Introduction

Vicenza is the city of architect Paladio. He has erected numerous buildings, both in the city itself and in the surroundings, in the Veneto region. One of the most famous, but definitely not the only one, is the Teatro Olimpico. Because of these architectural tours de force the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vicenza also has many art galleries and museums. In short: a city for culture lovers.

Population

The city has approximately 115,000 inhabitants.

Location

Vicenza is located in northeastern Italy in a region called Veneto. The city lies at the foot of Monte Berico, about 60 kilometers west of Venice and 200 kilometers east of Milan.

Economy

Vicenza is an industrial center with ugly business parks east and west of the city. There are steel and textile factories, but the famous bicycle component manufacturer Campagnolo is also based here. The city's surroundings are mainly agrarian. Grapes, wheat, corn, olives, cherries and asparagus are grown. There's also large-scale mining (marble, sulfite, copper and silver) and there's an American army base (USAG) near Vicenza.

Airports

The city itself has no airport, but three airports lie about 70 to over 100 kilometers from Vicenza. The nearest airport (in car kilometers) is Verona Airport. This airport is situated 70 car kilometers west of Vicenza and is by far the easiest and fastest reachable airport via highway A4. Treviso-Sant'Angelo Airport is mainly used by budget airlines and lies over 90 kilometers east of Vicenza. Even further away lies the airport of Venice, Marco Polo Airport.

Public Transport

Vicenza has good public city transport and there are also bus connections with other places in the Veneto region. Rail transportation to other destinations in Italy is a lot more comfortable though. Therefore only take the bus if your destination cannot be reached by train. Vicenza's train station lies along the line Milan-Venice.

Traffic and Parking

Once used to the Italian driving style, you'll have no problem finding your way around Vicenza by rental car. Finding a free parking place in the street in the city center is another story. Fortunately, there are some parking lots and garages in and around Vicenza's center. The locations of some garages are signposted. Highway A4 runs right along Vicenza, making the city an ideal operating base to explore the Veneto region by rental car.

Hotels

Vicenza has a reasonable choice of accommodations, but there are barely any luxurious hotels. Most accommodations fall in the budget and midrange category. You don't have to book your hotel room in advance, unless you want to stay at a specific hotel. There are some campsites in the city's surroundings and there are possibilities for agritourism ('vacationing in a farmhouse').

External Sources

For more information about Vicenza, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Vicenza
• Official website Vicenza
• Tourist Information Vicenza