I visited the small town of Bassano del Grappa, Italy several times during my study abroad trip, since it’s where the largest nearby train station was. The school would often bus us to Bassano, where we would spend a minimal amount of time before departing to our other destinations. I did, however, have the opportunity to explore Bassano twice – once during the day and another time at night. Bassano offered very different experiences each time, both of which were really enjoyable.

My first visit took place at night. The school had set up a “pub crawl” for us, but there was no set itinerary for us to follow. This allowed us to explore the city at our own pace and visit the places we were interested in. The town was fairly quiet on the night I was there, but at the same time it was full of energy. We started the evening with a visit to a small café, where we had red wine and complimentary popcorn. I soon found out that many bars in Europe offer free snacks with any drink order, which I took full advantage of. Our next stop was a small restaurant, where we had more wine. As we were walking along the street to our next destination, we entered a bar that was quite lively. Several people were dancing to the loud music, and the alcohol was flowing freely. We didn’t stay long at this place – we were in Italy, after all, and wanted to have more of a quiet, sophisticated night. After that excitement, we found a small, hidden bar where we had even more wine (I think you get the point) and pub chips. The bartender was super friendly and interesting. We stayed at this place for quite a while, and before we knew it, our night in Bassano was almost over. We headed back to the buses, stopping to enjoy the view from the Ponte Vecchio (a wooden bridge). My first night out in Italy was a success.

Wine (and snacks!) in Bassano

My second visit to Bassano was during the day. The feel was completely different; it was more touristy and people were moving at a faster pace than they had at night. This short trip consisted of window shopping, eating lots of gelato, and enjoying a different view from the Ponte Vecchio than on our last visit. We walked along the edge of the water, where several families were spending time together. We also stopped for lunch at a busy restaurant before continuing to explore the bustling streets. Once again, our time in Bassano flew by and we were headed back to the school before we knew it.

Beautiful view from the Ponte Vecchio

Overall, I enjoyed my time in Bassano. It is a fairly well-known place and therefore does attract a decent amount of tourists. Despite this, the city still has a quiet, small-town feel to it. I would recommend visiting Bassano for a day or two if you have extra time in the area and want to spend time relaxing in a quaint Italian city. I would also recommend visiting in the evening if you enjoy nightlife. Whether you prefer quiet, cozy bars or louder, crazier establishments, it’s likely that Bassano will meet your desires. If I’m ever in Northern Italy again, I will definitely try to visit Bassano again (even if only for an afternoon).