Hikes in Refrontolo

We offer you a circular route starting from the historic Molinetto della Croda in Refrontolo, an example of rural architecture dating back to the 17th century, powered by the waterfall of the Lierza stream. It was a mill for grinding grains, which today has become one of the major symbols of the area, featured in numerous paintings, a film, countless photographs, and drone footage, set in a fairy-tale scenario. The hike will allow us to enjoy numerous panoramic views of the Prosecco hills and will take us to the Marsini Shelter.

Our route on the Traumpfad Munich-Venice (Grassler-Route) in July/August 2021 with various variants

Classic itinerary on the hills of Refrontolo

Mill, Wine, and Castles A wonderfully charming area is the northern back corner of Veneto. Its gentle hills shine in lush green and offer us one last breather before finally descending into the busy Venetian plain. Even today, many kilometers of road stretch out stubbornly under the mountain bases. For a short break, the pretty little mill Molinetto della Croda is suitable. However, we would wait with the extended lunch break until the Trattoria al Molinetto or Refrontolo: The Prosecco of the region is delicious and widely known. A little cheerfulness on the way to Collalto can’t hurt either: it’s 17 road kilometers to Ponte della Priula on the banks of the Piave, past Collalto's impressive castle ruins. Unfortunately, the currently only accommodation in the main transit location lies directly on a heavily trafficked road. An alternative can be found in Susegana (see variant) at the 4-star Hotel Astoria in the middle of vineyards. The only downside is that you have to get to Ponte della Priula on the road the next day anyway: this is very convenient in 5 minutes by the bus, which runs very frequently on weekdays (only 3 times daily on Sat/Sun/holidays); however, on foot, the 3 km on the busy road is very dull. Other accommodation options are available in Conegliano, reachable by bus in about 20 minutes.

