Land reclaimed from contamination
It was a landfill and industrial area, entirely rehabilitated.
Gabriele Foltran — Public domain · La Citta Vita — CC BY-SA 2.0 · La Citta Vita — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Marc Ryckaert — CC BY-SA 4.0
A large public park on the edge of the Venetian lagoon at Mestre, among the biggest urban parks in Italy. The ground it stands on was a landfill and a contaminated industrial area, rehabilitated over years and turned into a park opened at the start of the millennium. That is what makes it interesting: land reclaimed from industrial damage rather than a historic garden. What it gives a visitor is exactly what Venice lacks: open space, grass, cycle paths and playgrounds. Venice is a stone city with almost no gardens, and with children that becomes a real problem after a day or two. From the park there is a view over the lagoon and of Venice itself on the horizon — the city seen from outside, an angle most visitors never get. It lies in Mestre on the mainland rather than on the island of Venice: about ten minutes by bus or tram from Mestre station, or around half an hour from Piazzale Roma. Free and open, with long paths — take water, and shade is limited in parts.
It was a landfill and industrial area, entirely rehabilitated.
A view over the lagoon with the city on the horizon — an angle most visitors miss.
Space, grass and playgrounds — solving a real problem in a stone city with no gardens.
Mestre, on the lagoon edge opposite Venice
As a destination in itself, no. But if you are staying in Mestre — as many do, because hotels are far cheaper — it is the best thing in the area. And with children who have spent two days on Venice's stone with nowhere to run, it becomes a practical necessity rather than a choice.
Practically yes if budget matters: hotels are far cheaper than in Venice and the train to Piazzale Roma takes about ten minutes and runs frequently. The cost is that you lose Venice in the early morning and late evening — its best and quietest hours. The choice is between money and the experience.
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