Comacchio is a low, brick-built lagoon town east of Ferrara, often described as a small-scale cousin of Venice without the crowds or grandeur. Canals thread through the centre, crossed by arched bridges and lined with pastel houses, while the surrounding wetlands connect the town to the broader Po Delta landscape.
The town's identity is tied to fishing and especially eel, which appears in local restaurants and in the Manifattura dei Marinati museum. Comacchio is best treated as a slow day trip: walk the Trepponti bridge, follow the canals, eat by the water, and leave time for the nearby delta lagoons if you have a car or bicycle.