Holiday apartment in Dese: forests, wetlands and Venetian history

Dese combines woodland areas, wetlands and Venetian architectural history. The Chiesa della Natività di Maria is a Romanesque-Gothic church made of exposed brick in Dese. The church and the fort also differ in their materials: exposed brick on the one hand and reinforced concrete on the other.

Holiday apartment in Dese between forest and history

The woodland areas in the district of Dese are bordered by the river of the same name. Bosco Praello is one of three woodland areas in Dese. The Bosco di Dese was expanded by around 2.5 hectares of lowland forest. A new wetland area was created by converting the agricultural land known as “Parco Terronazzo Sud” and covers 15,000 square metres. The landscape thus includes woodland areas, a connection to the river and a wetland area with its own origins in land formerly used for agriculture.

Bosco Dese can be explored along specially created paths. Public access to Bosco Dese is closed during the hunting season from September to February; this period should be taken into account when planning. Bosco Praello can be reached via Via Bosco Costa. Anyone planning to visit both woodland areas can treat them as two separate destinations.

Cultural and historical attractions in and around Dese

Forte Cosenz lies north of Dese along the railway line to Trieste. It is part of the Venetian mainland defence project, the so-called “Campo Trincerato di Mestre”. The structure was built entirely of reinforced concrete and belongs to the second generation of forts. Forte Cosenz was completed in 1911. Its location, building material and integration into the Venetian mainland defence system each give the site its own historical significance.

The church’s older history includes the surviving old bell tower. It formerly served as a watchtower and was built around the year 1000 from reused Roman materials. These reused Roman materials contrast with the reinforced concrete of Forte Cosenz as two different construction methods. The church of Santa Maria di Dese was visited in 957. The visit in 957 predates the construction of the bell tower around the year 1000.

Getting there and planning your day

An intercity bus route serves Dese. Those arriving by bus can incorporate this connection into their day plan. For a stay focused on nature and culture, different priorities can be chosen: a path in Bosco Dese, the wetland area, the history of the church or the military architecture of Forte Cosenz. Travelling by bus can be combined with a day in nature or a cultural and historical visit. This leaves room for different interests without reducing Dese’s forest and history themes to a single destination.

Further destinations for orientation

Alberoni, Trivignano, Giudecca, Altino, Marghera, Campalto, Tessera and Mestre offer further points of reference for planning your trip.

For the higher-level travel overview: Venice.