Today’s tour will exploresome of the fascinating towns that nestle in the hills in the hinterland ofVenice. First stop will be Bassano del Grappa, famous for the liqueur of thatname but also for its wooden bridge designed by Palladio in 1569. The bridgewas destroyed by floods many times over the centuries but each time re-built toPalladio’s design, the most recent being after WWI when it was rebuilt by theAlpine Regiment and renamed the ‘Bridge of the Alpines’. Close by is the townof Marostica whose main claim to fame is the ‘Partita a Scacchi’ a chess gameplayed every other September with human ’pieces’; you will see the boardpainted onto the main square, the Piazza Castello. The city walls and twomedieval castles are still intact and make for additional sightseeing. Timepermitting, you will get to stroll around the perfectly preserved medievalwalls of Cittadella, another beautiful town.
