Follina, where a Cistercian abbey meets the Prosecco hills

A stone cloister among the Prosecco hills

Follina is one of those places you discover by chance and never forget. Nestled in a small green valley at the foot of the Trevisan Prealps, this small community in the province of Treviso holds a treasure that deserves to be known across Europe: the Abbey of Santa Maria, a Cistercian masterpiece of the twelfth century that rises among meadows and vineyards like an apparition outside of time. Yet Follina remains delightfully ignored by mass tourism, protected by its own discretion and its secluded position away from the most-trodden routes.

Getting there is straightforward: from Treviso follow the Strada del Prosecco e dei Vini toward Valdobbiadene, turning off toward the Valsana. By train the nearest station is Vittorio Veneto, from which Follina is about ten kilometres. The drive is the most rewarding approach, because it takes you through the hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene Prosecco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019, with their geometric rows of vines that pattern the landscape like an agricultural work of art.

The Abbey of Santa Maria

The Abbey of Santa Maria is the spiritual and artistic heart of Follina. Founded in the twelfth century by Cistercian monks, it stands as one of the purest examples of monastic architecture in north-eastern Italy. The Romanesque facade, sober and powerful, leads into an interior where light filters in with studied restraint, creating an atmosphere of recollection that moves even the least contemplative of visitors.

But the true jewel is the cloister, a masterpiece of transition between Romanesque and Gothic that leaves you breathless. The paired columns, the capitals carved with plant motifs and fantastical figures, the arches framing the sky and the inner garden compose a space of perfect harmony. Walking under the cloister arcades, listening to a silence broken only by birdsong, is an experience that justifies the journey on its own.

Inside the abbey a wooden statue of the Madonna is venerated, an object of popular devotion for centuries. The church is still in service, and attending a liturgy — perhaps vespers — adds a sonorous and spiritual dimension to the visit that no guidebook can convey.

The historic woollen mills and the textile tradition

Follina owes its name — and its economic history — to fulling, the wool-finishing process practised here since the Middle Ages. The historic mills, powered by the waters of the stream running through the village, made the fortune of this small centre, turning it into a regionally significant textile hub. To this day you can see the remains of the old workshops along the watercourse, and the echo of that tradition lives on in some artisan workshops in the area.

The relationship between water, work and community is the thread running through Follina's history: a borgo that knew how to turn a natural resource into culture and prosperity, without ever losing its bond with the surrounding land.

Walks among vineyards and hills

The territory around Follina is an invitation to walk. The Prosecco hills offer panoramic trails among rows of Glera grapes, chestnut woods and rural borghi where time flows with the slowness of the seasons. A classic itinerary leads from Follina to Cison di Valmarino, another gem of the area, along a hill road that offers broad views across the Trevisan plain and the Prealps.

For the more adventurous, the Trevisan Prealps offer mid-mountain hikes with panoramas spanning from the Venetian lagoon to the Dolomites. Monte Cesen, reachable even by car, is a natural balcony from which to embrace a vast horizon.

At the table among Prosecco and osterie

The cuisine of Follina is that generous, straightforward cooking of the Marca Trevigiana. The stars are local products: late Treviso radicchio, Prealps mushrooms, mountain-pasture cheeses, artisan cured meats. All accompanied by the ever-present Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG Prosecco, which here is drunk as wine should always be drunk: naturally, without ceremony.

- Sopa coada — an ancient Trevisan soup of bread and pigeon, slowly baked in the oven

- Bigoli with duck — thick pasta dressed with duck ragù, a dish of the peasant tradition

- Morlacco cheese — produced in the Grappa mountain pastures, soft and delicate

- Superiore DOCG Prosecco — from the surrounding hills, fresh and fragrant

To eat well without spending a fortune, the osterie of the area are the best choice: simple surroundings, generous portions, house wine by the carafe. Always ask what is in season and let yourself be guided.

When to go and practical information

Follina is beautiful in every season, but spring and autumn are the ideal periods. In April and May the hills burst into green, the abbey is wrapped in the soft light of the season and the vines begin their cycle. In September and October the landscape turns to gold and red, the harvest animates the hills and the air takes on that transparency only autumn can give.

The borgo can be visited in half a day, but it deserves a longer stay for those who want to explore the hills and surroundings. Hospitality is discreet and of quality: farmhouses among the vineyards, small hotels in the historic centre, bed and breakfasts run with family care. Follina is the perfect place for those seeking authentic Veneto, far from the crowds of Venice and Verona, in a landscape that is a world heritage site and that reveals itself with the slowness it deserves.