The Doges’ Hills
When summer made the lagoon unbearable, Venetian nobles would travel by carriage along the Brenta Riviera and onwards to the Euganean Hills — ancient volcanic slopes covered with vineyards, olive groves and medieval villages — where they built villas, cultivated gardens and brought the culture of the Serenissima into the mainland. This itinerary follows that same route, from the lagoon to the hills.
The Stops
Venice
The journey begins in Venice — not the Venice of group tours, but the one best understood by slowing down and staying somewhere that knows the city from the inside. Corte di Gabriela is a nineteenth-century palazzo tucked between Rialto and St Mark’s Square, an eco-certified boutique hotel awarded a Michelin Key. In the morning, breakfast is prepared by the owner himself. The afternoon and evening belong to the city — the Rialto markets, the lanes of San Polo, a glass of wine in a traditional bacaro. Venice is a place best discovered on foot and without haste.
The Brenta Riviera and the Euganean Hills
The Brenta Riviera is best explored by car, following the Naviglio — the same waterway once travelled by Venetian nobles aboard the Burchiello, the public boat service that connected Venice and Padua. Palladian villas line the banks one after another: some open to visitors, all worth admiring as you pass by.
The Euganean Hills rise abruptly from the plain. Arriving in Baone, in the heart of the Regional Park, you settle into Le Volpi Wine Relais — fourteen rooms in a restored farmhouse, an infinity pool overlooking the vineyards, and certified organic hospitality. The afternoon is devoted to Arquà Petrarca, the medieval village where Petrarch chose to spend his final years and died in 1374: stone-paved lanes, the poet’s house still open to visitors, and the Vignalta winery, carved into the volcanic rock of Monte Gemola. A visit, by appointment, is one of the most distinctive wine experiences in the Veneto.
Torreglia and the Journey Back
The final day is devoted to Torreglia and to a lunch that, on its own, justifies the journey. La Ballotta has been welcoming guests since 1605 — first as an outbuilding of an Augustinian convent, then as an inn, and later as a coaching stop. Over the centuries, figures such as Galileo, Casanova, Goethe and D’Annunzio have sat at its tables. The cuisine is deeply rooted in the Euganean Hills: torresani pigeons, baccalà alla cappuccina and handmade pasta. The afternoon is yours to spend at the thermal spas of Abano or on the return journey to Venice.
Practical Information
From the second day onwards, the itinerary is best explored by car.
Venice is easily reached by train from anywhere in Italy. From there, you can rent a car and continue on towards the Brenta Riviera and the Euganean Hills.
Distances are relatively short: Venice to Baone is around 60 kilometres, while Baone to Torreglia is just 15 kilometres.
Spring is the ideal time to visit, when the vineyards are coming into bloom, while autumn offers the atmosphere of the harvest season. In both cases, the thermal spas of Abano make a natural addition to the itinerary.
Experiences on this itinerary
Corte di Gabriela: The Nineteenth-Century Palazzo Where the General Manager Serves Breakfast
Stay
Le Volpi: Stay Among the Volcanic Vineyards Where Venetian Nobles Once Spent Their Summers
Stay
Vignalta: The Winery Carved into the Volcano, Home to Gambero Rosso's Three Glasses Wines
Food & Wine
