One of the most visited outlets in the Veneto, a 30 minutes drive away from Venice (highway), is the McArthurGlen Designeroutlet: Once you took the exit San Donà and left the toll booths behind you, you’ll see a shopping-city rising from behind the roundabout and decorated, during X-mas time, with numerous lights and Christmas trees.
As I`m not a fan of airless, overcrowded and neon lit shopping centers, this outlet is a welcome change where you can easily spend (if you wish and, most important, without a headache) several hours. What distinguishes this outlet from other shopping centers is the fact that it’s design is based on a city center, what means that you pass the whole time – wandering from one shop, or house, to another – outdoors. Sure, there are also restaurants and bars where you can rest and grab a bite (prices are a bit higher than normally, but I guess that’s due to the higher rent).
And what’s that designer-thing all about? Well, you won’t find H&M or other low cost brands, but only exclusive ones like Armani, Versace, Diesel, Guess, Fornarina, Bialetti, Lindt, etc etc, who sell their collections discounted up to 70%. But attention, you’ll hardly find new collections, as they normally sell their remaining merchandise that can also be up to two or three years old. If you don’t care about that and you’r happy with the fact of being able to buy a piece of design paying an affordable price, the McArthurGlen Designeroutlet is the right choice for you.
The only defect of the outlet is the parking lot as there’s only one entrance and one exit for all the visitors what easily leads to traffic jams in the week end and especially in Christmas time: It once took us 30 minutes to leave the parking lot and another time (actually I think it was December) the entrance to the parking lot was even closed (too many visitors) and people started to park their cars in the roundabout and in all the streets surrounding the outlet only not to turn back home empty-handed. (Just imagine how much money the municipality earned just that day due to all the fines.)
Via Marco Polo 1, Italia – 30020 Noventa di Piave (VE)
Open every day from 10 am – 8 pm
except on
24/12/2014 10 am – 6 pm
25/12/2014 Closed
26/12/2014 Closed
31/12/2014 10 am – 5 pm
01/01/2015 Closed
