Verona - Valpolicella and Lessinia Travel Guides | Verona | Sub Regions | Verona - Valpolicella and Lessinia

Immediately to the north of Verona the hills start to rise upwards towards the Parco Naturale Regionale della Lessinia, a 10,000 ha national park of hills, valleys, cherrry trees and marble quarries topped by a small ski resort. To the west the Adige river cuts between this area of hills and Monte Baldo, bending north as you head upstream towards the Alps. Nestled inside this bend of the river, the valleys of the Valpolicella area, protected from bad weather, are ideal for growing grapes.

Sights

A rich, and in places surprisingly built-up, area of valleys at the foot of the Lessinia hills, Valpolicella is mostly taken up with the business of wine-making, though among the vineyards are also olive groves and plenty of cherry trees which blanket the area in white blossom in spring. Wine may have been made here as early as the 8th century BC. Although the Valpolicella wine region extends east towards the Soave region, Valpolicella Classico comes only from the three valleys of Negrar, Marano and Fumane, with streams which all feed into the Adige. The temperate micro-climate is affected by the protection of the high Lessinia hills to the north and Lake Garda to the west.

Among its towns, San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane, and Negrar have the most to offer, though this is seldom much more than an attractive piazza, a church and a few wine bars and restaurants. There are more than fifty winemakers in Valpolicella, some of which have beautiful old villas in the midst of their vineyards. The best way to see the area is to visit the actual vineyards themselves – most are open to the public at least some of the time, or by appointment, for tours and tastings. For example, the Serègo Alighieri estate in Gargagnago, still owned by descendants of Dante, T 045 7703622, F 045 7703523, http://www.seregoalighieri.it, open daily, 1000-1800. Olive oil and jams are also produced. The tourist information office in San Pietro in Cariano has lists of hours and contacts. If you're here in April, the Magnalonga walking eating and drinking event makes an excellent introduction to the area.

In Negrar, the formal gardens of Villa Rizzardi, the Giardino di Pojega, are open to the public in summer, with wine tasting in groups by appointment (T 045 7210028, F 045 7210704, http://www.guerrieri-rizzardi.com Apr-Oct, Tue and Wed 1500-1900, Thu-Sun 1100-1900).

San Pietro in Cariano has two villas open to the public, Buri-Avanzi (T 045 7701102) and Saibante-Monga (T 045 7701042).

Heading up the valley from Fumane the wooded hillsides sloping down to the stream of il progno get progressively closer together, and the water cascades down a series of waterfalls through the Parco delle Cascate di Molina. The east-west Val Sorda, which joins the main valley below the waterfalls, is even narrower, becoming a gorge for several miles where the water has cut sharply down into the soft limestone. A path up the Val Sorda is spectacular but only recommended for the agile. Good shoes are essential, though metal rope and handles set into the rock do give extra support along the most difficult parts. Once the path exits the gorge onto the Lessinia plateau above, you can walk around through Cerna and Spiazzo to Molina and back down the main valley, Vajo di Fumane.

Bar Trattoria Valsorda has a car park and is a convenient starting point for walks up the surrounding valleys and gorges for those with their own transport.

Bus 5-6 from Verona. Check http://www.apt.vr.it">http://www.apt.vr.it for timetables.

North of Fumane on the western edge of Lessinia, Molina is surrounded by hills and the steeply cut valleys and waterfalls of the Parco delle Cascate di Molina .

Molina is also home to the Museo Botanico della Lessinia (T 045 7720222, Jul-Aug, Tue-Sun 1000-1200, 1500-1800, otherwise by appointment), with information and displays about the irises, orchids and other plants of the area.

7 km southeast of Sant’Anna d’Alfaedo.

Lessinia’s most famous sight is Europe’s biggest natural bridge – an enormous arch of stone high above the valley below. Thirty metres high and 47 m long, paths enable visitors to walk both under and over what once would have been the entrance to a giant cavern. Other caves around the base of the bridge contain evidence of prehistoric human habitation, as well as that of bears. The path which passes these caves then winds up through woods back around to the top of the bridge.

via Spiazzi 4. Bus 10 from Verona's bus station goes to Bosco Chiesanuova every hour or two. Timetable available at http://www.apt.vr.it">http://www.apt.vr.it

The nearest that Lessinia gets to having a centre, and home to its only tourist information office , Bosco Chiesanuova is reachable by bus from Verona, and is a good centre for exploring the surrounding hills. There is also a large, year-round, outdoor ice-skating rink.

The town centres around the pedestrianized piazza della Chiesa, with cafés, shops and the imposing church itself, built in 1850. The tourist information office has plenty of information about surrounding walks and mountain bike trails. The small Museo Etnografico (T 045 6780280. Jul-Aug, Tue, Fri, Sat and Sun, 1630-1830, Sep-Jun, Sat and Sun only, 1630-1830) deals with the history of human interaction with Lessinia, from the history of skiing to the weaving of wool.

The Palaghiaccio (ice rink) is further down the hill (T 045 7050698, closed Mon in winter. Seasonal timetable, ring or check http://www.boscochiesanuova.net for times. E8 entrance and skate hire).

Skiing information T 045 6784001. Downhill, prices start at E8 for a 2-hour pass. Cross-country from E4 per day.

With three lifts, a floodlit piste, 5 km of guaranteed snow and nearly 25 km of piste for sci fondo (cross-country skiing), San Giorgio, not Italy’s most picturesque ski resort, is nevertheless reasonably well-equipped for a day or two on the slopes. There are also some marked paths through the snow for those on foot. Skis of both downhill and cross-country varieties are available to hire. Should you want to stay, the ugly Hotel Sporting (T 340 9771079, info.hotelsporting@libero.net) has rooms.

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