The Name Sums it Up: La Bella Vita - By Susan Cornell

This post comes from guest contributor Susan, who earlier this year embarked on a memorable journey aboard La Bella Vita, European Waterways’ luxury hotel barge cruising through Italy’s enchanting Veneto region and Po Valley.

Traveling with her husband, Susan spent six nights exploring historic cities, hidden villages, celebrated culinary traditions, and the tranquil waterways of northern Italy. In her own words, she shares the highlights, surprises, and unforgettable experiences that made this voyage live up to its name—La Bella Vita, “the beautiful life.”

A Luxury Barge Cruise Through Northern Italy

My husband and I traveled aboard European Waterways La Bella Vita, one of the EW’s 18 luxury hotel barges designed for small groups of 6-20 passengers, cruising canals and rivers in nine European countries. La Bella Vita is their only vessel operating in Italy and cruises the waterways of the Veneto region and Po Valley in northern Italy. In her prior life, she was a sand barge which cruised the same river.

We cruised one way on the Po River from Venice to Mantua, exploring both main attractions and hidden gems en route. The Po River is Italy’s longest river, flowing about 405 miles eastward across northern Italy from the Cottian Alps to the Adriatic Sea.

Preparing for Our La Bella Vita Italy Cruise

A few days after we booked, I noticed that our local library was offering “Italian for Travelers” classes. How serendipitous! Without asking my traveling companion, I enrolled us tout de suite. We “graduated” from the five classes (with homework!) right before taking off.

We flew in a day pre-cruise for a couple of reasons. First, peace of mind – it’s a good idea to have a few extra hours rather than risk missing the boat because of a flight delay. Second, you can’t complain about having time to explore Venice! We flew SWISS from Boston to Zurich to Venice, total flying time of about nine hours. Flying above the Swiss Alps exceeded my expectations. Upon arrival, the temperature in sunny Venice was seventy degrees. That’s the way to start holiday!

We bussed from the airport to the Venice Mestre Hotel Bologna, which we booked primarily because this was the meeting place for our group the following day. ATVO express bus: 15 minutes, 12 EUR. The hotel is conveniently located across the street from the Venice Mestre train station, making popping back into Venice via train quick, simple, and inexpensive (11 minutes, 1.50 EUR).

Venice, even in late April, is still lively to crowded. It is said that tourists outnumber residents by 392:1. The ratio is even greater in other places, but Venice gets far more media attention for overtourism. I’m not a fan of crowds or cities, but it really wasn’t crazy. I don’t believe there’s a stat about Aperol Spritz consumption, but a large percentage of hands were holding vibrant orange bubbly beverages.

We spent our time wandering the less-traveled roads and alleys, taking photos and watching visitors. Lunch consisted of gelato: Nutella, Tiramisu, Pistachio, and Lemon. No judging – it’s vacation. We returned to the hotel for a quick nap due to the overnight flight and then headed to dinner.

I had read that the way to dine with locals when traveling in touristy destination is often not to go to most restaurants as they are filled with tourists, not locals. Instead, eat at McDonalds’s or similar. So, our first night in Italy we walked right across the street to find the differences between American and Italian McD’s. I loved the Spinach and Parmigiano Reggiano croquettes and Perogina McFlurry. Plus, we were about to board a gourmet cruise with extremely high-end dining.

It took only a matter of minutes before we were fast asleep in the hotel, recharging for our first day aboard European Waterways’ La Bella Vita.

Day 1: Boarding La Bella Vita in Venice

Sunday started out sunny and 71. Since our group was not meeting until 2pm, we headed back to Venice for more via vaporetto, a Venetian public waterbus. My only request to my husband was this be a stress-free morning, no hustling at the last second since we had almost made it to the ship. Another comment I recall making was every Venetian seems to be employed in either tourism or law enforcement.

We purchased two boat tickets, scanned them, and boarded the vaporetto. Soon thereafter a police officer checked our tickets. One would validate but the other did not. No questions asked – immediate $50 EUR ticket. We pleaded as best we could with a non-English speaking officer, I apologized profusely but clearly there was no overlap between law enforcement and tourism with this guy! He took my passport information and now my souvenir is a ticket to appeal. I even used the Italian learned at the library with a few “non capisco”s (I don’t understand) thrown in.

