Holidays in Veneto, Italy:
a getaway into its Natural Parks

Spending your holidays in Veneto, Italy, means diving into art and history, visiting iconic towns like Venice,Verona or Vicenza, and plenty of other minor towns and monuments of great interest from the historic point of view.

Nevertheless don’t forget that Veneto is also one of the most varied areas of Europe from the natural point of view: high mountains, hills, plateaus, big lakes, rivers, lagoons, beaches and sea.
It lacks nothing, and it's amazing how all is concentrated in such a relatively small land: as the crow flies just 100Km/62mi separate the highest Veneto’s mountain, Marmolada - 3343mt/9364ft - and the coast of the Mediterranean sea.

Here below I’ve put together a list of all the protected Natural Parks or Reserves of Veneto. Those areas are relevant in terms of the conservation of their ecosystem and for the richness and variety of their flora and fauna.

Anyway, keep in mind that beyond those protected areas Veneto is also rich in marvelous and alluring natural places where to relax and keep in shape that are not listed by the authorities as Natural Parks or Reserves (thus not listed below) but that are worth-seeing as much.
Just to name a few, you might consider to spend your holidays in Veneto in the Asiago plateau - the biggest upland of Europe - covered with forests and offering hundreds Km/miles of trails; the Berici hills near Vicenza; The Cansiglio forest, or the foothills in the northern province of Vicenza. More here on many options about how to spend your holidays in Veneto tucked in nature.

Nature holidays in Veneto: list of Natural Parks:

Sile (read see-leh) measures 70 km/43.5mi long, and it is the longest resurgence river of Italy.
The park follows the river course, embracing a plain land of about 3000ha/7413acs and encompassing 11 different municipalities spread over the provinces of Treviso, Padua and Venice.
The area where the sources are located lies between Casacorba di Vedelago (province of Treviso) and Torreselle di Piombino Dese (province of Padua).

Photo credit: Iacopo Mazzucato (Flickr)

Why to go: to enjoy the clearness of underground sources, small lakes, marshlands, woods and a myriad of birds, some of them native of Northern Europe and wintering in the Parco del Sile.
The Oasis of Cervara (see below) is part of the Parco del Sile.
Park website.

Oasi Naturalistica di Cervara

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Location: Santa Cristina (Quinto di Treviso).

A 25ha/62acs marshland and wood, part of the Parco del Sile (see above) boasting numerous underground sources feeding the marsh and the river Sile.
At the entrance of the oasis stands a 1300s’ mill.

Photo credit: Rocco Delillo (Flickr)

Why to go: for the stunning beauty of its marshland, inhabited by plenty of birds, among them you’ll admire many herons. For the beauty and clearness of its spring water.

The oasis is open to visitors all year round in the following days:

Saturday:
2pm-5pm, fall and winter
2pm-7pm, spring and summer

Sunday and public holidays:
9.30am-5pm, fall and winter
9.30am-7pm, spring and summer.
Address:via Cornarotta 50
ph. 0422-23 815

Foresta di Somadida

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Location: Palus San Marco, in the Dolomiti Bellunesi.

At the entrance there is an information center, and inside the forest is dotted with didattic placards explaining the characteristics of the sanctuary.

Why to go: it’s one of the most beautiful and unspoilt forests of the Dolomites' Cadore area, thanks to the conservation policy carried out over the centuries.

Visits: freely accessible.
Guided visits by reservation:
from March 15th to September 15th
only on Tuesday and Thursday.
ph. 0435-40 06 66 or 0435-40 93 59.

WWF Oasis in the Alvisopoli Park

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Location: Fossalta di Portogruaro.

In the past it was the big garden of the nearby Villa Mocenigo. Nowadays the lush nature got the upper hand again.

Why to go: you’ll walk upon small wooden bridges discovering the flora and fauna of a well conserved small paradise, a still unspoilt piece of alluvial forest populated by a great variety of birds like hoopoes and nightingales, frogs, martens, weasels, bats, etc.

A tip: pay a visit to the nearby small town of Alvisopoli, where the villa Mocenigo is located. The village was founded in the late 1700’s by the Venetian nobleman Alvise Mocenigo, in order to create an ideal city.

Visits: Open all year round.
Days: Sunday at 10am and 2pm (solar time), 3pm(legal time).
Groups and schoolchildren every day, but booking is required.
ph. 0421-24 80 97 or 347-22 72 171.

How to get there:
by car: Take the highway (autostrada)A4, exit at Portogruaro, take the State road SS 14 towards Trieste. Continue on and turn left towards Fossalta di Portogruaro. Follow directions towards Alvisopoli and Villa Mocenigo.

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