Brenta Canal Cruise and other Stra, Italy General Tips

Fondest Memory: Although an expensive trip the Brenta River canal cruise from Venice to Stra was a wonderful relaxing way to see the canal scenery, once past the industrial are of Fusina and all those grand old villas - in various states of repair. Along the way, Il Burchiello (the cruise company we used) stops at three of the most important mansions: Villa Pisani, Barchessa Valmarana or Villa Widmann and Villa Foscari "Malcontenta". It was peaceful and a lovely breeze to contrast with the humidity and hustle and bustle of Venice as we sat at the front of the boat enjoying the vistas and being entertained with the guide's commentary. We visited two villas e-route and had a lunch stop before we came to the last villa - the grandest at Stra, the Villa Pisani. It was a memorable highlight of our trip too Venice summer 2005 and money well spent.

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Favorite Thing: The Brenta Riviera is llike an extension of Venice onto the mainland, almost a continuation of the lagoon city: Between the 16th and 18th centuries the Brenta Riviera experienced a golden age which turned it into a privileged holiday resort for rich Venetian nobles. The nobles built numerous villas along its riverbanks, designed and decorated by masters of Italian art - decadent homes to entertain in. One of the best ways to view them is to sail slowly down the river. See travelogue for many more pics.


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Favorite Thing: One of the interesting aspects of the cruise was the various locks and swing bridges - mechanical and manual - that had to be navigated. I lost count of how many there were.


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