Saturday, November 5, 2011

Castel Di Bounconsiglio



In the middle of downtown Trent is a castle. While it stands out among the clay topped homes and businesses, it definitely adds character to the town, and a lot of history.

The castle is the location the Council of Trent was held (whoa, flash back from history class, huh). It is also the most beautiful castle we toured while in Italy. Unlike many of the other castles, which were built at the top of mountains for military benefits and therefore very sparse and militaristic, Castel Di Bounconsiglio was beautifully decorated and clearly was a residence for someone of much wealth in the Austrian-Italian border area.


While many of the rooms have been turned into art gallery rooms and a story of items used during the time the castle was is use, we found the castle itself much more interesting.

Follow along the route on the guide map. While the map doesn't tell you what to expect in each room, it does give you information on the castle itself.



We were disappointed that this castle, while very interesting with its galleries, didn't talk about the Council of Trent at all.

That said, it is still very much worth the visit, especially if you have visited other castles, because this one is very different.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Torre Dell'Orologio Tour


In the Piazza San Marco is the historic clock tower, called Torre Dell'Orologio. The clock face tells more than just the time, it also tells the location of the moon and the sun as the location of the moon in astrological signs. Pretty cool huh?




Well, you can also tour the inside of the clock tower by scheduling a Torre Dell'Orologio Tour ahead of time or heading to the Musei Civici Venezia at the far end of San Marco and purchasing a tour ticket there.

Tours are guided and are only held in English at certain hours on certain days (make sure you schedule one of those!).



Thursday, November 3, 2011

San Marco - Piazza San Marco, Basilica dei San Marco and the Doge's Palace


A must stop for all tourists in Venice is Piazza San Marco. It's a beautiful square, filled with open air restaurants, gelato stands, souvenir stands, a historical clock tower that you can tour, and it's surrounded by the Doge's Palace and the Basilica di San Marco.

However, because this is the must stop for every tourist in the city, including the day trippers on cruise liners, it can get crowded. And, if you want to tour the basilica or the Doge's Palace, you could be waiting in a very long line.



Also, the restaurants in this square are very pricey. Granted, you are paying for the location - in the square and right by the Grand Canal. And a few of them have live music and outdoor dining on nice days. However, if you walk a few blocks off of the Piazza in any direction, you'll find delicious restaurants at half the price - for both the entrees, drinks and seating charge.

If you want to tour the basilica, I recommend getting there early. We were there about half an hour before the basilica opened and the line was already forming.

Reserve a specialized tour for the Doge's Palace online before you head for your trip and you can skip the ticketing line in the piazza. We did the Secret Itineraries tour, which takes guests to areas that are normally off-limits in the palace, and was a very interesting tour, to boot.


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Museo Storico Navale


On the East side of Venice, far off the typical tourist path is the Arsenale, which is part of the Italian Navy.  Right outside of this restricted area is the Museo Storico Navale, which allows visitors to get a glimpse into the history of the Italian Navy, both in terms of history and the equipment they have used.

Admission is only 3.10 Euros, which makes it quite affordable.  Being away from the main tourist area also means there are less crowds to wade through.  Another positive of this museum is by walking to it, it allows you to see a part of Venice where real Venetians live, which was a nice highlight of this visit.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Guggenheim Collection


Peggy Guggenheim was an art aficionado who built museums around the world to display pieces of art from her own private collection, as well as others.  One of her top museums, and where she has her ashes resting, is in Venice in the Dorsoduro sestiere in an 18th century palazzo right on the Grand Canal.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection contains works of all types from the 20th century.  It has students from America brought in to help curate the museum as part of their education.  As long as you're an art lover, this is a museum that will interest you.  The size of its collection is modest, so it doesn't feel overwhelming on your trip.


Monday, October 31, 2011

Sirmione


The lakes in Northern Italy are world famous, and none are as large as Lake Garda.  While there is much to do all around the lake and plenty of towns to explore, the one sitting on the tiny peninsula on the south side of the lake is the most enticing.

The town of Sirmione as a sliver of a peninsula that juts out onto the lake.  This quaint town has plenty of shopping, water activities and a nice pedestrian only area.  In addition, the Rocca Scaligera is a classic castle located here, which you can climb to the top of to get gorgeous views of the lake and the town of Sirmione.

Sirmione is a short 30-40 minute drive from Verona, making it an ideal getaway for the day.


Sunday, October 30, 2011

South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology - the Ice Man Museum


It has now been 20 years since Ötzi was discovered near the Italy-Austria border.  This "Ice Man" was very well preserved over the millenia after being alive over 5,000 years ago.  Called by many as the missing link, this was an important discovery in our lifetime as it has helped scientists learn more about the evolution of man and what life was like back in his time.

The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology is dedicated to this Ice Man, giving visitors a thorough understanding of his significance, as well as a look at the actual body, which is well preserved.  This unique museum is the main attraction in Bolzano, which is also a city that comes with gorgeous views of the Dolomites.  If you're in the area, I'd highly recommend checking out this museum, which will take under an hour to view.