This hike begins at the northern end of the Prosecco region. This sparkling wine, which takes its name from a small town about 10 km outside of Trieste, has become a culinary symbol of southern joie de vivre in Central Europe and is a staple at virtually every event. And so, in Arfanta and Refrontolo alike, the vineyards dominate the landscape and lift our spirits. Incidentally, it’s most beautiful here in the fall, when the vine leaves turn colorful, creating a striking contrast to the gray rocks behind us. So, pretty hills await us—they’re the last ones before we finally descend, just before Ponte della Priula, into the lowlands, which lead about 40 km south as the crow flies to the Adriatic coast.> We start at the Arfanta01 parking lot, right in front of Hotel Da Tullio, and either head directly south toward the church, then turn left below it and continue down the road, or walk clockwise around the hotel and, once behind it, keep to the right on the narrow road leading downhill. It winds its way 1 km through the pretty vineyards down into the valley to a crossroads. Here we turn right onto Via Molinetto, where we now stay just to the right of the stream for quite a while, ignoring all side paths.If you’ve stayed at Agriturismo Le Noci, hike directly from there along a trail southward to the aforementioned gravel road by the stream and continue to the right there, following our directions.Walking partly on asphalt and partly on gravel, we make our way down the idyllic little valley in the cool of the morning. Wooded sections alternate with farmland, and we eventually reach a quiet asphalt road, where we continue to the left. Continuing straight ahead, after about 800 m and a slight descent, we reach the entrance to the Molinetto della Croda02 on the left.The mill is today’s cultural highlight; dating back to the 17th century, it offers a wonderful photo opportunity perched on a small rocky outcrop (Croda) and also serves as a great spot to rest. The swans, paddling pensively in the water, add to the idyllic atmosphere. The small kiosk is usually open during peak season. Back on the road, we continue to the left and follow it for a longer stretch. At first, we walk not far to the left of the Torrente Lierzo; later, we pass a cluster of houses. Shortly thereafter, as the landscape opens up, our Via Molinetto ends at a sharp curve in Via Costa. Here, we continue straight ahead on Via Costa, which winds gently uphill and leads us to the town center of Refrontolo03. At the central piazza of this Prosecco-growing town, we find a fountain on the left and a bar right next to the path. To continue, we turn right briefly onto Viale delle Alpini and, after 30 m, turn right again onto the main road, Via della Vittoria. After 300 m, we leave Via della Vittoria to the right onto the narrow alley Cal de Pos, where we take a shortcut to avoid a long detour. Once at the bottom, we rejoin the main road SP86, which we now follow for just under a kilometer. Caution: the road is very busy and has no sidewalk! After about 10 minutes, we pass the beautiful B&B Alle Zagare. About 100 m after that, the heavy traffic is finally behind us. At the major fork, we continue straight ahead on the left side of the road, while the main road turns right. We ignore Via Boschi, which branches off to the left shortly thereafter, and continue south on Via Casale, passing several wineries along the way. After about 1.5 km, we approach a large intersection. Here, we first keep to the left for a short while, then cross to the right side of the street at the crosswalk and proceed straight through the underpass beneath the SP38 expressway. After the underpass, we continue on Via Fornaci di Collalto.The road turns southwest and leads us gently up the hill. After crossing a bridge, it becomes Via Toti dal Monte. From there on, we ignore all side roads and keep going straight ahead as we walk leisurely through the sparsely populated residential area.In Barbisano, Via Toti dal Monte ends in a right-hand curve and becomes Via J. F. Kennedy. Here, we walk just a few meters to the right and then immediately turn left onto Via Santa Croce, continuing directly south in the direction of travel. A short while later, at a chapel, we continue straight ahead and find ourselves on Via Francesco Petrarca, which leads us in a narrow loop around Barbisano to the main road, Via Piave.On this road, we take a sharp left turn and, 300 meters later, reach another intersection where we turn left again. We are now on Via Lierza, where shortly afterward we ascend a somewhat steeper slope into the pretty village of Collalto, dominated by an interesting castle dating back to the 12th century. Not far from the first houses, at the stop sign, we can take the narrow road up to the left and, at the top on the right, pass through the impressive gate to finally reach Collalto’s village square04 with its fountain and park benches. (To the left of the gate, the path leads up to the castle.)To continue on our way, we now follow Via di Collalto further uphill. It leads us straight up the hill like an avenue and soon becomes a scenic gravel path that winds gently southward on relatively level ground. We take a path branching sharply from the right just once, but always stay on the main trail. The final stretch takes us back through dense forest along the wide path, after which it ends at the paved Via Tombola. Here we turn right and climb briefly up the hill to the parish church of San Daniele05. The view to the south is truly lovely, and you can enjoy it from the stone benches in front of the church entrance or at the Ristorante/Bar Da Checco, about 50 meters further down the hill. This is our last hill before we head down into the valley.Via Tombola, which we’re now descending, later becomes Via San Daniele and then continues straight ahead as Via Francesco Baracca. After a long, perhaps somewhat melancholic descent following all the amazing mountain experiences of the past few weeks, we reach the main road SP34 in Colfosco. We cross it and continue along Via Loschi for about 150 m to the Piave flood embankment, which we then follow to the left. Continuing straight ahead, we reach the large bridge over the Piave, partly on grassy paths and partly on small paved roads. Turning left here, we’ll reach the roundabout in the heart of Ponte della Priula06 in just a few minutes.

Easy hike in the hills between Molinetto della Croda and Arfanta, through woods and vineyards.

Departure from Molinetto della Croda, the excursion unfolds among forest roads, trails, and vineyards. A good sense of direction is needed as the route is not marked, some fallen trees on the path to bypass.

The Villa Corradini Route is a linear itinerary that starts from the municipal square of Refrontolo and leads to the historic Villa Corradini.

This itinerary is designed to allow everyone, including some categories of users with reduced mobility, to discover one of the most evocative places in the territory of Refrontolo in a serene and accessible way.

A turn that is as easy as it is long. The beauty is that often the round trip sections are close to each other, making it easy to shorten a lot. I'm not sure, but it can also be done on a mountain bike because the roads are almost always dirt tracks. To see: San Salvatore castle, ruins of the Collalto Castle, many vineyards and plenty of nature.