Belluno
Belluno is the provincial capital that introduces the Dolomites when arriving from the south: an elegant city, still largely unkno...
Updated 12 July 2026 · Sources: redazione editoriale interna Trovido
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Belluno now
The story
The story of Belluno
Belluno, gateway to the Dolomites
Belluno stands on a natural terrace at 383 metres above sea level, where the Piave receives the waters of the Ardo, forming a rim of rock and woodland that surrounds the city on three sides. This position has earned it the age-old title of gateway to the Dolomites: from here the historic roads set off toward Cadore, Agordino and Val Zoldana, all framed by the mountain groups that UNESCO added to the World Heritage list in 2009. Walking along the old ramparts or looking out from the public gardens, the eye moves seamlessly from the terracotta rooftops of the historic centre to the Dolomite ridges, a contrast between urban life and high mountains that few Italian provincial capitals can offer with such immediacy.
Piazza dei Martiri and the town centre
The heart of the city is Piazza dei Martiri, which locals still fondly call 'il Campedel', a memory of the old Campitello used as a marketplace and gathering point since the Middle Ages. Its current name commemorates four partisans hanged here in 1945 during the Nazi occupation, an episode the city has never wanted to forget. Today the long, rectangular square is lined with porticoed buildings and historic cafés, and serves as the natural starting point for exploring the centre: from here, within a few steps, you can reach both Piazza del Duomo and the streets of the medieval quarter, with their terraced houses and wrought-iron signs.
Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral
Piazza del Duomo is Belluno's monumental drawing room, dominated by the Cathedral of San Martino, a Renaissance building whose façade, left unfinished in bare stone, houses paintings from the Venetian school inside. Beside it rises the eighteenth-century bell tower, designed by the Messina-born architect Filippo Juvarra, whose distinctive bulb-shaped spire has become the symbol of the city and can be seen from every corner of the centre. The square is also flanked by the Palazzo dei Vescovi, the historic residence of Belluno's prince-bishops, and by the sober elegance of the surrounding buildings, which make this one of the most photographed spaces in the Dolomite capital.
The Palazzo dei Rettori
Overlooking Piazza Duomo, the Palazzo dei Rettori is the most solemn testimony to Venice's long rule over Belluno, which lasted from 1404 until the fall of the Republic. Built in Gothic-Renaissance style, it was the seat of the Venetian podestà and captain, the rectors who governed the city on behalf of Venice, and today houses the offices of the provincial administration. Its façade, marked by mullioned windows and an external staircase, clearly reveals the influence of lagoon architecture on this corner of pre-Alpine Veneto, a connection visible in many other palaces dotting the streets of the historic centre.
The historic streets and gates
Belluno's historic centre still clearly reveals its medieval layout, once enclosed by walls of which visible traces remain in the old city gates. Porta Rugo, one of the most distinctive, opens onto a maze of lanes descending toward the Piave, while other gates once marked the main entrances to the streets of trade and craft. Walking along Via Mezzaterra, the old porticoed artery linking the centre to the upper part of the city, you come across buildings with time-faded frescoes, craft workshops and small courtyards worth a stop, far from the tourist flows of the better-known Dolomite destinations.
The Museo Civico and the art of Belluno
The Museo Civico di Belluno, housed in a historic building in the centre, gathers archaeological, pictorial and natural-history evidence that reconstructs the long history of the Belluno area, from its Roman origins to the modern age. Its collections include works by artists connected to the city, in a display that engages with the wider Venetian painting tradition, of which Belluno was for centuries a lively if peripheral outpost. The museum is also a good starting point for understanding the deep bond between the city and the surrounding mountains, told through engravings, historical maps and objects of local Alpine culture.
Bellunese cuisine
Belluno's table tells the story of the encounter between the Venetian plain and Alpine culture. Casunziei, ravioli filled with red beetroot and dressed with melted butter, poppy seeds and smoked ricotta, are the most iconic dish of the whole Dolomite province. Pastin, a spiced blend of minced pork and beef typical of the Belluno and Feltre areas, is enjoyed grilled or spread on crostini. There is no shortage of mountain-dairy cheeses such as Schiz and Piave DOP, polenta served with porcini mushrooms gathered in the surrounding woods, and mountain blueberries turned into preserves. In the centre's traditional bacari, these dishes pair naturally with a glass of wine from the Feltre hills.
Excursions from the surrounding area
Belluno is the ideal base for exploring the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, established in 1990 to protect the Schiara, Vette Feltrine and Talvena mountain groups, a land of forests, canyons and karst plateaus just a few minutes' drive from the centre. A little further north, the valleys of Cadore and Agordino open up, with Alpine villages, lakes and the first true Dolomite peaks, while to the south the Valbelluna offers cycling routes along the Piave. For those who love less-trodden mountains, Val di Zoldo and the gorges of the Canale del Mis reward with views that stay off the more crowded routes.
How to visit
Belluno's historic centre can comfortably be visited on foot in half a day, but the city rewards a slower pace, perhaps chosen as a base for two or three days exploring the surrounding Dolomites. The railway station connects Belluno to Venice and Padua on the line that follows the Piave, while the bus station serves coaches toward Cortina d'Ampezzo, Cadore and Agordino. The best period runs from May to October, when clear days offer the sharpest views of the Dolomites, though winter has its own charm too, with the city becoming a gateway to the province's ski slopes.
Not-to-be-missed experiences
- Passeggiare in Piazza dei Martiri e scoprire la storia del 'Campedel'
- Stroll through Piazza dei Martiri and learn the story of the 'Campedel'
- Pasear por la Piazza dei Martiri y descubrir la historia del 'Campedel'
- Se promener sur la Piazza dei Martiri et découvrir l'histoire du 'Campedel'
- Über die Piazza dei Martiri schlendern und die Geschichte des 'Campedel' entdecken
- Passear pela Piazza dei Martiri e descobrir a história do 'Campedel'
- 漫步烈士广场,探寻“坎佩德尔”的历史
- 殉教者広場を散策し、「カンペデル」の歴史を知る
- التجول في ساحة الشهداء واكتشاف تاريخ 'الكامبيديل'
- पियाज़ा देई मार्तीरी में टहलें और 'कैम्पेदेल' का इतिहास जानें
- Прогуляться по площади Мучеников и узнать историю 'Кампеделя'
- Περπατήστε στην πλατεία Piazza dei Martiri και ανακαλύψτε την ιστορία του 'Campedel'
- Shëtitni në Sheshin dei Martiri dhe zbuloni historinë e 'Campedel'
To see
What to see in Belluno
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