Venice The city of is high on the list of bucket-list destinations for many. But as it struggles under the weight overtourism, smart travelers are seeking alternatives. Enter Comacchio. A small town located less than 2 hours away. Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. Comacchio’s lagoon and canals, which are located at the point where the Po River Delta meets with the Adriatic Coast make it known as “Little Venice”.
Fulvio De BonisA-List Travel Consultant behind Imago Artis Travel It is recommended to “walk along the small streets and canals of the city, taking in the views and bridges like the Ponte dei Trepponti that evokes the metaphysical mood of De Chirico paintings.”
The town is also known for its culinary delights, notably eels. The 17th-century fish market is still used by local fishermen to sell their catch. De Bonis said that visiting the ancient Manifattura dei Marinati It is a must. He describes it as “a splendid industrial example, today a workshop and museum that preserves equipment, boats, documents and interviews that bear testimony to the tradition of processing eel.”
The marinated eel made in Comacchio has been recognized as a Slow Food Presidium. “During the whole year, you can observe the fish being prepared and in November and Decembre, picturesque fireplaces will be lit to roast the eel and marinate it according to ancient Comacchio techniques,” explains Mr. Alessandro. The Sala dei Fuochi is a large room with twelve fireplaces that is the center of the complex. Here, sardines and anchovies are also marinated.
The restaurants in the town serve eel more than you might expect, and they also offer other seafood dishes, such as scallops, clams, or spaghetti with crabs. risotto alla pescatore. Bosco Eliceo is a crisp white wine from the region that’s classified as DOC in Italy.
The history buffs should visit the Ancient Delta Museum Inside the Antico Ospedale degli Infermi is the cargo from an ancient Roman ship that was discovered in Comacchio, Italy in 1981. De Bonis suggests that nature lovers “take a boat or a bike trip to the Salina di Comacchio or Valle Campo in order to discover the nesting areas of numerous bird species and the beautiful pink-flamingos.”