Walking the Prosecco Hills – Day 2

WE START WALKING THE PROSECCO HILLS ON DAY 2:

Cison di Valmarino Village square

This morning, Day 2 of our Walking the Prosecco Hills tour, we transfer to the pretty town of Cison di Valmarino, one of the best-preserved villages in the Prosecco area.

The town contains historic monuments and buildings which hints at its past role as a major feudal estate.

Cison Santa Maria Asunta Church

Before commencing our walk, we have a little time to walk around the medieval village, visit the church or have a coffee in the village square.

The Walk

Being the first day of walking, we start with a gentler walk of 7 kms. The route follows a waterway and crosses tranquil woodlands.

We pass by the ancient manor and fortress of Castelbrando, where Tony gets to dress up as a knight.

Interesting property gate

Tony the Knight

From the castle we enjoy panoramic views over the farmland and villages far below.

View from CastelBrando

These days CastelBrando operates as a hotel.

View of CastelBrando

Day 2 Walk

We end in Follina

We have lunch in a local bistrot before proceeding to Follina, best-known for the beautiful Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria, dating to the 12th century.

Cistercian monastery in Follina

This mystical site encloses one of most beautiful cloisters in Italy. The monks were the first to give a boost to the development of the textile sector in this area, weaving wool here from the Middle Ages onwards.

Abbey of Santa Maria cloister

The walk ends in Follina and we return to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax in the village or take an optional short walk along the picturesque river banks near our hotel. Most of us choose to relax instead.

Wine Tasting

In the evening, we experience the first wine-tasting of the week at a local restaurant: The sommelier explains the various types of prosecco, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry and Dry.

Wine Tasting at Locanda da Lino

For many, it’s a bit confusing initially as the driest prosecco is Extra Brut and not Extra Dry. We get to taste the various prosecco types, including one where the yeast is left in the drink and not extracted.

One of the bottles of wine sampled

The drink is cloudy looking and I must say I’m not a fan of it at all.

Dinner

Dinner is not included tonight, but as the wine-tasting is held at the Locanda da Lino in Solighetto, it’s convenient for us all to dine here as well. My tagliolini with crunchy vegetables in pesto sauce didn’t turn out to be what I expected. The vegetable isn’t crunchy, but at least the pesto sauce is there.

Tagliolini with crunchy vegetables

The restaurant has the most amazing ceiling decoration – it’s covered with 3,000 copper pots and pans and has a cosy atmosphere.

Ristorante Locanda da Lino

Locanda da Lino is is a traditional Italian restaurant, that’s run by generations of the same family.

See Day 3 here.

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