Most people speed through the Veneto on their way to our favorite Italian city, Venice. From the train, the landscape sometimes looks flat and unappealing, yet its small cities are fascinating treasure troves of art and beacons of fine living, and only a few miles to the north the Alps begin, their foothills dotted with charming towns and lined with picturesque world-class vineyards. Because the average traveler aims only to see the city on the lagoon, the rest of the region is blessedly devoid of tourist crowds, and yet, consider what they are missing.