Cison di Valmarino

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

Nestling on the slopes of the Treviso Prealps, Cison di Valmarino combines artistic and historic treasures with a stunningly beautiful landscape that begs to be discovered on foot, bike or horse thanks to the network of paths and trails.

Castelbrando, dominating the town from a rocky outcrop, encloses within its walls 2000 years of history. A hotel and conference centre, it can be visited with a choice of two visit routes and offers several museum spaces. Piazza Roma in the town centre is flanked by the late Baroque Parish Church, the Loggia theatre, the unusual Vintage Radio Museum and the Municipal building.

One of the most scenic walking trails, the Via dell’Acqua, starts from the town centre and runs along the Rujo river as far as Valle di San Daniele, amid historic windmills. Another footpath leads to Bosco delle Penne Mozze, a monument to the Alpine soldiers born in the Province of Treviso and elsewhere. The Strada dei 100 giorni ("Road of 100 Days") offers magnificent views and is also technically challenging (it includes 5 hairpin bends in tunnels), leading to the San Boldo Pass. Perfect for bikers! Also worth visiting is the UNESCO heritage site of Rolle, a hamlet surrounded by vineyards.

One of the best local specialities is of course Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG wine, which you can sample or buy from the many wine cellars in the area. The traditional biscuits are known as buzholà, while the spiedo is a local speciality slow-cooked for at least 7 hours.

There's a packed calendar of local events during the year but here's a selection: 25 April is the date for theBosco incantato sulle vie dell'acqua, an open-air arts festival dedicated to music, theatre and poetry; August brings the popular Artigianato Vivo craft event, when local craftspeople set up their stalls in the town's arcades, squares and courtyards - there are also workshops, tastings and side events. Stelle a Natale is the annual appointment with the Christmas markets, when more than 100 stalls line the village streets.