BY RAIL
VENICE AND THE VENETO THROUGH THE ALPS BY RAIL
9 nights / 10 days From £ 2,850 per person
The Veneto
MUNICH • VENICE • THE VENETO • ZURICH
This holiday to Venice and the Veneto presents you with a fascinating region that lies between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea and a scenic route through the Alps in both directions, covering the Brenner southbound and the Gotthard northbound.
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY ONE London to Munich by train Your rail holiday to Venice and the Veneto starts with a mid-morning Eurostar from St Pancras. From the Gare du Nord, you can walk to the Gare de l’ Est where you take the high-speed TGV train to Munich, arriving there at about 21.30 hrs that evening. You stay in Munich for two nights.
DAY TWO In Munich Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is situated within sight of the Alps. Munich is an elegant and beautiful, affluent German city with well-preserved historic buildings, palaces, gardens, imposing monuments and churches. At the heart of the city is the Marienplatz, home to the Old and New Town Halls( watch the famous Glockenspiel). Nearby is the Viktualienmarkt and the Frauenkirche as well as the Michaelskirche, which is the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. From the centre the city fans out into boulevards, parks, gardens and imposing museums, including the famous Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek. The Residenz palace is a feast of architectural styles combining Renaissance, Baroque, Roccoco and Classicism. There are 130 rooms filled with rich furniture, paintings and tapestries. The English Garden is one of the largest urban gardens in the world and it offers restaurants, teahouse and beer gardens.
Further afield you find Baroque palaces such as Nymphenburg, BMW headquarters and the Olympic Park from 1972.
DAY THREE Munich by train to Venice You leave Munich late morning on the Eurocity train. It heads southwards into Austria, passing through Innsbruck and the Alps including the scenic Brenner Pass before it descends into the northern Italian plain. This is a direct service and you arrive into Venice in the early evening. At Santa Lucia station you are met and taken by private water taxi to your hotel.
DAYS FOUR AND FIVE In Venice You have two full days in Venice. More than a city, Venice“ La Serenissima” is an enchantress. Take the time to discover her winding streets, canals, quiet squares and lively waterfronts. To make the most of your time in Venice, it’ s worth dividing the city into areas or themes. The obvious place to start is at St Mark’ s Square, best appreciated whilst sipping a Venetian coffee at Florian’ s. St Mark’ s Basilica, the Doge’ s Palace and the Campanile can all be visited. The magnificent churches of Venice are worth seeking out: Santa Maria della Salute, Ss Giovanni e Paolo, and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari( with works by Titian), Santa Maria dei Miracoli and the Gesuiti. The Jewish quarter can be found just off the Strada Nova to the north of the city and gives you a rare insight into the history of the Jewish community in Venice. There is a clutch of art galleries to be enjoyed including the Ca’ Pesaro, the Ca’ d’ Oro, the Galleria dell’ Accademia, the Scuola di San Rocco and for modern art, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The streets of Venice also contain a treasure trove of tiny artisan shops selling glassware, masks, lace and silk, and shoes. To absorb the magic of Venice from the water, treat yourself to a ride in a gondola. Across the lagoon, and reached by vaporetto, are the islands of Burano, home to lace-making and fishermen, and Murano, where master craftsmen offer demonstrations of glass-making before you enter their shops.
DAY SIX Venice to Verona by train This morning there is time to do some last-minute sightseeing or shopping in Venice before your private water taxi takes you back to Venice Santa Lucia station for your train to Verona. The journey time by train to Verona is only about an hour. In Verona you collect your hire-car and drive the eight kilometres to your hotel in the countryside, surrounded by Valpolicella vines, where you will be based for three nights.
DAYS SEVEN AND EIGHT Explore the Veneto From your base in the Valpolicella vineyards just outside Verona, there are numerous excursion
54 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www. expressionsholidays. co. uk