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Bassano del Grappa - Via Valsugana 90
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Bassano is the city of Grappa and grappa: a magnificent destination at the foot of the Venetian Alps that combines historical memory, art and food and wine. Its history has been shaped by the river Brenta, which crosses it near the historic centre: here the two banks are joined by a magnificent wooden bridge that has become the symbol of the city.
It is the legendary Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge): today a tourist attraction withinstagram appeal, it was once the site of the painful farewell of the Alpine soldiers on their way to the front. For many of them, this painful farewell turned into a farewell, and the city fondly remembers the thousands of young men who died for their country.
Fear not, the centre of Bassano today is vital and always lively. Beautiful to look at, it is a real gem, full of picturesque views, historic palazzos, lively squares and museums that preserve first-class art treasures.
Enjoy strolling up and down the cobbled streets of the centre and stopping to take pictures of Venetian-style windows, open gates that allow glimpses of beautiful courtyards or the well-stocked and inviting bakery windows.
However, do not be fooled by the romantic and vaguely retro image of Bassano del Grappa: this pretty town is rich, densely populated and driven by a highly developed industrial economy. For those who visit it, this translates into many services, clubs and nice shops where one can go shopping.
The most famous sights in Bassano del Grappa are concentrated within the historic centre, which can be easily explored on foot.
For a walking tour of Bassano that includes all the most interesting sights, half a day is sufficient, but with more time available you can go shopping in the elegant shops in the centre and treat yourself to a tasty snack in an elegant café, a delicious aperitif or perhaps dinner in a typical osteria.
The nerve centre of city life are the two main squares, Liberty Square and Garibaldi Square: keep them in mind as reference points for your exploration of Bassano.
The symbol of Bassano del Grappa is the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge): a concentration of architectural genius, romanticism, historical memory and charm. It is a covered wooden bridge that joins the two banks of the Brenta in the heart of the city; its current form dates back to the 16th century.
Postcard image par excellence, ideal subject for an Instagram post, the Ponte Vecchio is not only beautiful but also very functional: thanks to its ingenious designer, the same Andrea Palladio to whom we owe the most beautiful and most famous Venetian villas in the world.
It was he who wanted to build the bridge in wood, convinced that the elasticity of this material could counteract the impetuousness of the river. Despite several damages due to water and bombings, the bridge is still there, each time renovated according to Palladio’s original design.
The bridge is also known as the Ponte degli Alpini (Alpines’ Bridge), a name dedicated to the troops who crossed it on their way to the front during the First World War. Due to its strategic importance during the following World War it was blown up by partisans, and rebuilt once the war was over.
Maintenance works are almost a constant even today, but this does not diminish the charm of this extraordinary work: crossing the Ponte degli Alpini is one of the top experiences in Bassano del Grappa.
Take your time because there are wonderful views of the mountains from the bridge, and then take the time to admire it as a whole. The best places to photograph the bridge are the banks of the Brenta on the west side, the walkway outside the castle, and the terrace at Piazza Terraglio.
Next to one of the entrances to the Ponte degli Alpini is a commemorative statue dedicated to the soldiers of the First World War.
The statue, created by sculptor Severino Morlin, depicts a young Alpine soldier tenderly kissing a girl, which is why it is also known as the Statua dell’alpino con la morosa (a dialect term meaning girlfriend).
It is a clear reference to a popular song from 1916 that begins with these words: ‘Sul ponte di Bassano / noi ci darem la mano / noi darem la mano / ed un bacin d’amor’.
If at the sight of the bridge or the statue you were moved to tears thinking of the young men who left for the front, many of whom never returned, pay homage to their memory by visiting the small museum housed in the basement of the Taverna al Ponte (also known as the Taverna degli Alpini), a characteristic wine shop located at one of the entrances to the bridge.
In the museum’s splendid stone-vaulted rooms are exhibited relics from the First and Second World War recovered from excavations on Mount Grappa and the Asiago Plateau and from donations. These simple objects and the historical documents that accompany them bear witness to the suffering and harsh living conditions of the soldiers at the front.
The museum is looked after by the local section of the ANA – Associazione Nazionale Alpini.
On the opposite side of the bridge is another characteristic place not to be missed: this is also a historical place, but the memories evoked by these rooms are much more cheerful! We are talking about the Nardini Grape Distillery, the place where Italy’s oldest distillery was established (founded in 1779).
Today, production has moved out of the centre, but Nardini Grape Distillery is still a landmark in Bassano and a popular meeting place for locals and others.
