Agriturismo in Veneto with Spa, Barbecue

Farm stays in Veneto cover an unusually wide range, from the Prosecco hills behind Treviso to the Dolomite valleys of Belluno, the lagoon farmland near Venice and the shores of Lake Garda. Few Italian regions let you combine a working farm with a major art city as easily.

The main areas

The Conegliano-Valdobbiadene hills, a UNESCO site, are steep, green and entirely given to Prosecco; Venice is an hour away by train from Treviso. The Euganean Hills south of Padua are volcanic, thermal and dotted with vineyards and Palladian villas. Along Lake Garda's eastern shore, farms grow olives and Bardolino grapes with the water in sight. Inland from Verona, the Valpolicella produces Amarone. North, the Belluno Dolomites give mountain farms, hay meadows and ski access.

What to expect

• Prosecco and Amarone tasted at the estate that produces them
• Radicchio from Treviso and Castelfranco, asparagus from Bassano, in season
• Garda olive oil, among the northernmost produced anywhere
• Farms within commuting distance of Venice, Verona and Padua by train
• Cycling routes along the Sile, the Brenta and the Adige valleys

Timing and access

April to June and September to October are the best months, with the vine harvest in September and radicchio arriving with the first frosts. Summer is humid on the plain but pleasant on the hills and the lake. Winter suits the Dolomites and the thermal spas, less so the flatlands.

Venice, Verona and Treviso all have airports, and the region has the densest rail network in northern Italy — useful, because a farm near a station lets you visit Venice without driving. In the hills and mountains a car remains necessary.

In Veneto we have 306 farmhouses, including 99 with swimming pool, 131 with restaurant and 111 pet friendly.