February’s already here and countless Italian towns and cities are ready to host the year’s most colourful and magical celebrations.
But where should you spend Carnival time in Italy?
Keep reading to find out about dates, the best destinations and unmissable events, so you can plan the perfect Carnival weekend in Veneto.
The legendary lagoon city has made the event into one of its chief attractions and every year millions of tourists from across the globe flock to its delightful streets and squares.
Already home to one of the most spectacular Carnivals in the world, this year Venice has organized an extra-special edition entitled The Time of Casanova to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Giacomo Casanova, one of the most famous and fascinating figures in Venetian and Italian history.
The celebrations will take place from 14 February to 4 March, with a packed schedule of traditional events, street performances, parades and processions.
You can find details of all the initiatives on the official Venice Carnival website. To see the line-up, click here: Full program | Venice Carnival – Official site.
There’s always a colourful, cheerful atmosphere in the city during the celebrations, but which is the best time to enjoy Venice and its Carnival?
If you don’t mind the huge crowds, the best days are definitely the weekends, when multi-coloured masks, music and parades fill the streets and squares. However, in keeping with tradition, the most important days during Venice Carnival are still “Fat Thursday” (27 February) and Shrove Tuesday (4 March), which is the final day.
Bear in mind that Carnival time is high season for hotels and other types of accommodation in Venice, so be careful because the prices can be much higher than usual! We recommend staying outside the city and travelling into the centre using the extremely convenient public transport services (trains and buses). It means you can enjoy the experience without worrying about packed crowds and sky-high prices!
There’s a magical festival atmosphere, but on a much more intimate and local scale.
Once again, a packed schedule awaits you on Saturday 15 February, Tuesday 4 March and Sunday 9 March. The top events include an iconic parade of themed floats along Via Bafile. It takes place on the last day of the celebrations and ends with a prize ceremony for the winners in Piazza Marconi. There are also plenty of other initiatives to keep young and old alike entertained, including rides, masks and music.
Why is Jesolo our favourite Carnival destination?
As well as a wide variety of events for people of all ages, the town is home to some of the most famous beaches in Italy, so you can take the occasional break from the celebrations and unwind, because there’s nothing like relaxing by the sea, even in winter.
As with Venice, we recommend staying outside Jesolo. That way, you can also look around nearby resorts like Caorle and Bibione, which definitely deserve to be included in your travel itinerary. If you aren’t familiar with these stunning Veneto gems, take a look at this post to find out all about them : “What to do in Bibione and Caorle: four unforgettable experiences for you to enjoy“.
Our Offers
