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Prosecco Hills of Valdobbiadene

The hand-terraced UNESCO ridges that produce Prosecco Superiore.

  • Valdobbiadene
  • Nature
Where
Valdobbiadene
Best for
Hogback vineyard ridges
Allow
5 hours
Best time
Late September to October for harvest color
Tickets
Free

Between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene the hills rise in narrow, steep ridges, called hogbacks, and vines run in tight rows across them. Growers have shaped this landscape by hand since the seventeenth century, building ciglioni, small grassy terraces that give the slopes a chessboard look.

It grows Glera grapes for Prosecco Superiore, the sparkling wine of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, with the steep Cartizze hill and the single-village Rive bottlings as the crown of the appellation. UNESCO listed the hills in 2019. You come to drive the Strada del Prosecco, Italy's first wine route, stop in family cantinas and walk a stretch of the 51-kilometer Prosecco Hills Trail.

Five things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. CartizzeSteep hill of Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene

    The steep hill is the crown of the appellation, a small slope of prized vineyards.Near Valdobbiadene

  2. The ciglioni terracesHand-built grassy terraces

    Narrow grassy terraces give the slopes a chessboard look, shaped by growers since the seventeenth century.Across the hills

  3. Molinetto della CrodaOld watermill

    A small watermill set into a rock face, a favorite stop on the wine route.Refrontolo

  4. Abbey of Santa Maria di FollinaCistercian abbey

    A quiet abbey with a cloister, a reminder that monks once shaped this landscape.Follina

  5. Pieve di San Pietro di FelettoMedieval parish church

    A small hilltop church with frescoes on its facade, reached along the wine road.Near Conegliano

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
5 hours
Best time
Late September to October for harvest color; spring for fresh green
Getting there
Valdobbiadene lies in the province of Treviso, north of Treviso city, and a car is the practical way to link the hill villages along the Strada del Prosecco. Walkers can join the Cammino delle Colline del Prosecco, which runs from Vidor to Vittorio Veneto.

The landscape is free to visit; cellar visits and tastings are priced by each producer, and many require a reservation.

Book a tasting at a small family cantina in advance and ask for a Rive bottling; the steep slopes are why these single-village wines taste as they do. Nominate a driver.

Get directionsGoogle MapsApple Maps

Good to know

How long should you spend in the Prosecco Hills of Valdobbiadene?

Plan about five hours for a driving loop with a winery stop and a short walk, or a full day if you want to taste at several cellars.

Do you need to book a winery visit in the Prosecco Hills?

Usually yes: small family cantinas work by appointment, so call or write ahead, especially at weekends and during the harvest.

Can you visit the Prosecco Hills without a car?

It is difficult: a car is the practical way to link the hill villages along the Strada del Prosecco. Walkers can take the Cammino delle Colline del Prosecco, which runs from Vidor to Vittorio Veneto.

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