Venice

Trento is a lovely over 2,000 years old city in the Alps at the foot of mountains over 2,000 meters high. Here you can have all in one: wander around the old town, take a nature walks or climb mountains (or cycle).

Just a short distance from Trento lies the Monte Bondone - one of the Alp's richest floral heritages. You can go on foot or use mountain bike but make sure you are well equipped for this activity. We witnessed an accident high in the mountains when a female climber fell and injured her leg. Fortunately for her we saw it and one of our friends immediately called Italian emergency line and in 20 min. she was rescued by Air Rescue Team using special helicopters.

For a scenic view over Trento take funivia (cable car) to Sardagna (small village at 600 m. above sea level). Just ask for biglietto di ritorno (2.40 euro), traveling time is 4 min.

At a height of 1,500 meters, at Viote are situated the Alpine Botanical Gardens (open June to September). Take a nature trail (1 km.), at one point it allows a breathtaking view over the Brenda Dolomites. Next and it would be the highest point of your journey so far is the Palon peak (2 090 m.). Amazingly but you can still see the flowers up there (alpines) and some big black birds, kind of ravens. Just on your left you can see two more peaks (about 2200 m. high) and then going down you get to the stunning Lago di Garda (although you won't see Irish gardai over there!).

The Valsugana, begins a few kilometers east of Trento. You first see the huge Lake Caldonazzo (with an average depth of 27 m.) and it's surprisingly warm for an Alpine lake (averaging 24°C in the summer). Going up you will spot more smaller lakes but equally warm (if not warmer).

Venice can claim to have created the first ghetto in Europe (in 1516). The area was called the Ghetto Novo, a small island bounded by three canals. Today in the Ghetto Nova you can see a quite unique set of 5 scole (scola means a synagogue in Venetian dialect).

Venice transport is like that of no other city: the main and traditional kind is of course the gondola, by the way the Venice's 900 year old tradition was broken on 16th August 2010 by appointing first female gondolier - Giorgio Boscolo! There are also water buses, water taxis, delivery boats, private boats and so on.

Basilica di San Marco is one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe (828 AD), but one sad issue remains unresolved: large gilded horses which can be found on the cathedral facade (a bronze copy) were actually ...stolen from the Hippodrome in Constantinople in 1204.