The many medieval towns around Venice are wonderful places to visit, particularly the ones with castles overlooking them. You can also find ancient churches and monasteries in some of these tiny hamlets, showing you some of Italy's cultural past.

Many of these places are outside the normal tourist areas, so they are usually a bit more remote and less busy if you prefer a quieter sight-seeing experience. Several medieval towns are on the wine routes, so you may not even have to change your overall itinerary.

The Larger Towns

The first places you should see when looking for medieval towns is Verona, Asolo and the walled town of Marostica. Marostica is popular each year during their medieval tournament that includes a life-size game of chess with living game pieces. For some historical distilleries, take some time to see Bassana del Grappa.

The Smaller Towns

Many small villages are just as interesting to visit, and will be less crowded than the larger ones.

Arqua Petrarca is in the province of Padua, up in the Euganei Hills. It's a very well-preserved town and its named after the Italian poet, Francesco Petrarca. He was born in Arezzo, but spent the last years of his life in Arqua Petrarca and he died there in 1374. The town is also famous for the Abano thermal baths.

The walls around Soave are part of its historic charm, and they are complete with a keep, towers and bastions. There is also a Soave Castle that is open to the public and allows you to wander through the halls and rooms inside. The town is in a popular wine region and is worth a visit if you are taking a local wine tour.

In the province of Verona, you can find the village of Sirmione. It's on the shores of Lake Garda, on a narrow peninsula. Like Soave, there is a castle open for visits. The Della Scalas fortress was built over hundreds of years, between the 8th and 14th centuries. Its surrounded by the lake and can be reached only over the drawbridge. Under the main castle is the ancient dock where ships were ones kept.