5-Nights Austrian Alps & Italy's Dolomites Bike Tour from $5,199

An artists town with Venetian roots, scenic Asolo, Italy, sits on a panoramic hillside location overlooking trees and small farms 25 mi/45 km northwest of Venice.

Walk the narrow streets to see the flower boxes that decorate each house. Visit the museum (it contains some writings of Robert Browning, who spent his last autumn there), nearby aristocratic villas, especially the Villa Barbaro at Maser and the Villa Cipriani Hotel, a beautiful 16th-century building—even if you don't stay there, drop by and visit it.

Also see the nearby Brion Tomb, designed by a well-known modern architect, Carlo Scarpa. We suggest a stay of one night in Asolo.

Just 26 mi/42 km from the Italian border, Lienz, Austria, is a pretty town in the scenic alpine region of East Tirol. It's easily reachable by train to Salzburg (70 mi/110 km), and a short drive (16 mi/27 km) to the spectacular Hohe Tauern National Park.

Once a center for trade in a region known for its iron ore, copper and even gold mines, Lienz itself makes for a pleasant afternoon of sightseeing—in the summer, its main square is closed to automobiles, so visitors can linger at a cafe, or shop at the Friday market. An impressive castle, Schloss Bruck, overlooks the town, and nearby is the fascinating Aguntum archeological museum, set next to an active Roman excavation site.

Nearby Zettersfeld peak offers downhill and cross-country skiing during the winter. In the summer, try hiking Grossglockner peak, Austria's highest at 12,455 ft/3,797 m.

A charming small town of cobblestoned streets 35 mi/55 km southwest of Salzburg, Zell am See, Austria, sits on an Alpine lake with a mountain backdrop. The skiing nearby is excellent, too.

Zell am See and the town of Kaprun have collaborated to develop the Europa Sports Region, where you can partake in year-round glacier skiing on the nearby Kitzsteinhorn. You'll also find ice skating, indoor tennis, swimming, windsurfing, sailing and cross-country skiing. The Zell am See area merits a visit of at least two days.