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The Dolomites
A Triple Crown of Hikes: Dolomites, Prosecco & Valpolicella This new 8-day hiking and wine tour combines three regions in northern Italy: The Dolomites, Valdobbiadene (Prosecco territory), and Valpolicella (Amarone). This year, it's replacing our regular Italian Alps tour, which will appear back on the calendar in 2012. Highlights: • Enjoy private tastings of Prosecco, Soave, and Amarone • Daily hikes of 3 to 5 hours • The rugged beauty of the Dolomites • World War I battlefields, trenches, and the Open Air Museum in the Dolomites • The town of Cortina, dubbed "the Pearl of the Dolomites" • Hiking on the Prosecco Wine Trail (Anello del Prosecco) 2011 dates: June 19-26 Cost: $3,795 [8 days/7 nights]; single room supplement $400 Meet: Treviso Depart: Verona |
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Day 1 - Welcome to the Dolomites At 9 A.M., we meet at the train station of Treviso, a small, beautiful town north of Venice that was long part of the Republic of Venice. From here, we drive to Cortina, an upscale ski resort town in the heart of the Dolomites (2 hrs). After a quick stop at the hotel, we'll drive to lunch at our trailhead, then set off on our afternoon hike. This loop takes us from the Refuge of Ra Stua to a refuge at the peak of Sennes (9 miles; hiking officially rated "touristic"). After this long day, we'll have a relaxing evening, dining at our hotel in Cortina and perhaps lingering in their wood-paneled lounge for an after-dinner nip. Hotel Europa Day 2 - Mt. Nuvolau and the WWI Frontline This morning we shuttle towards the Falzarego Pass to catch our funicular, which carries us up to our trailhead at the Rifugio Scoiattoli (Squirrel Refuge). This is where one of the classic Dolomites hikes begins: the loop around Mt. Nuvolau (2574 m). This takes us above the tree line and offers a 360¼ view of the craggy Dolomites, including Mt. Marmolada, where Pope John Paul II used to ski. Our alpine trails range from old military roads to narrow, rocky footpaths. The first part of this hike goes around Mt. Nuvolau; the second part descends along the Cinque Torri (5 Towers) ridge, which takes us past WWI battlegrounds with trenches, outposts, and reconstructed barracks. Walking sticks are highly recommended, and hiking boots are mandatory. This will be our most challenging hike. (8 miles; hiking officially rated "excursion") Before dinner, we'll convene at the hotel for an informal wine tasting with an assortment of wines from the Veneto and Friuli, ranging from Ribolla Gialla to Friulano (Tocai) to Refosco. Dinner is in town. B, D - Hotel Europa Day 3 - Ring Around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Today we have to the Auronzo Refuge to begin one of the most classic and beautiful hiking excursions of the Dolomites. It's famous because of its isolated group of three mountain peaks (Tre Cime), which are also popular with rock climbers. Here, too, you can see traces of the battles fought during World War I, when both Austrians and Italians were trying to conquer these peaks to control the territory. (6.4 miles; hiking rated "touristic") Today we'll again enjoy a pre-dinner wine tasting, offering a preview of the wines of Valpolicelli (with some aged bottles pulled from our own cellar). Dinner is on your own in Cortina. B - Hotel Europa Day 4 - The Ring of Prosecco This morning we leave Cortina and drive to the Prosecco village of Vittorio Veneto (2-1/2 hours), arriving in time for lunch. This village is where Italians broke the front on the final days of WWI, so we'll continue our history lesson here. Once fortified, we'll begin our afternoon hike on the Ring of Prosecco (L'Anello del Prosecco), an official wine trail that goes through vineyards, woods, tiny villages, and past countryside churches in one of the most important subzones for Prosecco. The trail offers views of the Piave River, a sacred line in WWI beyond which the Italians would not let the Austrians pass; those battles cost the lives of many young, last-minute recruits. (6 miles) In the afternoon, we'll have our first winery visit, having a tour and tasting at a boutique producer of Prosecco in Valdobbiadene, a newly established DOCG zone. Then we finally arrive at our hotel in a village outside of Valdobbiadene. Dinner is at a nearby restaurant. B, D - Relais Dolce Vista Day 5 - The Pastures of Valdobbiadene Today's trailhead is in the village of Pianezze. Here we'll begin our point-to-point hike, which follows the ridge between the provinces of Belluno and Treviso. We'll pass through pastures and woods, and see many rustic structures called malghe that years ago provided shelter to cows and farmers. Once we reach the top of the mountain, we will have a wonderful panoramic view that stretches from the Dolomites on one side to the Adriatic coast on the other, with the Prosecco hills at our feet. In the afternoon, we'll visit another boutique Prosecco winery in the area of Valdobbiadene, exploring both frizzante and spumante styles, and learning the various ways to put fizz in the bottle. Dinner is at a Prosecco producer, Villa Sandi, who also owns a cozy inn. Their menu features such rustic Treviso specialities as polenta with grilled meat, pasta and bean soup, and grilled cheeses. B, D - Relais Dolce Vista Day 6 - Prosecco and Soave Morning offers a point-to-point walk along a section of the Via dell'Acqua (Water Way), a trail that extends from the towns of Valdobbiadene to Vittorio Veneto. We'll pass through small villages and cross various waterways at the bottom of the Valdobbiadene hills: canals, springs, and water mills, one of which fueled a mill for silk production. Lunch in one of the villages en route. (9 miles). Afterwards, we transfer to the Valpolicella region (90 minute drive). Arriving in the walled city of Soave, we'll walk to the city center and pay a visit to Pieropan, a leading wine producer who turned Soave from a mass-produced white into a lovely, seductive wine from single vineyards. Here we'll also have our first tasting of Amarone, made from semi-dried grapes. Dinner is in the town of Fumane at a "zero kilometer" restaurant. B, D - Villa San Giorgio Day 7 - Valpolicella and Amarone This morning we drive to our trailhead in the village of Marano and start climbing. We'll pass cherry orchards, a crop that's widely cultivated in this area along with grapes. At the top of hill, we'll reach a marble quarry, one of many that supplied Verona with its famous red marble that still characterizes the city streets. This loop hike along country roads and trails offers glimpses of Lake Garda and the pianura veronese-the plains around Verona. Lunch will be in one of the tiny country restaurants of Valpolicella. The afternoon features Amarone and its sister wines Valpolicella, Ripasso, and Recioto. We'll learn about the various techniques to produce these related wines at a leading Amarone producer, such as Le Salette, Allegrini, or Tommasi. Dinner is at our charming country inn. B, D - Villa San Giorgio Day 8 - Buon viaggio! A shuttle to the Verona train station and assistance with your travel plans. B Copyright © 2011 - La Dolce Vita Wine Tours, Inc. - All rights reserved. Website Design & Programming: Canfield Design Studios, Inc. |