Journey From Veneto To Friuli

DAY 1 - TREVISO
Arrival at the airport of Venice. You will be welcomed by our Tour Manager that will assist you during the whole journey. Departure by private coach to your Hotel in Treviso. According to the arrival time, lunch is at leisure. Arrival in Treviso. Accommodation at your Hotel and free time at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 2 - ASOLO AND BASSANO DEL GRAPPA
After breakfast, departure to the amazing village of Asolo: the attractive walled town is in a picturesque setting in the lower forested foothills of the Dolomite mountains and listed as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy. The surrounding countryside is never far away, and the varied glimpses of the hills that you get as you explore have led the town to be nicknamed the ‘city of a hundred horizons We will stop in a nice traditional coffee bar for a wine tasting followed by some venetian appetizers. Our day continue to the village of Bassano del Grappa: the town is famous for
its namesake spirit, grappa – a distillation made from the discarded skins, pulp, seeds and stems of winemaking – although there is plenty to enjoy in this lovely Veneto town with its Palladian architecture and ancient historic core. Back to the Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 3 - VALDOBBIADENE
Breakfast at the Hotel. Today we will reach one of the most beautiful areas of the region, mostly known for Prosecco production: Valdobbiadene The routes lead tourists on a journey of discovery through enchanting settings, with historical and artistic attractions along the way. There are numerous wineries that offer visitors the chance to sample the food and wine of the local area. We will stop in one of these just to enjoy
the landscapes, good wine and excellent food! We will start the day with a visit of a winery where we will be greeted by a glass of local wine and a walk between the vineyards. The landscape will leave us breathless. We continue our journey till the village of Conegliano where an amazing lunch will make this a perfect day. Before going back to the Hotel we will end our day by visiting this village: the historic centre, on a hillside,
is compact, and although the town has more recently sprawled over the plain below, it still retains a welcoming small-town feel. Back o the Hotel.
Overnight stay.

DAY 4 - GRADO AND UDINE
After breakfast, we leave the region of Treviso and reach the town of Grado, the “birthplace’ of Venice. The town is located in the region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Like Venice, Grado was populated as the inhabitants of mainland Roman settlements fled into the lagoons to escape successive invasions. After the sixth-century fall of the Roman city of Aquileia, an important early centre of Christianity, Grado became the seat of the Patriarch or Archbishop who was reponsible for the Adriatic lagoon islands and for Istria. After various fallings-out, including an occasion when the Venetians came here and threw the Patriarch off his palace tower, Grado came under the sway of Venice and the Patriarchs moved to Venice in eleventh century, with the Patriarchate being officially moved four centuries later. Aperitif in a local bar. In the evening we reach the elegant town of Udine: Udine has a long and interesting history, and – like much of Italy’s far north-east – it isn’t wholly Italian. Close to the borders with Austria and Slovenia, and between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, Udine is a town with many flavours. It has been Venetian, and Austrian, and as well as Italian you will also find signs written in Slovenian and a local language, Friulano. Udine has a well-ordered feel that is un-Italian. Two small medieval canals flow through the town centre, sometimes hidden underground and other times making attractive additions to the townscape. You can still see steps and sloping stones by the water which were designed as places for clothes-washing. Although it has been damaged several times by earthquakes and wars, Udine still retains an atmospheric historic centre, a grand piazza for admiring and another, ancient but less grand, for relaxing, and a lot of charm. The more modern streets surrounding the historic nucleus are well-laid-out, and dotted with trees and pretty, well-maintained little parks. Accommodation at our Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 5 - SAN DANIELE DEL FRIULI
After breakfast, we will leave towards the village of San Daniele, which is worldly known for Ham production. The town of San Daniele is the heartland of prosciutto production round here and we will visit a premium family-run producer to try some of this delicate ham and other local salumi specialties. In the afternoon we will visit winery in the scenic area of Colli Orientali which ranks as the best Sauvignon in the world according to world and French experts. The cultural side of the program is provided by a visit to the medieval Lombard town of Cividale del Friuli. Cividale is most famous for its Lombard history, and a past which was more exalted that its sleepy present-day atmosphere suggests. Cividale’s official history begins on a precise date: 50BC, when the town was founded by Julius Caesar. Named Forum Julii, it later gave its name, with the pronunciation mangled, to the whole Friuli region. In the sixth century, when Lombard warriors headed south into Italy, they established one of their early capitals here at Cividale. Two hundred years later, the region’s religious power, the Patriarch of Aquileia, transferred his patriarchate here. So for several centuries Cividale was the base for first temporal and then religious authority in the area, and the city’s richest monuments and artefacts are a legacy of that era. Back to the Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 6 - TRIESTE
After breakfast it is time to say good bye to Udine and to leave towards Trieste which preserves its own unique bordertown culture and retains a fascinating air of fluidity encapsulated in the Triestini dialect, a strange melange of Italian, Austrian-German, Croatian and Greek. Once the great seaport of the Habsburg Empire, its fabulous waterfront is lined with portentous neoclassical architecture on a par with London’s, although its view across the blazing blue bay is considerably finer. It is this view, plus the marina chock-full of sleek white yachts, the city lidos, the
long, sandy beaches and the vineyard-draped hinterland of the karst that hold the real magic of Trieste. We will discover the town thanks to a full
day guided tour: from the elegant, fairy-tale-looking Miramare castle created by the visionary Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg then ill-fated Emperor of Mexico, to WW2 and Jewish heritage sites including Risiera di San Sabba concentration camp, this day will grant plenty of interesting visits for the history fans. Accommodation at the Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 7 - RONCADE AND VENICE
After breakfast, we will leave Trieste and we reach the Castle and winery of Roncade. The Castle of Roncade is one of the most unique examples of living Renaissance architecture in Northern Italy, anchoring the town of Roncade, in the Veneto countryside between Treviso and Venice. The Giustinian family, original owners of the Castello, were important figures in the history of Venice. The Castello sits on the ruins of a Tenth Century castle built by Emperor Ottone II. The walls, towers and moat of the Castello were constructed few years before the main villa, finished in 1508 and designed by renowned Venetian architect Mauro Coducci, who built the clock tower in the square of San Marco in Venice. We will enjoy a wine tasting and we will relax in the amazing garden. In the afternoon, it is time to leave and to reach our last visit: Venice. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 8 - VENICE
After breakfast, let yourself discover Venice: take your time, choose an itinerary and get lost in this emotional town. The day will be at complete leisure A special farewell dinner not far from St. Mark Square will be the perfect ending of this incredible journey. Overnight stay.

DAY 9 - DEPARTURE
After breakfast, our private boat will take us to the airport. End of all services.