Kings & Castles™

Check into our Veneto property, privately owned by a noble family, set in the peaceful Veneto countryside.  The region is referred to as the Garden of Venice. The palazzo is composed of two elegant buildings, including an 18th-century mansion.  Enjoy the splendor of this experience as you sip a welcome Prosecco and relax in the heart of Veneto’s UNESCO-listed Prosecco Hills.  During your cooking classes, you will discover the flavors and traditions of the region while preparing authentic recipes with fresh, seasonal ingredients, including Treviso radicchio.  Learn how to prepare handmade pasta, creamy polenta, and classic Venetian desserts. Following each cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the cooking class accompanied by a Prosecco aperitivo and local wine.  Between cooking classes, explore the rolling vineyards, medieval villages, historic abbeys, and a family-owned winery that make this corner of Veneto so enchanting.

Veneto

Set between the majestic Dolomites and the sparkling Adriatic Sea, Veneto is one of Italy’s most captivating regions, where breathtaking landscapes, centuries of history, and genuine Italian traditions come together. Rolling vineyards, fertile plains, peaceful lakes, medieval villages, and elegant cities paint a beautiful backdrop for your culinary journey. From the romantic canals and magnificent palaces of Venice to the vineyard-covered hills of Valpolicella and the Prosecco countryside, Veneto invites you to discover northern Italy through its food, wine, art, and warm hospitality.

For more than a thousand years, the powerful Republic of Venice shaped the history and culture of the region. Venetian merchants traveled throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, returning home with precious spices, ingredients, fabrics, and new ideas that influenced the cuisine, architecture, and traditions of everyday life. Today, this extraordinary heritage can still be seen throughout Veneto. Stroll through historic piazzas, admire Renaissance villas and frescoed churches, discover Roman ruins and artisan workshops, and browse colorful local markets filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables, artisan cheeses, breads and regional wine. Wander through the elegant streets of Verona, explore charming countryside villages, or settle into a traditional enoteca for a glass of Prosecco and a taste of cicchetti, small food bites, while enjoying the rhythm of Italian life.

Veneto’s cuisine is as varied and beautiful as its landscape. Along the Venetian Lagoon and Adriatic coast, fishermen bring fresh fish and seafood to the table, while the fertile plains provide rice for creamy risotto, corn for golden polenta, seasonal vegetables, and fresh ingredients used in recipes passed down from generation to generation. In the hills and mountains, artisan cheeses, cured meats, mushrooms, and hearty country cuisine celebrate the flavors of the land. And, of course, Veneto is a paradise for wine lovers. Sip and swirl sparkling Prosecco in the rolling hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and discover the renowned wines of Valpolicella, including the rich and elegant Amarone produced among the vineyards near Verona.

Veneto Cooking Classes

Venetian cuisine draws heavily from both the land and sea due to its fertile plains, hills and mountains, and coastal villages along the Venetian Lagoon and Adriatic Sea. Treviso is one of Veneto’s most fertile regions and boasts local specialties such as radicchio rosso di Treviso Tardivo IGP, a red and white chicory used in salads, often grilled or stuffed, along with the precious Grana Padano, a hard artisan cheese with a salted bite.

In your hands-on cooking classes in Veneto, you will learn to prepare a range of traditional Venetian recipes including risi e bisi, a risotto made from peas and pancetta; baccalà mantecato, salted cod drizzled with olive oil, black pepper, sea salt, garlic and lemon juice whipped to a creamy texture.  You’ll also learn the art of making Venetian polenta, and sarde in saor, fresh marinated sardines prepared – sweet and sour – with onions, raisins, and pine nuts.

There are endless fresh pastas options from bigoli, a traditional Venetian egg pasta served with a duck ragù or an anchovy and onion sauce to radicchio pasticcio, a vegetarian lasagna made with chicory, pasta, shallots, béchamel, and Parmigiano cheese.  Venetian gnocchi are a classic; small, pillowy bites made with creamy potatoes, seasonal vegetables flour and eggs.

Venetian Desserts wow, and the Crown Jewel is tiramisù.  Treviso’s famed dessert is made with Savoia biscotti soaked in espresso and layered between mascarpone cheese and dusted with cocoa.  The classic Treviso tirami su, literally meaning pick me up, has no alcohol and was named after the energizing combination of coffee and sugar.  Additional Venetian desserts include: caffé; baicoli, a thin oval biscotti dipped in coffee; frittella, a golden-brown flash-fried doughnut round sprinkled with sugar and filled with chocolate or custard; and zaletti, polenta cookies with raisins and pine nuts, and scented with grappa.
Each hands-on cooking experience is fun and education followed by everyone enjoying the food prepared in the cooking class with a toast of the property’s Prosecco and wine.

