A great day trip from Venice or Treviso (Italy) on the Prosecco wine hills
If you are planning to spend your holidays in Venice or Treviso in Northern Italy, why don't you set aside one day to explore the Prosecco wine hills? The Prosecco hills are located at about 1 hour drive from Venice.
Cison di Valmarino and Follina are two charming old towns nestled amongst those hilly landscape. They are the perfect place to travel off the beaten track.
The Prosecco hill towns are one of the most well-kept secrets, though they are getting more and more popuular every year. This is due to the fact that Prosecco wine tourism linked to the Prosecco wine trail, the sparkling wine cultivated on these hills, has a strong appeal amongst wine lovers from all over the world. Moreover, the Prosecco hills with its 20,000 hectares are bidding to get the UNESCO Heritage status.
Our itinerary sets off in Cison di Valmarino, member of the club of the most beautiful villages of Italy. You can either trek your way up the rolling landscape surrounding the town and energise with lots of hikes along the amazing paths. Alternatively, you can visit the cultural spots and top attractions in town.
CISON DI VALMARINO: 6 TOP THINGS TO DO
Cison di Valmarino is a club member of the most beautiful villages in Italy
1. Ride up the hill with a steep cog railway to the Brandolini Castle and gape at the spectacular views over the countryside. The castle is well visible from a distance with its mightly building. The Brandolini family, owners of the castle, have been managing it since Medieval times as they became richer and richer as soldiers of fortunes during the Crusades.
The steep cog railway (1 euro per person) will take you to the very top. Here you can eat at the top-notch restaurant, have an informal pizza, or enjoy a coffee from the stunning terrace. You can even spend the night at the Castle hotel, if you are not afraid of ghosts.
In fact, according to the local legend, at night you might sight the VIP of the family: Brandolino Brandolini, the founder of the descent.
1. Ride up the hill with a steep cog railway to the Brandolini Castle and gape at the spectacular views over the countryside. The castle is well visible from a distance with its mightly building. The Brandolini family, owners of the castle, have been managing it since Medieval times as they became richer and richer as soldiers of fortunes during the Crusades.
The steep cog railway (1 euro per person) will take you to the very top. Here you can eat at the top-notch restaurant, have an informal pizza, or enjoy a coffee from the stunning terrace. You can even spend the night at the Castle hotel, if you are not afraid of ghosts.
In fact, according to the local legend, at night you might sight the VIP of the family: Brandolino Brandolini, the founder of the descent.
The steep cog railway (1 euro per person) will take you to the very top. Here you can eat at the top-notch restaurant, have an informal pizza, or enjoy a coffee from the stunning terrace. You can even spend the night at the Castle hotel, if you are not afraid of ghosts.
In fact, according to the local legend, at night you might sight the VIP of the family: Brandolino Brandolini, the founder of the descent.
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| View of the Brandolini Castle from below |
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| Looking from the Brandolini Castle onto Cison di Valmarino and the Prosecco hills |
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| The coat of arms of the Brandolini |
2. Be surprised that Church in Santa Maria Assunta has the service entrance on the main square. In fact the sophicated back facade with the two ramps of steps is actually the back of the church! Unusual.
The church is very old, dating back to VIII century, and the interiors are baroque and rich with stuccoes and decorations.
If you want to grab a sandwich or a coffee, just sit on the Cafè Roma overlooking the square or inside: both the atmosphere of the piazza and the cozy cafe interiors add much depth to the food experience.
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| The bright interiors of the little Cafè Roma: the welcoming scent of coffee wafts through the air |
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| The back facade of the Church of Maria Assunta looking onto the main square |
3. Splash out on hand-made gifts or take classes on carving, painting and decorations. In Cison di Valmarino discover your inner artist! There are two big events in winter and in summer in which Italian arts and craft are showcased.
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| One bite and all your Christmas dreams will come true |
In August the summer event called "Craftsmanship Live" ("Artigianato Vivo" in Italian) is the yearly appointment with local and regional artisans to spread the knowledge of ancient traditional crafts: master craftsmen from all over the Veneto region and Italy will teach you how to carve wood, work ceramics or leather in workshops in the open air.
In December "Christmas Stars" ("Stelle di Natale" in Italian) is held instead. It has become an eagerly awaited Christmas market: hundreds of artisan stalls are spread across the town, especially in the area around Case Marian: the old red sharecroppers' houses who worked in the Brandolini's farms and for the family. Remember the Brandolini Castle?
