I love sparkling wine, so a trip to the land of Prosecco in northeastern Italy was perhaps inevitable. This circuit hike focused on a component of the mix that can constitute a Prosecco cuvee, the Verdiso grape. The village where it began and ended, Combai, is a real cheerleader for this varietal: having fought to gain IGT status for its wines made exclusively from this grape.
As I approached the village by car through the lovely uplands of the Veneto Region, I noted the extremely high hills Combai was located in. High hills mean great views, and this trail offered many. Even approaching the trailhead from the main square, the view down the valley toward the town of Miane was spectacular.
Trail Name: Anello del Verdiso
Trail Type: Short distance; very diverse surfaces (asphalt, cart trail, dirt), somewhat maintained; the route itself is marked fairly well.
Length: total: 8 kilometers/5 miles
Convenient to: Valdobbiadene, Treviso Province, Veneto Region, Italy
Marking: Signs bearing the number “1025”, (or red and white horizontal bars)
I confess – I love this town unconditionally. I have been to Beaune at least five times, and always find something new to learn. Most recently, I came across a series of hiking circuits designed to explore the immediate surroundings of Beaune, namely, its famed vineyards and wines. Reason number 123,456,789 to return.
Conveniently starting at a park at the edge of town (easily accessible from hotels in the historic part of town), I began my hike – after sitting on a bench to savor the most delicious, buttery, almond croissant ever. Sharing the trail for a bit with runners, bikers soon joined in as the trail followed part of the Veloroute Voie des Vignes through the lower (and flatter) reaches of Beaune’s vineyards. They headed south, as I began the modest climb into the vine-covered hills above Beaune. I was not alone though. Not surprisingly many people were in the vineyards tending the vines in mid-April.
Trail Name: Vignoble de Beaune Circuit Series, “Tout le Coteau” Circuit
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit; varied surfaces to include paved, dirt, stone, and grass, mostly well maintained. Note that the route itself is not marked with signs specific to this particular route, rather signposts indicate the way to the next itinerary point (identified below) this route shares with others.
Length: total: 12 kilometers/ 7.5 miles
Convenient to: Beaune, Burgundy, France
Marking: None specific to this particular circuit. (See above.) Rectangular yellow signs point to the next location on the trail itinerary, and a green band on top of the post indicates current location.
Farming, believed to have arisen about 13,000 years ago, started with grains and vegetables. Later, vines were cultivated, and wine produced, about 7,000 years ago. Nowadays in Austria’s Carnuntum region, wind is being harvested in the same fields that made Pannonia famous for its grains in earlier times. Fortunately, there are a lot of vines as well. And the local district tourism office has developed a series of hiking and biking routes to show-case them.
Trail Name: Weinwandern in Carnuntum: Hoeflein Variante
Trail Type: An easy, family-friendly/carriage-friendly, short distance circuit, with well-maintained trail surfaces that are tarmacked or otherwise hardpacked, and with specific trail markings that are mostly easy to follow and are fairly well-updated.
Length: total: 9.7 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Vienna, Austria
Marking: Rectangles with a horizontal white bar across the middle, flanked by similar red bars above and below it; bearing the words: Weinwandern in Carnuntum
Continue reading Weinwandern in Carnuntum: Trail in a Nutshell
While the trail is known as Tra Santi e Vigne (Between Saints and Vines), I found the experience more analogous to being between heaven and earth. I encountered heavenly views of majestic Alps and iconic hilltop villages, and the earthly delights of the vine, not to mention the table, in this Italian paradise called Monferrato.
My journey started with the vines, lining the rim of a sun-drenched bowl. Descending into the bowl and crossing a small stream, the trail led up a road and into more vineyards, which ultimately dropped into more natural bowls. This is a hilly country, ideal for hiking and vines, not to mention castles, of which I saw several.
