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TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE, VENETO and  FRIULI
Fancy  sparkles   …..    Montasio cheese and San Daniele ham

Trentino is a little region in the North of Italy  difficult to be found on a  map, but  a fantastic  place to discover : mountains, lakes, old small villages , ancient castles, vineyards and apple orchards. Here  one can taste simple old dishes, that sometimes mix with a German tradition, and sip beautiful wines from local vineyards overlooking  breathtaking views.

The art cities in Veneto are beautiful, to end up with Venice:  the romantic city on the Adriatic sea  where in old times spices and goods used to arrive from the East into Europe.

To travel through Friuli Venezia Giulia is to go  from the Alps to sweet hilly landscapes  and then down to beautiful beaches; and also across  two different past cultures, the Venetian one in the Western area and the Austrian in the North-East. But all in all its cuisine shows a stronger  influence from the Habsburg Empire. One of the imported characteristics is the indiscriminate use of sugar, cheese, butter, fruit, jams and mustards in all dishes, in main courses as well as in  dessert. Local dishes are always matched with great wines that come from an ancient tradition dating  back to 700 B. C. , thanks  to the area favourable soil and climate.

Day 1 : Trento
Arrival in Trento and check in at the hotel. An overnight stay.
Day 2 :  Trento, from the Council  to Ferrari Spumante 
Our tour starts off in Adige Valley with  a visit to the regional capital Trento, crossed by the River Adige and encircled  by  the mountains.  In old times this city became famous for the Catholic Council held in the 16th century as a response to the Protestant Reformation. Beautiful  historic frescoed  buildings and elegant shops stand  around the notable Romanesque-Gothic cathedral devoted to San Vigilio and its lovely square with the  impressive Neptune fountain. A true pearl is  Buonconsiglio Castle,  an imposing complex whose construction began in 1200 and continued through the next  five centuries. In this splendid fortress an outstanding masterpiece:  the frescos in Torre dell’ Aquila (the Eagle Tower), among the most valuable ever realized in such Gothic-International style.
In the afternoon  we will  visit Ferrari Wine Cellars , world renowned for their spumantes, beautiful sparkling wines never lacking  at any of the  most trendy international meetings.
Trento also has many excellent restaurants as well as some typical trattorie which offer traditional  local cuisine, where we can stop for dinner, before returning to the hotel for an overnight stay.                                                        

  Day 3 : Rovereto, cooking and contemporary art
 Rovereto is the second center in Trentino for importance and size . During these last few years  it  has          been the venue of some international artistic conferences, being this town the seat  of Mart , the Museum of  Modern Art, and also where the painter  Fortunato Depero, a leading figure of the futurist movement, and the philosopher Antonio Rosmini were born. 
In the morning our chef will guide us through some tasty local recipes. We learn ourselves to cook our “Trentino” lunch.
Later in the afternoon,  we will visit the Museum of Modern Art and stroll about the picturesque historic centre, before travelling south.                                                                   
Check in at the hotel for dinner  and an overnight stay. (104 km)

Day 4:  Valpolicella vineyards and the Arena in Verona 
After breakfast  we will visit Valpolicella, one among  the best Italian wine-growing  areas: Amarone and Recioto are only some of the delights slumbering in barrels. Sunny hills, Venetian villas and appreciated wine cellars disclose their secrets of art and taste. An interesting wine tasting, matched with local products as cheese and guided by wine experts.
In the afternoon Verona will enchant us with an architectural design that conveys the city’s identity extending from the Roman epoch to modern times. Main sites are the imposing Arena, one of the world’s most popular venues for opera, the beautiful squares, the fourteenth-century Castelvecchio, and the amazing tombs of the Scaligeri.
The most romantics can also visit Juliet’s tomb. If we are travelling at the right time of the year, we could have a sweet mid afternoon snack tasting some Pandoro, a very popular  Christmas cake. We reach Venice for dinner and an overnight stay. (144 km)

Day 5 : Venice, floating on water

The Serenissima and its islands deserve a visit of an entire day. The sparkling Piazza San Marco with its splendid basilica, the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge), the narrow lanes (calli) and the tiny squares (campielli) are fragments of a fairy-tale city gently leaning upon the tidal waters of the Adriatic. Our lunch will be based mainly on  fish cooked the Venice way . In the afternoon we ferry to  the surrounding islands and visit a glass workshop. We then return  to the hotel for an overnight stay.
  

Day 6 :  Montasio cheese and San Daniele cured- ham
Next stop will be in the Montasio area where we visit    a dairy specialized in the production of savory Montasio cheese, made from cow’s milk. When fresh it has a sweet milky taste which becomes stronger as the cheese ages. We will be guided through the process that transforms first quality milk into round shaped  cheese. The morning continues with a visit to Spilimbergo, an ancient suburb seriously damaged by the 1976 earthquake. Due to a careful restoration work, it has partly returned  to its original architecture with its beautiful buildings. The castle especially , composed of different buildings, draws our attention. The 15th century Palazzo Dipinto is a true jewel. In the afternoon we tour a prosciuttificio, a member of the Consorzio, which nowadays is the main instrument for all the producers to guarantee PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) quality standards. Here we discover the unique, savory characteristics of San Daniele ham,  one of  the best outcome in the Italian food industry.
At the end of the day we will arrive to our hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. (178 km)
Day 7: In the land of the Lombards
After breakfast we stop in the area of  Ramandolo wine. Its strong character and pleasantly sweet flavor make it the ideal accompaniment to San Daniele cured ham.
We will continue on to Cividale del Friuli, one of the most remarkable centres of the whole region.
After Celtics and Romans, this town became the capital of the first Lombard Dukedom. The artistic heritage testifies its historical importance: the Celtic Hypogeum, the Oratory of Santa Maria in Valle, the Cathedral and the Venetian Superintendent’s Palace, by Andrea Palladio.
Our lunch will include a special dessert: a slice of  the gubana cake, made of puff pastry filled with almonds, candied fruit and chocolate. In the evening we will reach our hotel for an overnight stay. (100 km)
 
Day 8 : Departure
After breakfast, we travel back to Trento. (339 km)