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| Enjoy the bustling atmosphere on the piazza for the Christmas market with great arrays of goods |
You are spoilt for choice as you snake through the Christmas stalls laden with all sorts of hand-made woven hampers, embroideries, dolls, ceramics, perfumes, salami, cakes, Prosecco, spiced mulled wine, nativity scenes, hand-painted silks, and jewels.
I actually love the art creations of the designer, Chimajarno: a local designer which creates adorable vintage neckalaces, bracelets and earings out of old discarted buttons. To view her design creations, click here.
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| Spice up and refuel your Christmas with the "Christmas Stars" mulled wine |
4. Free guided tours along the "Mills Path" ("La Via dei Mulini" in Italian) to meet the elves (maybe).
Water has always been a valuable asset for Cison di Valmarino as it has been the source of many activities. Thanks to the river Rujo crossing Cison and the people managing the mills, over the centuries local workers and traders have produced silk, cotton, wool, as well as forged iron, cut wooden boards for construction and cultivated the land.
There is still a surviving mill wheel that you can see as it has been restored out of the 12 which were powered by water.
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| One of the historic mills along "the Mills Path" |
Along the Rujo river, the local volunteers' association called "Circolo al Mazarol" (Mazarol is the name of a legendary elf), together with the association for the promotion of Cison are in charge of the upkeep of the Mills Path.
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| Cison knew how to draw water to its own mills |
The volunteers will hike you along the narrow trail, over little wooden bridges and you will breathe in the untouched nature.
Small waterfalls will remind you that in the past women used to wash clothes in there, and children used to make a racket and splash around in the river during their summer school break.
While you walk surrounded by the sleeping woods, damping your boots in the soft soil, disconnect your mobile phones and be ready to encounter a group of mountain elves on the go.
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| There is no wi-fi along the Mills Path, but here you will find a real connection or ... the elves |
For wildlife lovers and fishermen, in the Rujo river you can go shrimp-watching: apparently they have become a rare variety elsewhere, but here they seem to thrive in the clean waters.
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| Time to go shrimp-watching |
5. Eat the local "spiedo", the spit meat which is the local finger-licking specialty. Seasoned with rosemary, pepper and spices, the meat-on-spit is cooked slowly for hours and hours on long skewers until it is soft on the inside and cruchy on the outside.
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| The "spiedo" (spit) is the local meat specialty |
6. If you are a fan of the Queens and you "heard it on the radio", you can't really miss a unique museum which traces the history of radio: the Vintage Radio Museum. From the main square, enter the Loggia where the town theatre is located, climb up the stairs to the top floor and open the heavy grey door.
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| Stay tuned on radio news |
You will enter the broadcasting world that shaped the information age between 1920 and 1950. With 72 original radios, the museum is very informative and equipped with audio recordings and photos of VIPs from the cultural and social scene of those years in Italy.
Entrance fee: free. The museum is open only on special events, or Sundays. For further details, click here.
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| Definitely not a face for the radio |
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| Live on air at Christmas |
Our second stop is Follina, another charming village in the club of the best villages in Italy. It is conveniently located 4 km from Cison di Valmarino at the foothills of the Alps.
FOLLINA: 5 TOP THINGS TO DO
The Gothic masterpiece is the open-air rectangular cloister decorated with arches and columns which are all different, and a fountain at the intersection of the garden.
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| The Gothic cloister in the Abbey of Santa Maria in Follina |
The cloister is full of symbols of paradise; yet you need to look for one of the monks living there to decipher them.
When you are about to go away, turn around for a second: at any moment you would expect the translator of manuscripts, Venantius of Salvemec (see "The Name of the Rose) sneaking through the cloister corridors to go into the church.
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| The Abbey cloister with the fountain and the bell tower |
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| Detail of the fountain cloister |
2. Take a few minute to admire the 6th-century sandstone sculpture of the Madonna and Child in the Church next door. The story tells that it was carved in Sudan, Africa, and came here misteriously.
The nave before you is dark and beautiful, and at Christmas it smells nicely of incense, candles and flowers. A fresco by Francesco da Milano and a Baroque crucifix can't also be missed!
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| The church nave with the statue of Madonna and child |
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| The Abbey from the main square of Follina |
3. Discover the long story of the wool production and trade and gape at the sight of the huge ex wool factory (now refurbished into a nursing home for the elderly as well as a library and the HQ of many local associations).
Cison was at the heart of the international textile industry which flowered here thanks to water and pastures from the Medieval age until 1800.