We drowned our sorrows in cappuccino and cannolis and headed back to the hotel where we met our guide, Claudia, and the rest of the passengers. Surprisingly, there were only seven others, a group of friends and family from Louisiana. The ship accommodates 20, and typically the crowd is not all US. The prior trip was 100 percent UK! With a crew of 10, nine passengers makes a pretty good ratio. We were transferred by minibus to the ship, and had a Prosecco welcome with Captain Rudy and the crew.

I wasn’t quite sure how this mix of guests would work out. Bob and I are lifelong New Englanders, and the North in the US is absolutely nothing like the South. And, we were outnumbered. And, the seven Louisianians traveled together. I thought we might be the “red-headed stepchildren”.

When the group started playing zydeco music on the upper deck (in Italy? really?), and talked about hunting and preparing alligators, we knew we would learn not only about the Italian way of life, but also life in another part of our own country…assuming we could figure out each other’s accents.

There was a short cruise along the Guidecca Canal past some of Venice’s famous monuments to our mooring outside the Naval Museum. We were able to hop right off and walk either one direction through more tourist-filled streets or, in the other direction, to lovely parks full of locals, laughter, kids and dogs along the water. This was a great surprise as when I thought of Venice, I really only thought of tourism, architecture, and gondolas. This was more like a small Central Park full of locals and made the city seem more livable.

We returned to the ship for our first gourmet meal. The menu read Baccala Mantecato (whipped salt cod); Duck Breast, Celeriac Pure, Carrot, Snow Peas; Pear Tarte. “La Bella Vita” was to be no understatement.

Day 2: Venice, Murano and Pellestrina

Another perfecto weather day in Venice — sunny and 70 again. We started the day with plenty of espressos and breakfast (cooked to order and/or buffet). We then headed to a guided visit of the magnificent 14^th century Ducal Palace (aka Doge’s Palace) and returned to the barge for lunch. We had the choice of two afternoon activities – free time to explore the Castello District, where we could discover some of the hidden historical and less crowded/touristy parts of Venice, or we could take the water taxi to Murano Island, “The Island of Glass,” to visit the famed glass blowing factory. Everyone chose Murano, an excellent decision.

After returning from Murano in the late afternoon, La Bella Vita cruised to Pellestrina which separates the Adriatic Sea from Venetian Lagoon. We travelled down the Canal of the Orphans, passing by lagoon islands dotted with old monasteries, small churches, and brightly painted fishing boats.

We were to dock in colorful quiet Pellestrina (population 4000), completely unlike Venice. Upon arrival, an animated exchange occurred between our captain and the captain of a docked fishing vessel concerning the allocation of dock space as the locals took their time cleaning nets; the matter was ultimately resolved through a trade of blue crabs for Prosecco and we were quickly off to sunset happy hour at a local bar along the water.

Day 3: Chioggia, Ca' Zen and the Po River

Another sunny 70 degree day, repetitive on the weather which makes outfit planning a breeze. We sailed to our docking location and then took a second boat to Chiogga, aka Little Venice, a seaside town south of Venice which predates Venice by about 500 years. We visited the fish market, saw the world’s oldest clock, and walked the Corso del Popolo thoroughfare, an historic area with canals and narrow alleys. La Bella Vita repositioned and, since passengers are not allowed on the open waters of the Adriatic Sea, we were transported back by van which allowed for time to pass through a nature preserve with flamingos and other waterfowl.

We returned for lunch, blue crab from our trade the day prior, and free time which we spent walking the path along the river. In the early evening, though we could have taken the van driven by our ship’s captain, we walked to Ca’ Zen, an incredible private villa where Lord Byron courted the Countess Giuccio and wrote some of his best poetry.

Ca’ Zen once used 6,000 convicts to deviate the course of the Po River south in order to protect the Venetian Lagoon. Today, this historic country home is a hotel and restaurant. We toured the property with the owner who brought Ca’ Zen’s history to life, making our visit particularly memorable. The dinner was spectacular – exceptional wines, aubergine for the first course, veal and leeks for the second, and gelato with strawberries and honey from the property for dessert. This is the type of destination one would find on a travel show.

Day 4: Adria, Wine Tasting and Opera on Board

This morning, we joined the Biano Canal and cruised to Adria, an ancient Etruscan town, where we visited the Archaeological Museum. Again, a bellissima day – sunny and 69. Lunch on board was grilled bell pepper salad with smoked provola; wild asparagus (foraged by the chef on the walking path en route to Ca’ Zen the day prior) risotta; and four local cheeses.

