This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

“Il Burchiello” is a special cruise to discover many of the Venetian villas built along the banks of the Brenta River. This particular tour takes its name from the typical Venetian passenger boat which, in ancient times, featured a large wooden cabin with balconies (usually finely decorated).
Today, the Burchiello cruise (a one-day tour) runs along Riviera del Brenta, from Padua to Venice and then back to the start, offering an exclusive “grand tour” service with a very convenient schedule.

The cruise starts in Portello, an ancient river port which is accessed via a XVI-century staircase painted by Tintoretto. Then, the boat stops in Padua, Stra, Dolo, Mira, Oriago, Malcontenta, Fusina, and Venice.
Other stops include guided visits to Villa Foscari (also known as “La Malcontenta”), Villa Widmann in Mira, and Villa Pisani in Stra.

The cruise along the Brenta River also allows to appreciate its peculiar coastline – a long green area with lush vegetation mainly featuring weeping willows (Salix babylonica) and river shrubs. There are also the ancient XVI-century walls and the mighty Paduan bastions, as well as many ports and ancient villages of historical and artistic interest (for instance, the port of Noventa Padovana, and the ancient village of Dolo).

The cruise runs past nine swing bridges and five sluices, which were built because there’s a water level difference of about 33 ft between Padua and Venice.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)