Weather
With its assortment of landscapes comes an assortment of weather. Like its eclectic terrain, Veneto offers every kind of climate you can think of. The snow-capped Dolomites can bring arctic winters and cool summers, whilst coastal regions are much warmer and steady all year round. The hills and plains of the region have a typically continental climate which brings hot summers and cold winters.
Venice gets very hot and humid during summer and high temperatures can be 28°C and above; milder temperatures can be expected in spring or autumn. Winter in Venice is cold, with temperatures as low as 1°C.
Lake Garda can be visited any time of year due to its all year round sun. In the peak of summer, you can expect it to be hotter than 30°C. Even in spring and autumn, you can expect beautiful mild weather (average temperatures of around 18°C, 19°C or 20°C).
Regional Food & Wine
Venetian food is unique because it is very different to the rest of Northern Italy. Taking influences from international cuisines, Venetian cooking can be described, just like its landscape and its weather, as somewhat eclectic.
Using exotic spices and flavours makes Veneto a culinary oddity to the rest of the country, but its most notable distinction is delivering extremely light, elegant dishes; the perfect food to soothe the soul in a region of romance.
Typical Dishes to Try
Fresh seafood is a huge part of Venetian cooking and you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to selection. Dishes are often made with juicy prawns, mussels, clams, large scallops, sea snails, octopus and crab. Risotto and polenta are also popular if you don’t want to eat pasta, and you will also find a number of restaurants serving meat specialities.
Must-try dishes include Risotto Nero made with squid ink, Sarde in Saor (Venetian style sardines), Bigoi in Salsa made with sardines and anchovies, Carpaccio (a delicious raw meat dish), and Scampetti con Polenta (shrimps on polenta).
Wine in Veneto
Veneto is no different to its neighbouring regions when it comes to boasting excellent wines; the whole of Italy carries that accolade. Even the lesser known wine regions such as Veneto have some surprising vinos to tantalise the connoisseurs. Traditional reds include Valpolicella and Bardolino, and regional whites are from the Soave vineyards.
And of course, we can’t forget the world’s most loved sparkling wine, Prosecco, which is produced in the province of Treviso. Be sure to try the Venetian specialities when browsing the cocktail menu – Bellini, Rossini and Mimosa, all made with local Prosecco.