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| The huge wool factory which embodied the thriving textile industry in Follina |
By looking at the former factory, just try to imagine how madly loud the looming machines would be for the workers who had to bear the hammering sound of hundreds of them working together!
Locally there is still a high-profile design wool manufacturer, Lanificio Paoletti, which was established in 1795 and which yearly holds an exhibition on the wool heritage in Follina. For further information, click here.
4. Treat yourself to a Michelin-recommended bistrot called "La Corte". Thebistrot is set within Villa Abbazia, a top-notch Venetian villa turned into a classy hotel and restaurant.
The bistrot is an English-like tearoom furnished with mountain style interiors and tartan red curtains. Delicious arrays of cakes stand on soft tablecloths together with other sweet tidbits. Leaf tea is served in English traditional tea sets and teapots.
The icing on the cake is the hour-glass sand tea timer to measure the right soaking time and avoid overbrewing your tea. For true tea lovers.
5. Stroll around the Christmas markets in Follina spread around the Abbey. If you read this post out of the festive season, remember to save the date for next year.
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| The design Christmas trees on the main street of Follina |
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| The gingerbread woman exploring Follina Christmas markets |
Yearly Follina hosts the so-called "Winter colors" market faturing artisans and small traders, as well as numerous refreshment wooden chalets.
All the streets are packed with tourists and locals alike who buy quirky presents, such as wreaths made of newspapers, or hand-made raisins bread or hats. Some of the stalls are set up in ancient elegant noble palaces, heritage of the rich past of Follina. All events are free of charge.
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| One of the elegant palaces which hosts the Christmas stalls |
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| Christmas raisin bread |
In brief
Getting there
Renting a car is by far the best way to get to Cison and Follina
By car: Cison and Follina can be reached easily by car. You can hire a car either at Treviso airport or at Marco Polo Airport.
You need to take the A27 motorway (at a charge), driving north from Venice heading towards Treviso. Exit at Vittorio Veneto North. It takes roughly an hour (80 km).
By train and bus: if you have lots of time, you can also reach Cison and Follina by train and bus, but it takes considerably longer.
Take the railway line from Venice Santa Lucia or Mestre train station and get off (with 1 change) in Vittorio Veneto train station.
From here you can take bus 117. Further information on the bus network can be found on the Mom Mobilità di Marca website or on the related Mom App for mobile. Please note that timetables change in winter and summer.
Free travel app for trips: another easy option to track the best routes on "Rome2Rio" app. Click here for Rome2Rio site.
Where to eat
Antica Osteria di Via Brandolini is based in Solighetto
However, in this informal Osteria located in Solighetto (6 km from Follina), they have turned it into an art.
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| BBQ with traditional Veneto polenta on a crackling fire |
You will love the familiar atmosphere, especially watching the crackling fireplace and the meat spinning slowly. To start with they serve Italian antipasti such as baked stuffed tomatoes, roasted fennels with Parmesan cheese, Olivier salad, raw ham, eggplant Parmesan, mix fried vegetables and much more. A meal fit for kings.
They are closed on Modays and Sunday for dinner. To book a table at Antica Osteria di Via Brandolini, click here.
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| Delicious dishes of appetizers: they call it appetizers but actually they are a full meal |
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| Restaurant sign of Antica Osteria di Via Brandolini |
They have set up a culinary path into the world of cheese with the best artisan cheeses from the region. My favourite is Buffalo cheese matured in Glera wine grapes which was awarded the gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in London in 2016.
The restaurant is open at lunch and dinner and offers a variety of meat dishes (on top of cheeses). Latteria Perenzin is located in San Pietro di Feletto, 17 km from Cison (20 minutes). For Latteria Perenzin opening hours, click here.
Where to shop
Valdellovo Prosecco winery: if you have a car and you want to visit a genuine family-owned wine making company managed by Clotilde and Benedetto, head to Valdellovo winery located in Susegana, between Follina and Treviso.
Valdellovo vineyards produce different types of excellent Prosecco
Out of their 10-hectare hilly vineyards, they produce a wide range of Prosecco: from their flagship DOCG wine, AnnoZero, to Frizzante (fizzy) Bade, and lastly the so-called N1VO Millesimato (which means that most of the grapes come from the harvest year indicated on the label). You can shop onlinee too. Valdellovo is set in beautiful Susegana, 17 km south of Follina (20 minutes). For more information on Valdellovo, click here.
More information
For more information on Cison, click on Cison municipality website.
For more information on Follina, click on Follina municipality website.
For further information on Visit Veneto website, click here.