MAROSTICA– one of the best small towns to visit in Northern Italy

With the walls embracing the hill and cypresses peeping out from the ruins of the Upper Castle, Marostica looks more like the creation of a bizarre artist than a town built for military defence. It is an authentic medieval jewel, nestled among the hills, which go down from the Asiago plateau to Vicenza.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WALLED TOWN IN NORTHERN ITALY

- The real origins of Marostica are lost to history. In the XIV century the Scaligeri family gave the town the charming look it has nowadays. Two medieval castles, one on the top of the hill and the other at the bottom of the hill, four entrance gates to the historical centre, twenty watchtowers and a mighty defensive wall is all that remains today. Many consider it to be one of the best small towns in Northern Italy and while walking along its lanes you will easily understand why.

THE CITY OF THE CHESS GAME

- Marostica is famous all around the world for the Chess Game played with human pieces, an event which takes place every two years and involves around 600 characters in medieval costume. Everyday you can admire some of the original dresses on display in the small Chess Game Museum inside the Lower Castle. Alternatively you can play your own game on the big chess boards under the porticoes on the northern side of the main square.

THINGS TO DO IN MAROSTICA

- If you choose Marostica as your starting point to explore the beautiful Veneto region, you are certainly a traveller who likes to get off the beaten track. You will be rewarded by the unique atmosphere of a medieval town in which there is no space for souvenir shops. Instead you will find family run shops, restaurants without tourist menu and people who greet each other in venetian dialect. During your stay you can relax and enjoy some of the following activities:

• walking along the Carmini footpath to enjoy the beautiful panoramic view from the Upper Castle
• sipping a spritz, the local aperitif, on the Chess Square
• taking a picture of the huge pink and white marble chess board from the battlement of the Lower Castle
• hiking along the Cherry Trail, particularly suggestive when the trees are in blossom – end of March, beginning of April
• going shopping in the town centre, where every shop has its own history
• visiting one of the Palladian Villas designed by Andrea Palladio in the countryside
• feasting on cherries - from the second half of May until the end of June
• attending a falconry demonstration at the Upper Castle
• tasting the local specialties in an authentic Osteria from the beginning of XX century
• discovering the surrounding hills hiking with donkeys
• cycling to Bassano del Grappa on our bikes
• visiting a distillery and tasting the local grappa
• renting a quad bike to reach the Asiago plateau

Remember Monica is a Tourist Guide and knows Marostica and all the surrounding area very well. During your stay she can give you many useful tips and recommendations, and, if you want, she can be your private tour guide to discover many other beautiful places in the province, such as Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza and the Palladian Villas.