Food & Wine Luxury Active Experience

Arrive in Follina on your own (private transfer available on request, 1hr from Venice Airport). The Prosecco region is located 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Venice, halfway between the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea, in the foothills of the Veneto region. The location and low altitudes create an ideal climate for growing the grapes used to make Prosecco, as well as incredibly beautiful terrain.
Follina is a picturesque village with ancient origins, situated on the “Strada del Prosecco” (the Prosecco wine route). Immersed in the lush green landscape of vineyards, this small community is situated in the foothills of the Treviagian Alps, halfway between Valdobbiadene and Vittorio Veneto. The town was developed in the 12th century by a group of Cistercian monks, who used the abundant water supply of the area to establish a flourishing industry of woolen goods. Today, the town is an important cultural center, composed of seventeenth century palazzi (palaces), as well as being a hub of industry and craftsmanship, resulting from the buoyant hotel trade.
On your first evening you will enjoy a visit and Prosecco tasting at Marchiori Wines, one of the most prestigious Prosecco wine producers in the area, followed by a delicious dinner in a charming local tavern hosted by Mr & Mrs Clemi. Get ready to taste wonderful flavors!

In the morning meet your local English speaking hiking guide for a briefing and to start your first hike.
The hills surrounding Soligo and Col San Martino have been dubbed ‘Small Mountains’, a natural gateway to the imposing Dolomites. Although much lower in altitude than the mighty Dolomites, these hills offer equally evocative scenery and unique landscapes. The soil offers ideal conditions for growing wine grapes, with plantations stretching from gentle altitudes to steeper hillsides. Avid hikers and mountain bikers have an endless choice of trails to choose from, all of which offer unique views including the Venice lagoon visible in the distance on a clear day.
Today you will hike the ‘Sentiero delle Vedette’ (‘The path of the lookouts’), a ridge hike that allows you to conquer several peaks, amid one of the most characteristic and scenic routes through the land of Prosecco Superiore, admiring art, history and breathtaking landscapes from Soligo to Col San Martino. The reason why is referred to as ‘Vedette’ (‘lookouts’) goes back to the First World War, for this area was of great strategic importance for the Austro-Hungarian army, intent on observing the opponents’ movements along the line of the Piave River. Visitors of today can walk through the trenches and tunnels, evoking memories of the ferocious battles that took place in this region.
(3-4 hours hiking, 12km/7,2 miles, 545m /1,722’ ascent and descent).

Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and take a private transfer to your hotel, stopping en route to a winemaking farm that specializes in the cultivation and production of high quality Prosecco and it’s most esteemed Cru, Cartizze, a DOCG Prosecco produced only from grapes grown specifically on the Cartizze hill. The family that owns this winery has been producing Prosecco for over two centuries, always entirely by hand, with care and passion enriched by knowledge and experience generation after generation. At this family run canteen you are sure to enjoy the breathtaking views of the winding Cartizze vines from the terrace, the delicious morsels and dishes, topped off by a bottle of the esteemed Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze.

This evening you will enjoy your first gourmet 4-course dinner at La Corte Restaurant, part of your hotel, awarded 1 Michelin star and fully living up to that award!

In the morning, take a private transfer to Cortina D'Ampezzo and the Cinque Torri area, meet your local English speaking hiking guide and enjoy a visit to the famous Cinque Torri boulders. To ascend to the Cinque Torri area, take the chairlift to Rifugio Scoiattoli. Not only the perfect lunch stop, Rifugio Scoiattoli offers with incredible vistas, including the Pale di San Martino, Civetta, Monti del Sole and the Marmolada, the largest remaining glacier in the Dolomites, and of course, the Cinque Torri (Five Towers) itself. You have several options to explore the Cinque Torri (Five Towers) area, depending on your interests and weather conditions. From Rifugio Scoiattoli, one option is to follow a path that circumnavigates the Cinque Torri. This area also saw heavy fighting during WWI, and relics of Italian army shelters that have been restored, creating the Grande Guerra open air museum of WWI, offering insights into the war and fighting through interpretive panels. At Cinque Torri you have the opportunity to walk through the open air museum, through trenches and visiting military installments. After the “museum,” you will hike through the middle of the rock towers, where you will likely see climbers high up on the walls. Make your way back to the charlift station and descend to car park, where your private transfer will await to take you to your hotel in Alta Badia. (~1-2 hours hiking 2,5km / 1.5 miles, 115m / 377' ascent and descent.)

Alta Badia, located in a large valley between 1,400 and 2,700 meters (4,593-8,858') and surrounded by the gorgeous peaks of the Dolomites.
At your hotel, Ciasa Salares, you will find pure hospitality here. Furnished in an alpine style, complete with fir paneling and elegant hand crafted textiles and furniture, the hotel features a pampering spa, and is also a reference for gourmets. This evening, enjoy a welcome wine tasting, the first of many you will enjoy on your trip! Tonight’s focus will be “Heroic Viticulture” – wines produced in difficult growing conditions, from high altitude and mountain vineyards (over 500m / 1,600'), like those surrounding the Dolomites. A special Al-Fresco dinner follows – “Scents of Alto Adige” – which combines cuisine from the region with magical surrounding landscapes.

