Things to Do in Treviso: Sightseeing, Canals and Churches

Treviso is a beautiful city with plenty of things to do, including sightseeing in the old town. Enjoy picturesque rivers and canals, plus historic buildings to explore. Popular attractions in Treviso include Piazza dei Signori, the knights’ lodge, the city walls, canals, and several museums.

Things to Do in Treviso

Treviso has a beautiful historic centre with many nice buildings to see; it also has lots of canals and rivers to walk along.

Piazza dei Signori

One of the main town squares in the city is Piazza dei Signori. It is home to the town hall and surrounded by palaces, some of which date from the 13th century. This includes Palazzo dei Trecento and Palazzo del Podestà. It’s a good place to start sightseeing in the city, as the main sights are within walking distance. Piazza dei Signori is also home to some nice places for food and drink.

Palazzo dei Trecento

One of my favourite buildings in Piazza dei Signori is Palazzo dei Trecento, which looks great from the outside. Built in the 13th and 14th centuries, it served as the seat of the Maggior Consiglio, the city’s main administrative council. Inside are frescoes dating from the 14th to the 16th centuries. However, it is still used by the council and is only open for special events and council meetings

The palace is a Romanesque-style building, constructed of exposed brick. The ground floor has a loggia that is open 24/7 for a look around.

Loggia dei Cavalieri

Loggia dei Cavalieri, or Lodge of Knights, is a beautiful structure in the historic centre. Built in the Treviso Romanesque style, the Loggia was also influenced by Byzantine architecture. It dates from the 13th century and was restored after spending part of its life as a warehouse.

You can pop in anytime for a look around or a coffee at the café next door. Loggia dei Cavalieri is also used to host antique book markets, conferences, art exhibitions, and concerts.

Sile River

Rivers and canals are a key feature of Treviso, and the main one is the Sile. This is a beautiful waterway with many features to see, including bridges, riverside gardens and architecture.

The river was a great place to walk with Henry, our dog, and was very scenic in either direction from our accommodation. Just out of town, towards Ponte de Ferro, was a path with lots of green space and trees.

One of my favourite spots on the Sile was around Ponte San Martino and the weir. The views from the bridge and the riverside downstream were special.

Giardinetti di Sant’Andrea (Sile Garden)

Along the riverbank is Giardinetti di Sant’Andrea, AKA Sile Garden; this is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the river views. They also have an outdoor cafe and host events during the warmer months; there were a few evening concerts here during our stay.

An eye-catching feature at the top of the garden is Fonte dello Zodiaco, a fountain built in the 1930s. The top of the fountain is the highest point in the city and where the city’s first part was built.

Try Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of the most well-known desserts in Italian cuisine, and Treviso is its home. Because of that, there are lots of opportunities to indulge throughout the city. Tiramisu consists of 40% savoiardi soaked in coffee; 40% cream made with mascarpone, egg yolks, and sugar; and 20% bitter cocoa powder. It’s delicious, and the ones I tried tasted great. You can also book tiramisu cooking sessions.

Piazzetta San Parisio

For food lovers, Piazzetta San Parisio is a small market square with a few stalls selling food, including some good greengrocers.

The square is the former Court of San Parisio and was the cloister and courtyard of the convent of the Camaldolese Nuns of Santa Cristina and San Parisio. I enjoyed seeing the buildings and features at the edges while picking up some fresh vegetables.

Isola della Pescheria

A unique place to visit is Isola della Pescheria, also known as ‘fish market island’. This is an island with a few fish stalls, surrounded by the waters of the Canal Cagnan, which, as mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy, flows hand in hand with the Sile River.

The island looks beautiful, with some cafes nearby and interesting buildings to see, including Casa dei Carraresi. Another feature is the Mulino waterwheels on the Cagnan canal; these have been used by industry for over 1000 years, and in their heyday there were over 60 of them on the city’s canals.

Palazzo San Vito

Opposite the Loggia is the Palazzo San Vito, a grand building with porticoes along the front.

Churches

Throughout the city are a range of churches that are nice to see from the outside, and some are open to visitors. One of the main ones is The Cathedral of St Peter the Apostle, which has a Romanesque colonnade at the entrance and was built in the 18th century. There has been a church at the site since the 6th century. Other church buildings worth seeing include Chiesa di San Nicolò, Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, Chiesa di San Leonardo, and Parrocchia di San Martino Urbano.

Medieval City Walls

Surrounding the city are 5m of medieval walls that date from the 14th century. While walking along the route, you can see bastions, gates, and waterways running alongside them. The parts I explored were nice with lots of green space; the part to the north of the city has the most features.

Ponte Malvasia

For those that like canal views, the view from Ponte Malvasia of the Buranelli canal is special. The Buranelli canal is a branch of the Botteniga river.

Walking Tours

If on a brief visit to the city, a good way to see the main sights and learn some history is on a walking tour. Most of these cover the city’s historic areas and canals; however, some also include tiramisu tasting and other food experiences.