tour in Padua in the area that used to border the ancient Jewish ghetto where Jews were forced to live from the Seventeenth century until the arrival of Napoleon in 1797. Here we will visit the Jewish Museum and the Padua Synagogue, the only currently operating in Padua (the Jewish community of Padua currently has about 200 members).
Before taking the bus to Venice we will have a “coffee break” at the old and charming Pedrocchi caffé, the best place in Padua to have an Italian coffee. Then we will head to Venice: Kosher dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning an early start will take us to the Jewish Ghetto, the first ever to be established in Europe. The term “Ghetto” comes from the Venetian word “gheto” which in the local dialect means “foundry” many of which were found close to where the Ghetto was established. Nowadays it is a lively and busy district of the city where we can still find the Jewish religious and administrative institutions and five old Synagogues, some of which can be still visited. Lunch at one of the two kosher restaurants in the Ghetto. Afternoon spent touring the city. We will admire Piazza San Marco where we can find the famous Basilica and the unique Bell Tower; the Ponte di Rialto and the Scala del Bovolo. In the evening, following dinner at the hotel, we will enjoy a walk through the picturesque calli, the typical Venetian winding and narrow alleys along the canals crossed by many little bridges.

Breakfast at the hotel. Boat tour to islands of Murano, Torchiello, Burano and Lido. These islands are the gems of Venice lagoon. Murano with a secular glass manufacturing tradition where will visit also an active furnace where the glass is made, Burano with its colourful houses, Torchiello with so many historical findings and finally the Lido beloved by so many poets and artists (Thomas Mann and Byron just to mention two), its lovely white beaches, liberty villas and hosting every year the world famous Venice film Festival will give you an unforgettable day through art, history and traditions. Packed lunch. We will come back to the hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport of Venice for the flight back.