Venere Travel Blog - It's our business where you sleep!

So you’re planning a trip to Rome and you’ve done a bit of research beforehand. You’ve worked out how to get from from the airport to your hotel. Naturally, you’ve made your hotel room reservations on Venere.com (wink, wink) and you’ve made a list of recommended restaurants you want to check out during your trip. You’ve even mapped out your itinerary of the ‘Must’ sights to see. But how well do you really think you know Rome? We’ve put together some fun facts about Rome that maybe you didn’t know yet.

Once you’ve had your fill of frescos and piazzas, it’s time to explore Florence’s nightlife. With a constant influx of university students and tourists, Florence has much to offer in the way of dance clubs and discos. While there are many to choose from, I found the below to be the most inciting.

Space Club is one of Florence’s largest discotheques, located in the center of town right near the S.M.N. train station. With two large floors and a capacity of 800 people, there seems to something for everyone. read full article

Milan is certainly a city that should not be overlooked when planning your itinerary for the Bel Paese. With good fashion, good food and a great nightlife, what more could you possibly want from a city? We’ve put a list together of some fun facts about Milan which will undoubtedly make your planning to the fashion capital a bit easier.

I sometimes feel a bit sorry for the children when they’re taken around cities like Florence and dragged to boring places like museums, galleries, churches and shops. They might realise what they’ve missed out on in about twenty years but that’s not what they want to hear there and then. What they want to hear is they’re heading off to somewhere really fun today. So here are a few ideas for days out in between the Duomo and the Academy of Fine Arts. If Brad and Angelina can do it then so can you.

The region of Campania has it all: stunning scenery, glorious gastronomy, captivating culture & jaw-dropping geology! What more could a tourist ask for? Not much, which is why tourists swarm to the Campania’s main attractions every year. With so much on offer and such diversity, it would be easy to spend weeks, if not months, exploring the different faces of Campania. Nevertheless, here’s my take on what’s not to be missed, in a list of the top five things to do in Campania:

Three popular annual Italian carnivals start in the mid or end of February.

The Putignano Carnival is the longest carnival in the world. It is scheduled for February 13 – March 8 and it is celebrated in Putignano, Puglia

Most itineraries for a trip to Venice start with the obligatory visit to the Piazza San Marco with its host of glittering monuments, followed by an overpriced trip in a gondola down the Grand Canal towards the Rialto Arch.

But if the thought of jostling for a photo opportunity among the crowds leaves you longing for a taste of the real Venice, there are plenty of hidden gems to be found in the city’s backwaters.

Exploring the twisting maze of streets where the real Venetians live and work, will lead you to a variety of little-visited but fascinating museums and galleries that offer an alternative insight to this magnificent city. read full article

Whenever you think about Italian cuisine, there are a number of dishes that frequently come to mind, especially lasagna. Where the international traveler is concerned, most of them feel that the allure of Italy is found in the cuisine, culture, Renaissance architecture, shopping opportunities, and the wines. However, with Christmas just around the corner, thoughts often turn to preparing a traditional Italian meal for the holidays to serve up to your family and friends.

Here are the top 3 Italian Christmas recipes that you should consider for the holidays if you want to have a delightful feast and the perfect meal to please your guests with: read full article

Are you planning to visit Florence in Italy, the cradle of the renaissance? Ponte Vecchio is one of the biggest Florentine attractions which you cannot miss. Find out more about its history before your travel.

Ponte Vecchio means in Italian “old bridge”. The bridge is the oldest and most famous of six Florence’s bridges over the Arno river. There are actually buildings on this medieval bridge which, since the 15th century, are occupied by jewelery shops. In the center of the bridge there are two panoramatic terraces facing both up and down the river. These offer a splendid view over the Arno. The bridge is mentioned in the famous aria “O mio Babbino Caro” from the Opera “Gianni Schiacchi“, by Giacomo Puccini. read full article

Naples is synonymous with presepe or Nativity scenes. From the big cathedrals to public squares right down to the small houses – there’s hardly any place where you wouldn’t find one! Setting up a nativity scene is a source of great pride for these Italians and is an art that is passed on from generation to generation. The nativity scene is said to have been first created by St Francis of Assisi in 1223 when he conducted a Christmas mass in the town of Greccio. It is usually set up around December 8th and continues right up to epiphany on January 6^th.

Photo by House Of Sims

So you’ve checked Florence’s major sites off the list: David, the Uffizi gallery, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio to name a few. Now what?

Photo: Getty Images, Corbis

Florence’s historic, cultural and artistic treasures are undeniably many of the world’s best. But that’s not the only thing the city has to offer. And 24 hours are all you need to discover how to live it up like a true Florentine! read full article

Italy’s southern region of Campania is rich in both history and beauty. It’s also quite large at about 5,240 square miles. It runs from the province of Caserta in the north to the province of Salerno in the south. It would be impossible to tackle it all in a 1-2 week visit so here are 5 tips to keep in mind when setting forth on your first journey through Campania:

1) Beaches – Campania consists of 210 miles of coastline, which is unparalleled in its beauty, running from the teal-colored blues of the Amalfi Coast and Naples to the more rugged beauty of the Cilento Coast in Salerno. read full article

For this week’s Travel Picks Friday, we wanted to inspire you with Italian Cuisine and chose three scrumptious recipes for you to try out. These fantastic recipes were brought to you by Raleigh from LoveFromItalia, a superb blog about Italy, food, and travel!

New Oil – just pressed – is a treasure that needs the right dish to be paired with to showcase it in all its unctuous velvety goldenness. Whether the oil comes from Northern Italy, Southern Italy, Central Italy, Sicily or Sardinia, it needs to be presented simply, letting the oil shine (no pun intended!).

The Thought: “Tutte le strade conducono a Roma” – every street will take you to Rome – immediately came to mind when I thought of ways to use Olio Nuovo… because, two of my favorite ways are with Roman specialties! read full article

Marostica’s Live Chess Match is held every 2-years on even numbered years. We were there early to video pre-show preparations and for the evenings 2 1/2 hour performance.

Located about an hour and a half from Venice sits the charming hill town of Marostica. The Upper and Lower Castles are joined by a crenellated wall, and the center of town has a giant Chess Board in the main Piazza. This small jewel of a town is not to be missed on your journeys throughout the Veneto Region of Italy. read full article

What do we all think of when we picture Milan? It’s fashion? It’s business? Maybe the cathedral if we’re that way inclined? It’s the city that knows its reputation and, in many ways, doesn’t care very much. But there’s some hidden gems scattered around and they’re a real mixture for the traveller who wants to see that little bit more and come home with a new impression of somewhere.

Navigli

This area could very easily become completely unnoticed with your average day-tripper to Milan, which is a real shame because it’s possibly the most vibrant and friendly area of the whole city. read full article