Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
daily fish specials and risotto made with Verona's zesty Monte Veronese cheese. Above
the restaurant there are four lovely rooms.
To reach Soave, hop onto the Milan-Venice train to San Bonifacio (€2.85, 20 minutes)
and catch the local ATV bus 30 (€1.80, 10 minutes, about two hourly), or exit the A4
autostrada at San Bonifacio and follow the Viale della Vittoria 2km north into town.
Valpolicella
The 'valley of many cellars', from which Valpolicella gets its name, has been in the busi-
ness of wine production since the ancient Greeks introduced their
passito
technique (the
use of partially dried grapes) to create the blockbuster flavours we still enjoy in the re-
gion's Amarone and Recioto wines.
Situated in the foothills of Monte Lessini, the valleys benefit from a happy micro-cli-
mate created by the enormous body of Lake Garda to the west and cooling breezes from
the Alps to the north. No wonder Veronese nobility got busy building weekend retreats
here. Many of them, like the extraordinary Villa della Torre, still house noble wineries,
while others like
Villa Spinosa
(
045 750 00 93;
www.villaspinosa.it
; Via Colle Masua 12, Negrar;
)
and the fabulous, family- and foodie-friendly
Agritur-
apt per 2/4/6 people €110/235/300;
ismo San Mattia
(
045 91 37 97;
www.agriturismosanmattia.it
; Via Santa Giuliana 2, Verona; s €60-70,
provide comfortable accommodation.
d 85-105, apt per wk €500-1150;
)
Sights
Seven
comuni
compose the DOC quality-controlled area: Pescantina, San Pietro in Cari-
ano, Negrar, Marano di Valpolicella, Fumane, Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella and Sant'
Anna d'Alfaedo.
To reach them, follow the SS12 northwest out of Verona, veer north onto SP4 and fol-
low the route west towards
San Pietro in Cariano
, the region's main hub. Alternatively,
APT bus 3 departs Verona's Porta Nuova for San Pietro about every half-hour (€2.60, 40
minutes). For tourist information, biking and hiking itineraries visit the
Valpolicella tourist
office
(
045 770 19 20;
www.valpolicellaweb.it
;
Via Ingelheim 7;
9am-12.30pm Mon-Fri, 3-6pm
Tue & Thu-Sun, 9.30am-12.30pm Sat & Sun)
.
Villa della Torre
HISTORIC BUILDING