The Prosecco Road

The Strada del Prosecco, the Road of Prosecco, meanders through the picturesque region of Veneto between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. This enchanting passage is adorned with gentle, rolling hills, lush vineyards, and quaint villages dedicated to crafting Veneto’s cherished sparkling wine. Prosecco has been a beloved part of the Treviso region for centuries, but it truly captured hearts during the thriving Renaissance trade of the 14th century. You will discover the historic Wine School of Conegliano, the oldest of its kind in Italy, and travel through to Valdobbiadene, the esteemed production hub of Prosecco D.O.C.G. and home to numerous distinguished sparkling wine producers. From the days of Carlo V to the era of Enrico III, and continuing through to the present, Prosecco has been savored by all, adding a touch of romance to every special moment.  The tour ends at Vladobbiadene, the production capital of Prosecco D.O.C.G. and the headquarters of several sparkling wine companies.

Veneto Accommodations

Check into our Veneto property, privately owned by a noble family, set in the peaceful Veneto countryside.  The region is referred to as the Garden of Venice. The palazzo is composed of two elegant buildings, including an 18th-century mansion.  The palazzo is composed of two elegant buildings, including an 18th-century mansion with gracious social rooms, a welcoming lobby, intimate dining area, along with the charming adjoining villa. Check in to one of the 18 individually decorated guest rooms, each with its own Venetian style and character. Each room offers modern comfortable bedding dressed in Italian linens.  Some rooms overlook the private garden, while others offer picturesque views of Follina’s historic piazza and ancient Cistercian Abbey. Modern comforts include air conditioning, adjustable heating, satellite television, a minibar, safe, nightly turndown service, bathrobes, slippers and a private ensuite bathroom with a bathtub or walk-in shower. A friendly and attentive staff is available 24 hours a day and ready to assist throughout your stay. Guests may enjoy private dining experiences, a welcoming bistrot, a gourmet restaurant, a traditional tearoom and, during the summer months, a private garden with deckchairs. Bicycle rentals on the property.

Property Photos

Things to Do Veneto!

• Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria: Step inside Follina’s magnificent medieval abbey, located just a short stroll from the hotel. Admire its graceful architecture, peaceful cloister, and centuries-old atmosphere before wandering through the charming village streets.
• Explore Cison di Valmarino: Visit one of the area’s most picturesque villages, where cobblestone lanes, artisan workshops, old waterways, and elegant historic buildings create a timeless setting beneath the surrounding hills.
• Castel Brando: Rise above Cison di Valmarino to discover this impressive hilltop castle. Explore its historic surroundings and enjoy sweeping views across the valley and the beautiful landscape of the Prosecco Hills.
• Molinetto della Croda: Discover an enchanting centuries-old watermill resting beside a gentle waterfall near Refrontolo. Surrounded by woodland and peaceful walking paths, it is one of the region’s most romantic and photographed landmarks.

Itinerary: 7 Days, 6 Nights

Day 1: Check In and Welcome Dinner with Chef’s Tasting Menu

• Arrival, check-in, and relax.
• Enjoy your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag with Prosecco toast and fresh seasonal fruit.
• Spend the remainder of the day relaxing and taking in the beauty of the Prosecco Hills.
• In the evening, enjoy your Welcome Dinner with a Chef’s Tasting Menu including three-courses with wine pairings included.

Day 2:  Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, tie on your apron for your first hands-on cooking class! Learn to prepare authentic regional recipes using fresh local ingredients. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the cooking class with wine included.
• Relax and enjoy the rest of the day on your own.
• In the evening, dinner is on your own. You may dine at the property.

Day 3: Prosecco Hills

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, meet your driver for a scenic journey through the UNESCO-listed Prosecco Hills. Visit local wineries, learn about the area’s celebrated sparkling wines, and enjoy guided tastings along the way.
• Return to the property for a relaxing afternoon to explore the
• In the evening, dinner is on your own. You may dine at the property.

Day 4: Cooking Class 2, Vespa Tour & Classic Countryside Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• tie on your apron for your first hands-on cooking class! Learn to prepare authentic regional recipes using fresh local ingredients. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the cooking class with wine included.
• Following your cooking class, set off on a guided Vespa Tour through the vineyards, charming villages, and scenic countryside roads.
• In the evening, enjoy a Classic Countryside Dinner featuring slow-cooked local specialties. Round-trip transfers with our driver are included.

Day 5: Artian Cheese Tour & Tasting and Traditional Lo Spiedo Dinner featuring local farm-to-table products

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, wander through the charming villages of the Prosecco Hills, visit local shops and caffés, or simply relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
• Enjoy lunch on your own at the property.
• In the afternoon, meet your driver and travel to an artisan cheese maker. Enjoy a private artisan cheese tour tasting with a renowned, local cheesemaker. Learn about the artisan cheese-making tradition while tasting a selection of locally produced cheeses.

Day 6: Cooking Class 3

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, tie on your apron for your third and final hands-on cooking class, creating another delicious menu inspired by the flavors of the region. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the cooking class with wine included.
• In the evening, dinner is on your own. You may dine at the property.

Day 7: Arrivederci

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, check-out and arrivederci!