We then drove to the Bagnoli Estate to tour the Renaissance gardens and wine cellars of the 17^th century villa Widmann Borletti.  We enjoyed a private wine tasting at the estate and winery which started as a monastery in the 10^th century. The formal gardens are spectacular. In the fields, using only their own grapes, the winery produces an outstanding DOCG Friularo, a wine not exported into the US. We returned to the ship for dinner and on-board entertainment, a group of opera singers  who encouraged participation, making the evening eye-opening and entertaining.

Day 5: Exploring Ferrara and Emilia-Romagna

In the sunshine-filled morning we sailed to a new region, Emilia-Romagna, where we visited the Renaissance city of Ferrara. Our morning tour included the Estense Castle and its moat as well as the magnificent Ferrara Cathedral with sculpted images described as an illustrated bible.

We dined at our guide’s favorite local restaurant, Ristorante Cusina, a perfect choice, and then returned to the barge for Chef Andrea’s risotto class. La Bella Vita departed for Vallazza. Along the way, guests enjoyed the hot tub while cruising past villages and farmsteads.

Day 6: Discovering Mantua, Italy's Hidden Gem

Our final cruise on yet another 70 degree sunny day was a dramatic approach to Mantua, home of artists Mantegna and Donatello.  This may have been my favorite stop. We started the day riding the bike path around Lago Inferiore, and then traded the bikes in to walk the city.

Mantua’s historic center was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this hidden gem or “Sleeping Beauty” (Bella addormentata) of Italy is less crowded than Venice yet with the heritage and ancient city vibe. We visited Basilica di Sant’Andrea, La Cattedrale di Mantova, and then an unexpected treasure – the Museo Vigili Del Fuoco, the National Gallery of Historical Firemen, which houses a sizable collection of fire vehicles and memorabilia.

We met Lorenzo, an historian and tour guide, at Palazzo Te. The villa, built outside Mantua’s city walls, was commissioned by Federico Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, as a place of leisure and pleasure where he could spend time with his mistress and keep his beloved horses

The palace is known for elaborate frescoes and each chamber has a theme, including the Room of Psyche (with mythological and erotic scenes), the Room of Eagles, and the Room of the Horses. In the most famous room, the Hall of the Giants, the walls and ceilings depict the gods of Olympus crushing the Titans symbolizing the power of the emperor over city and the duke’s loyalty to the empire.

Our final evening on board ended with drinks and hors d’oeuvres with our captain and then the captain’s farewell dinner, a selection of local Mantua gastronomic dishes.

What Makes a La Bella Vita Cruise So Special

One of the many things I loved about European Waterways is, while you’re on a cruise, you still visit local restaurants, cafes and villas as EW makes the arrangements, and these dining activities are included in the price of the trip.

Excursions were available once or twice daily. We joined each one but discovered moments which were just as interesting and memorable on our own. It’s great to simply head out without a plan to explore. We always found a surprise that wasn’t in the guidebooks – anything from a museum to genuine encounters with the locals who were as curious about the strangers arriving by barge as we were of them and their traditions. Every stop was walkable, and we ended up averaging 6.5 miles per day though we could have just as easily enjoyed sitting in La Bella Vita’s hot tub watching scenery pass by.

The cuisine and wine were consistently fantastic, perhaps the best of any cruises we’ve been on. This was our twenty-ninth cruise so that says a lot. The service was stellar and the excursions interesting and well-organized.

Final Thoughts on the La Bella Vita Italy Cruise

And how did this mix of guests from the North and the South work out?  Fantastic! As a small group, we dined together, talked about our different adventures of the day, talked about past trips, future plans, sports, wine, food, everything. And, yes, we understood each other and ended up using a few more “y’alls” in communicating.

Though my husband and I tended to spend more time biking, walking, and exploring while others enjoyed fine wine (many were true connoisseurs), we all left La Bella Vita with new insights and plans to return for another EW adventure. By the way, the combined total of wine bottles consumed in this six-night trip was 61, and that doesn’t include tastings on land!

La Bella Vita: The Beautiful Life Awaits

From Venice’s hidden corners and colorful fishing villages to the historic treasures of Ferrara and Mantua, Susan’s journey aboard La Bella Vita showcases why European Waterways’ luxury barge cruises offer such a unique way to experience Italy.

Combining exceptional cuisine, immersive excursions, intimate small-group travel, and the freedom to discover authentic local culture, this voyage truly lived up to its name—the beautiful life.

If Susan’s story has inspired you to explore Northern Italy from the comfort of a luxury hotel barge, Contact Us today to learn more about La Bella Vita itineraries and start planning your own unforgettable European Waterways cruise.