• Day 1 — Arrival

Welcome aperitif and tasting of typical Venetian cicheti in the Villa’s cicheteria and pick up of the travel book.

Free walk to Mirano. Mirano is a town known to be linked to the art of Tiepolo, which embellishes churches, palaces and villas, all places to visit. Museums that tell the centuries-old history of the territory that stretches between the rivers Muson, Brenta and the Venetian lagoon, together with the many traditional and cultural events organized at different times of the year, add more reasons to stay in Mirano. Padua, Treviso and Venice can be reached in a short time, also by public transport.

• Day 2 — Mirano and the Terre dei Tiepolo
  

Bike tour to explore Mirano and the Terre dei Tiepolo

The centre of Mirano is centered around the beautiful oval Piazza Martiri della Libertà, which overlooks elegant buildings, including Villa Corner-Renier, now the town hall. The large nineteenth-century building of the Molini di Sotto is reflected in the waters of the River Muson, while a little further upstream there are other mills that were formerly an important production centre in the area. A short walk from the historic centre you can stroll through the public parks of the seventeenth-century Morosini — XXV Aprile and Belvedere Villas. Continuing the route you can go up to Zianigo where the Villa dei Tiepolo is, and the church with its frescoes by famous painters. Giambattista and his sons Giandomenico and Lorenzo are among the greatest painters of eighteenth-century Venice.

• Day 3 — The Graticolato Romano
  

Bike tour in the Graticolato Romano

In the countryside between Padua and Venice, a number of interesting archaeological finds lead you along the Cardini and Decumani: the perfectly orthogonal roads laid down two thousand years ago by Roman land surveyors. Away from the traffic of the main arterial roads, you can pedal unhurried between hedges and thickets. Every now and then the view opens up onto cultivated fields which have retained their original “baulatura” a special convex shaping of the fields, by which excess water pours into the ditches, which are croaking with frogs and adorned with wild flowers.  This very clever agricultural field layout originated by the Romans also continued during the dominion of the Serenissima, which added splendid villas and works of art to an already lush and fertile countryside. This extraordinary historical feature, also present in other parts of Italy, is particularly extensive and well-preserved here.

The route takes the visitor to the historic centre of Noale with the beautiful Rocca dei Tempesta, to Salzano where the Museo della Filanda is located (open at particular times of the year) and to Borgoricco where the Museum of Roman Centuriation has been established. Before returning to Mirano you can finally stop off at the Madre Terra organic farm, in Caltana, where you can stroll along by beautiful country hedgerows and buy excellent quality fruit and vegetables.

•     Day 4 — The Venice Lagoon
  

Venice and the Island of Sant’Erasmo by bike

Half day bike tour to explore the scents and flavours of the Island of Sant’Erasmo.

As you cycle through vegetable gardens and vineyards in a rural atmosphere, you catch glimpses of the landscape of the lagoon from time to time. The salt marshes in flower stand out against a dream background: the profile of Venice with the bell tower of San Marco, the islands of Murano and San Francesco del Deserto.

Keeping on your bike’s saddle, ride along the entire perimeter of the island’s alternating stretches along the embankment that overlooks the harbour mouth of the Lido and the coast of Cavallino with others in the lagoon and its islands.

Among the cultivated fields, canals and lagoon landscapes, you can see the typical horticultural crops and the natural environments of salt marsh and beach of the island known as the “Garden of Venice”.  Each season yields its own particular produce on this island and there’s always plenty to see and to try: castraure, or early artichokes (picked to stimulate growth of the main crop), carletti and bruscandoli, campion and hop sprouts which are used for flavouring omelettes and risotto.

The 13 km route is easy and completely level and on trails or roads with little traffic. We can also organize a shorter route for walking.

• Day 5 — Park of the Euganean Hills
  

Excursion to the Colli Euganei Regional Park and free time at the thermal baths

The climb to Monte Ricco offers you some wonderful views over the plain and rooftops of Monselice, a lush forest scented by Briar Root and Broom – and a brief dive into the geological history of the park with its volcanic reliefs which have been eroded by time and mining activities. This easy trek in the Regional Park of the Colli Euganei (about 300 m) lets you learn about the particular flora of these volcanic reliefs.

Visit to the historic oil mill and tasting typical products.

Free time at the spa.