Now a must for tourists too, the place is often crowded so plan on queuing a bit. It is well worth the wait to sit and enjoy your drink in the historic grapperia rooms, warm and cosy, with exposed beams, wooden floors and other details that recreate an atmosphere of times gone by.
Although Nardini is synonymous with grappa, in the Grapperia del centro the most popular drink is the ‘Mezzoemezzo‘, the typical Bassano aperitif made with rhubarb and Rosso Nardini with a splash of soda and a twist of lemon. Another house speciality is Tagliatella, made with grappa, cherry brandy, orange, spices and herbs.
If the subject of grappa is of interest to you, move about thirty metres and you will find a museum entirely dedicated to the Veneto distillate par excellence. The museum is curated by Poli Distillerie, another historic brand from the Vicenza area.
Housed in an elegant building, the Grappa Poli Museum consists of five rooms tracing the history of distillation from medieval alchemists to the present day; one section is entirely dedicated to the production of grappa in Bassano.
On display you will find stills, grappa mignons, grappa production tools and more. You can also test your skills as a grappa taster with special olfactometers.
The visit ends in a show room where you can taste and purchase the products of the Poli distilleries.
From the centre of Bassano starts the Alta Via del Tabacco (High route of Tobacco), a beautiful riverside promenade so called because the area was once linked to tobacco cultivation. Today tobacco cultivation is no longer practised, but it is possible to see the terracing with dry stone walls that shaped the landscape in the past.
Conceived by the Comunità Montana del Brenta, the itinerary starts at Ponte Vecchio and leads to the village of Costa di Valstagna for a total of 35 km, but for a relaxing day trip you can only cover the initial stretch.
One of the most beautiful views of the Brenta and the Alpines’ Bridge can be enjoyed from the belvedere of Sturm Palace, a sumptuous mansion built in the mid-eighteenth century that has more than seventy rooms on seven levels.
The palace, designed by architect Daniello Bernardi and painted by artist Giorgio Anselmi, is the prestigious home of two themed museums
the Giuseppe Roi Ceramics Museum exhibits a collection of ancient ceramics, while the Remondini Museum of Printing is dedicated to a local dynasty that made a name for itself in the field of typography and chalcography by innovating the taste for the visual image and imposing new models that became universal.
When it comes to Bassano, historical memory and food and wine excellence steal the scene from art. This is a shame because the city can boast one of the oldest and most interesting museums in the Veneto region.
Housed in a former Franciscan convent, the Civic Museum boasts the largest collection of works by Jacopo Dal Ponte (better known as Jacopo Bassano), one of the Venetian painters who marked the history of Italian art in the 16th century.
Another famous artist to whom the museum devotes ample space is the sculptor Antonio Canova: you can see plaster casts, busts, and drawings on canvas that marked his artistic career.
The museum also includes an archaeological section, a medieval section, one dedicated to the 17th and 18th centuries (with works by Tiepolo and Artemisia Gentileschi) and one dedicated to the 19th century (with a portrait by Francesco Hayez and a famous portrait of the city).
If your visit to Bassano is not limited to a quick hit-and-run, a detour to Mount Grappa, the main peak of the mountain massif of the same name (1775 metres high), is a must. The scene of bloody battles, the Grappa today commemorates the thousands of soldiers who died in combat with a monumental military shrine.
More recently, the Grappa has been the theatre of legendary cycling feats and has become a popular destination for cycling, trekking, hang-gliding and paragliding enthusiasts.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
The centre of Bassano del Grappa is small and easy to get around on foot, so there is no better area to stay in than in the historic core of the city.
The pretty B&Bs and flats in the centre are a good choice for those who want a romantic experience and for those who want to enjoy a nice evening (perhaps with a few glasses of grappa…) without having to drive.
A short distance from the centre you can find a wider choice of facilities, including comfortable 3- and 4-star hotels and charming rural houses surrounded by greenery; super-luxury options are lacking. For those, on the other hand, looking for budget accommodation, there is a hostel less than a kilometre from the centre.
Despite its location at the foot of the mountains and the lack of motorway exits nearby, Bassano del Grappa is fairly easy to reach by car.
The SS47 Valsugana state road ensures quick connections from Padua and Trento, while if you are coming from the east the road to take is the SR53, which you can take at the Treviso Sud exit of the A27 Venice-Belluno motorway.
The city has a railway station, located a stone’s throw from the historic centre. It is served by direct regional trains to Venice, Padua and Trento. Another option if you want to reach Bassano del Grappa by public transport is to take a bus from Vicenza, Padua or Treviso.
The nearest airport is Treviso (50 km), one of the main hubs for low-cost airlines in northern Italy.
What's the weather at Bassano del Grappa? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Bassano del Grappa for the next few days.
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