​The Prosecco and Wine Route of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hills is the oldest wine route in Italy. Inaugurated on the 10th of September 1966, it is a pathway of castles, aristocratic villas, remote monuments, sacred buildings and ancient thermal springs. Conegliano, Pieve di Soligo, Valdobbiadene and Vittorio Veneto each represent a small treasure chest of natural, artistic and architectural heritage.

Day 1: Conegliano – Valdobbiadene
Since it' s a ring, the Prosecco Route doesn't have a real beginning. However, it does have one concept: Conegliano (Conejàn in Veneto). This is where the wine that made these lands famous all over the world was born and where the first Enological School of Italy was founded in 1876. Conegliano dedicates about 30% of its territory to vineyards, with an average plot size of about 1 hectare (ha).
The strong link with wine can also be found in one of the most representative events of the Conegliano Autumn: the "Festa dell'Uva" (The Grape Festival), which towards the end of September enlivens the historic town center. Starting right from the historical center, a pedestrian path climbs up the hill along the remains of ancient walls. Outside the path, the Ghibelline spires of the castle, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, appear imposing. In the capital of prosecco is the " Museo Manzoni", an exhibition dedicated to the agronomist Luigi Manzoni, a professor who worked in the school for 50 years conducting his studies on vine plants and crossbreeds and creating innovative grape varieties that still carry his name.
After lunch, proceed to San Pietro di Feletto (San Piero dé Felét in Veneto), a delightful little village nearby, where one of the oldest parish churches in Italy is situated: this church, simple but austere like an old queen, was built around the year 1000 and hides some very refined frescoes inside. Its imposing figure dominates the surrounding area, it was probably designed so that the worshippers could always see it while working on the fields. Among the woods and streams of Refrontolo (Refróntol in Veneto) there is a glimpse that seems to come out of the pages of a fairytale, where an old watermill of the 16th century, still working, quietly observes the passage of centuries from its corner of the woods.
The mill of the Croda was built several times and the foundations of the primitive construction rest on the bare rock, the so-called "croda" of the mountain. It is a place that has inspired artists (numerous paintings portraying it) and poets; it appears in a scene of the 1977 film "Mogliamante" (with Marcello Mastroianni and Laura Antonelli). Small churches, taverns and slopes accompany us to Valdobbiadene (Valdobiàdene in Veneto), the heart of the Prosecco production, where our stop will be... opening a few bottles! A visit with tasting in one of the countless wineries. Dinner and overnight in hotel. Enological information: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is a DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) sparkling wine, produced exclusively in the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, from the Glera grape variety. Conegliano Valdobbiadene can be tasted in brut, extra dry and dry versions, which are distinguished by their residual sugar. It has a brilliant straw yellow color with greenish reflections. A persistent perlage. The aroma is fruity, with distinct hints of apple, pear and citrus. The taste is pleasantly fresh and fine.

Is "Cartizze" a Prosecco? Yes, Cartizze is a Prosecco and is also a place, located within the boundless Prosecco area, in the municipality of Valdobbiadene, a hill of only 107 hectares that can boast the name Cartizze. The correct wording for the wine is “Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze”. It is more intense in its color and more complex on the nose, with hints that go beyond the simple apple or pear, typical of Prosecco.

Day 2: Vittorio Veneto
After breakfast departure for Vittorio Veneto (Vitorio in Veneto). The route is very simple: from Valdobbiadene follow the Provincial Road along the valley. Along the way, there are many points of interest for some stops between the nature and culture: the Abbey of Follina, built by the Cistercian monks in the 13th century with the sandstone statue of the Madonna del Sacro Calice, which has always been an object of veneration and pilgrimage; the ancient Brandolini Castle, nicknamed Castelbrando, in Cison di Valmartino, with its elegant atmosphere full of history, to be enjoyed with a glass of the excellent local Prosecco; lakes of Lago and Santa Maria.

Vittorio Veneto, bishopric for over a thousand years, gold medal for military valor for its commitment in the Resistance period, is universally known as the place of the victorious final battle of the Great War (1915-18).  Its historical memory of "City of Victory" is carried on by the Battle Museum.

Curiosity: Vittorio Veneto is known all over the world not only for the historical events related to the Great War but also for some inventions born in this city. The Graziella bicycle: a folding bicycle, icon of Made in Italy in the sixties. The commercialization of the Graziella, advertised as "Brigitte Bardot's Rolls Royce", contributed decisively to revolutionize the common perception of the bicycle, which until the fifties was considered only as a sports equipment or as a "poor" way of transport, and in the years of the economic boom became instead a status symbol of the new wealthy youth.

The confetti: Ettore Fenderl (Trieste, 12 February 1862 - Vittorio Veneto, 23 November 1966) was an Italian engineer, inventor and philanthropist. He was responsible for the invention of the carnival confetti, as he himself declared in an interview on the radio in 1957: "The invention of paper confetti is as simple as the invention itself. In 1876 I was 14 years old, I was very precocious, during the carnival I wanted to play with young girls; but I had no money to buy the plaster confetti then in use. And so I had the idea to take colored papers, make strips of them, and cut them with triangle scissors. I put these in a carriage, went to my tailor's parlor at the Corso di Trieste, and threw them down into the crowd."