Today you’ll hike to the Santa Croce Sanctuary at the base of the Sasso della Croce. You’ll walk uphill passing through a number of closely knit hamlets formed of clusters of ancient shingle-roofed timber farmhouses and barns, and continue through pine forest with great views of the Santa Croce, Conturines, and Sella mountain groups. Enjoy lunch at Rifugio Santa Croce / La Crusc, one of the oldest rifugios in the region, with a very inviting atmosphere and delicious food! (4-5 hours hiking 11km / 7 miles, 590m / 1,935' ascent and descent, both easier and more challenging routes are available). 

After breakfast, take a private transfer to Passo Campolongo (1,874m / 6,148'). A short chairlift ride will take you to Rifugio Punta Trieste and the start of your gentle hike on the Pralongià High Plateau surrounded by towering mountains, offering 360-degree views, including the Marmolada (3,343m / 10,964'), the highest peak in the Dolomites and home to its largest remaining glacier. Hike to Rifugio Bioch on a comfortable gravel path, and  continue to Ciasa Salares’ private hut “Rumestluns”. Enjoy a light al-fresco lunch, with the wine theme “is Rosé wine really that good?” presented by Clemens. After lunch, descend to your hotel on foot (total of 3 hours hiking, 8,3km / 4,9 miles, 125m / 410' ascent, 522m / 1,712). Option to descend by cablecar (1-2 hours hiking, 4,5km/ 2,7miles, 125m / 410' ascent, 160m/ 525' descent).

Your evening meal will be accompanied by wines produced using biodynamic agriculture techniques, a focus of Ciasa Salares’ wine cellar. The goal of biodynamic farming is sustainability, leaving the land in as good as or better shape as the farmers found it for future generations, using only natural materials, soils, composts, and fertilizers. Clemens will be on hand to help you understand the fundamentals and importance of biodynamic farming and wine production on the environment.
After dinner you will be taken on a cheese journey at Nida Cheese Room, part of Cocun Cellar Restaurant, followed by a trip to the Nodla Chocolate Room, to discover the world’s most precious chocolate, of course complemented with a wine pairing.

After breakfast, transfer to Capanna Alpina (1,726m / 5,663'), a restaurant built at the edge of the Fanes-Senes-Prags Natural Park. Hike uphill to Col de Locia (2,069m / 6,788') from where you can admire the beauty of Alta Badia from above. Enter a fairy tale valley with green pastures, and continue uphill, before descending to Lago di Lagazuoi. The lake’s incredible green waters are beautifully framed by pines, with a backdrop of the sheer walls of the Cima del Lago and the Cima Scotoni. From the lake, descend until you reach your lunch spot, Rifugio Scotoni (1,985m / 6512'). After lunch, descend to Capanna Alpina for your private transfer to your hotel (~4-5 hours hiking, 10km / 6 miles, 1,302m / 4,270' ascent & descent. Both easier and more challenging routes are available).
Tonight enjoy a traditional Ladin dinner in a local barn-house, paired with wines from “the undiscovered grapes of Alto Adige.” After dinner, return to the hotel to sample distilled spirits, including grappa. Sit by the fireplace and enjoy this final tasting.

In the morning take a private transfer to the town of Colfosco and the cablecar station. Take the Plans-Frara cable-car to Jimmy's Hutte (2,120m / 6,955') and admire the Sassolungo Massif in full view right in front of your eyes. From Jimmy's Hutte begin a lovely, easy hike mostly downhill towards the Edelweiss Valley nested at the foot of the Sassongher mountain. This hike will present you with spectacular views of the Sella Massif, its towering peaks and dramatic rock faces. Enter the Edelweiss valley and ascend on a gentle gravel trail to Rifugio Col Pradat (2,038m / 6,684'), the perfect lunch venue (lunch not included) boasting an outdoor terrace with spectacular vistas. After lunch, continue downhill on a gravel and tarmac trail to reach the pretty village of Colfosco, and take a short private transfer to your hotel. Option to descend to Colfosco by cablecar (3 hours hiking, 7,6km / 4,5 miles, 209m / 685' ascent,  702m / 2,300' descent).

On your last dinner you’ll be treated to a “Chinoise Fondue” dinner, served in the Cocun Cellar restaurant. This fondue is made with three different fillets of meat, that you cook in a boiling vegetable stock, with seven homemade dipping sauces. In fact, it’s the neighboring Swiss way of eating a Chinese hotpot! The meal will be paired with 5 shades of Pinot Noir wines, with a toast to celebrate your Epicurian adventure in the Dolomites!

After breakfast, departure on your own (private transfer available on request).