Treviso Travel Guide: Castles, Legends, and the UNESCO Prosecco Hills

The Province of Treviso—also fondly known as the Marca Trevigiana—comprises 95 distinct municipalities. It is a province incredibly rich in scenic waterways, including the Livenza, Sile, Monticano, and Meschio, though the most iconic and historically significant is undoubtedly the Piave river.

The territory also boasts several beautiful lakes: Lago Morto (hidden in the Lapisina Valley), Lago di Lago, and Santa Maria lake (both nestled in the picturesque Valmareno), just to name a few.

The landscape of Treviso is wonderfully diverse, featuring vast rolling plains, gentle hills, and rugged mountain peaks stretching along the border with the province of Belluno. Monte Grappa and Col Visentin stand tall as its highest summits.

The hilly country is beautifully divided into the Bassano and Asolo hills, the Pedemontana area (at the foot of Monte Grappa), the mysterious Montello hill, the world-famous Prosecco hills, and the lush Cansiglio forest plateau.

The province is highly committed to preserving its nature through numerous protected areas, parks, and green oases. The Sile Regional Park safeguards the entire course of Europe's longest resurgent river, extending its green embrace into the neighboring provinces of Padua and Venice.

Meanwhile, high up on the Cansiglio Plateau, you can explore pristine spots like the Piaie Longhe-Millifret Integral Nature Reserve and the Campo di Mezzo-Pian di Parrocchia State Reserve. And these are far from the only natural wonders hidden here.

This land is also incredibly rich in medieval fortresses, even though many historic castles were destroyed over the centuries.

Some were intentionally dismantled by order of the Venetian Republic to erase symbols of old feudal power, while the valuable stone materials were recycled and used for new local buildings.

Among the magnificent survivors, you can marvel at San Salvatore Castle in Susegana, the majestic Castelbrando in Cison di Valmarino, Castelat in Cordignano, and the historic Castle of Queen Catherine Cornaro in Asolo. Furthermore, Castelfranco Veneto, Portobuffolè, and Treviso itself stand proud as historic walled cities.

Of course, ancient medieval castles often mean thrilling ghost stories, and anyone curious about the supernatural has a great chance of encountering something mysterious in this province. Who hasn't heard the chilling tale of the ghost of Bianca di Collalto? Or the legends surrounding the restless spirits of the tyrant Ezzelino III da Romano and his brother Alberico II? Meanwhile, near Monastier di Treviso, the local ghosts are said to wear monk's robes—not to mention the eerie whispers that still circulate around the dense woods of the Montello hill...

Yet, the Province of Treviso is universally celebrated across the globe for much more tangible pleasures: its exceptional wines.

The region boasts numerous prestigious D.O.C.G. and D.O.C. wine titles, including the crisp white Colli Asolani Prosecco, the bold Rosso Montello, the deep Malanotte del Piave, and the world-renowned Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, just to name its crown jewels.

The Province of Treviso proudly celebrates its incredible cultural landscape, highlighted by the breathtaking hills of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco, which are officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Reflecting on this legendary achievement, the President of the Veneto Region beautifully highlighted that this prestigious status:

“It is a tribute to the truly unique beauty of a landscape that has few equals in the world—the very same one that fascinated Giorgione, Titian, Cima da Conegliano, and the other great masters of the Venetian Renaissance. An extraordinarily beautiful landscape precisely because it has been shaped, day after day, century after century, by men of ingenuity and dedication, capable of entering into perfect symbiosis with a beautiful, harsh, and difficult land, managing to tame it with deep respect.”