Exploring the Colli Berici, from your doorstep to the art cities of the Veneto
Tenuta Augusta stands in Mossano, in the heart of the Colli Berici — a range of gentle limestone hills rising from the plain just south of Vicenza. Once an ancient seabed, the hills are a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves, oak woods and hidden caves, dotted with old farmhouses and Venetian villas. It is a quiet, slow corner of the Veneto, yet within an easy drive of three of Italy’s great cities — Vicenza, Padua and Venice.
This page is your starting point: where to walk, where to ride, what to taste, and where to wander when you feel like venturing further afield.
The Colli Berici at a glance
The Berici are modest in height — rarely more than 400 metres — which makes them welcoming year-round and easy to explore on foot or by bike. Spring brings wildflower meadows and blossoming orchards; autumn turns the woods to gold. Because the hills are private farmland as much as wild country, the pleasure here is in the detail: a stone masiera wall, a roadside shrine, a cellar door open for a tasting, a cave once used to age cheese.
You are also in good company: the area is increasingly recognised for its untouched landscape, its olive oil and its wines, while remaining refreshingly free of crowds.
Walking & trails
The hills are laced with a network of waymarked footpaths suited to every level. A few of our favourites start almost on the doorstep.
Valle dei Mulini di Mossano (Sentiero 81 — San Bernardino)
The signature walk of our own village. The path leaves the centre of Mossano and follows a stream through the Valley of the Mills, an enchanting, watery corner where an old mill still stands among water lilies and wildflowers. The route (a loop of roughly 10 km, about 3–4 hours at an easy pace) climbs gently through woodland past covoli — natural caves in the rock — and the rock-hewn hermitage of San Bernardino, where Saint Bernardine of Siena is said to have passed. The hermitage is opened only on special occasions by the Pro Loco of Mossano. There are shady spots for a picnic along the way, and an agriturismo near the trail’s end if you’d rather finish with a glass of local wine.
Lumignano — the cross, the crags and the hermitage
A short drive away, the village of Lumignano sits beneath dramatic limestone walls. An easy, well-marked path climbs from the church to the cross above the village, rewarding you with a sweeping view over the rooftops and hills. Lumignano is also one of northern Italy’s best-known rock-climbing grounds, its crags drawing climbers from across Europe, and home to the ancient cliffside hermitage of San Cassiano.
Sentiero degli Ulivi (Nanto)
A short, lovely walk of about 5 km (around 2 hours) through the olive terraces around neighbouring Nanto — at its best in the soft light of late afternoon.
Le Fontanelle (Barbarano Vicentino)
A longer outing (about 14 km, allow most of a day) climbing from Barbarano onto the Berici plateau in search of little springs hidden among the rocks and woods.
Tip: the autumn foliage between Lumignano, Castegnero, Nanto, Barbarano and Mossano is spectacular — you can string several villages together along the valley for a full day of walking.
Cycling
The Berici are a cyclist’s playground, from flat family rides to leg-testing climbs. The estate’s own bicycles make it easy to head out straight from the gate.
The Riviera Berica cycle path
A flat, fully paved cycleway running south from Vicenza (beneath the Monte Berico sanctuary) down through the plain — roughly 36 km there and back — with open views of the eastern flank of the Berici. It passes close to Ponte di Mossano, so you can join it within a short ride of the estate. Ideal for an easy day with the family.
Strada dei Vini Berici (the Wine Road)
For stronger legs and road bikes: a winding route of around 30 km from Longare to Sossano, threading through the most beautiful inland landscapes of the hills, past villas, vineyards and old farmhouses. Climbs are short but spirited.
Mountain biking & gravel
The dorsale (the central ridge of the Berici) offers a web of unpaved loops linking the riviera to the high ground — well suited to MTB and gravel riders looking for quiet, scenic terrain.
Wine & food
You are in the Colli Berici DOC (recognised since 1973) — and, more specifically, in the historic Barbarano sub-zone, one of only six communes (alongside Longare, Castegnero, Villaga, Nanto and Barbarano itself) entitled to that name on the label.
Tai Rosso — the local hero
The signature grape of these hills is Tai Rosso, an old variety now known to share its lineage with the Grenache of France and the Cannonau of Sardinia, but which has developed its own distinct character here over generations. A wine from the Barbarano sub-zone is made entirely from it. You’ll also find excellent Cabernet, Merlot, Carmenère and the native white Garganega.
Many family cellars across the hills welcome visitors for tastings — ask us and we’ll happily point you to a few favourites and help arrange a visit.
Olive oil & truffles
The Berici are also olive country — our own extra-virgin oil is pressed from estate trees. Each July, neighbouring Nanto celebrates “L’Ulivo e il Tartufo dei Colli Berici”, a festival devoted to the hills’ olive oil and black truffles, and a lovely excuse to taste the local table at its best.
Eating out
From simple country agriturismi to celebrated fine dining, the area punches well above its weight. A few names worth knowing are within a short drive — we’re glad to recommend and book on your behalf.
Villages & local discoveries
- Mossano — our home village, known for its caves and the Valle dei Mulini.
- Barbarano Vicentino — a handsome historic centre and the spiritual home of Tai Rosso.
- Nanto — famous for its soft building stone (the pietra di Nanto) and its olive groves.
- Lumignano — climbing crags, hermitage, and its prized early-season peas.
- Lago di Fimon — one of the oldest natural lakes in the region, with gentle, accessible lakeside paths and a glimpse of prehistoric Veneto.
Vicenza — Palladio’s UNESCO city (about 25 minutes by car)
The nearest city is a treasure. Vicenza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, and remarkably uncrowded compared with its famous neighbours.
- Teatro Olimpico — the oldest surviving indoor theatre in the world, with an astonishing trompe-l’œil stage set. (Open Tuesday–Sunday; check current hours before you go.)
- Basilica Palladiana — Palladio’s great civic loggia on Piazza dei Signori, the city’s beating heart.
- Villa Almerico Capra “La Rotonda” — perhaps the most perfectly balanced villa ever built, just outside the centre. (Open roughly March–November.)
- Villa Valmarana ai Nani — celebrated for its Tiepolo frescoes, a short walk from La Rotonda.
- Monte Berico — the hilltop sanctuary above the city, with a sweeping panorama of Vicenza and the plain.
Day trips further afield
- Padua (about 45 minutes) — Giotto’s breathtaking frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, the vast Prato della Valle, the basilica of Saint Anthony, and the UNESCO-listed Botanical Garden, the oldest in the world.
- Venice (about an hour) — reachable by car or by train; an easy day on the lagoon.
- Verona (about an hour) — the Roman arena, summer opera, and the city of Romeo and Juliet.
- Euganean Hills thermal spas — the famous hot springs of Abano and Montegrotto Terme, between the Berici and Padua.
How far is everything? (approximate driving times from the estate)
| Destination | Time |
|---|---|
| Mossano village centre | 5 min |
| Lumignano / climbing crags | 10 min |
| Barbarano Vicentino | 10 min |
| Lago di Fimon | 20 min |
| Vicenza (historic centre) | 25 min |
| Padua | 45 min |
| Venice | ~1 hr |
| Verona | ~1 hr |
| Venice (VCE) / Verona (VRN) airports | ~1 hr |
Whatever you’re in the mood for — a gentle stroll to the mills, a day among Palladio’s villas, or simply a glass of Tai Rosso on the terrace as the sun sets over the hills — we’re always glad to help you plan it. Just ask at reception.
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