Franciacorta: Corna Trentapassi and the bubbles, two days between Lake Iseo and the cellars

An hour from Milan, and Lake Iseo opens below your feet. Corna Trentapassi is a prow of rock standing above Zone that looks over the whole lake, Monte Isola included: half a day to climb it, and the view is worth twice the effort.

The next day we drop down and change worlds: Franciacorta, the peat bogs, the vine rows and a cellar.

Day 1 — Corna Trentapassi

We meet at Zone, the village of the earth pyramids, and climb through the wood to the summit cross at 1,248 m: ten kilometres and 700 metres of climb, no difficult steps but a final stretch along the ridge. Back down, dinner and the night in Iseo.

Day 2 — the Sebino peat bogs and the cellar

In the morning we walk the boardwalks of the Torbiere del Sebino nature reserve, full of water birds in November, and climb to the monastery of San Pietro in Lamosa, there since the year 1000. Then into the Franciacorta vine rows to a winery, for a visit and a tasting. Back in the afternoon.

Who it's for

• anyone who wants a real summit on Saturday and a gentle day on Sunday
• anyone who has never seen Lake Iseo from above
• anyone who enjoys wine, but after walking

Good to know

The final ridge is exposed to the wind: bring a shell and a hat. The cellar visit is included; lunches and dinners are not.

Getting there

By car from Milan one hour fifteen (A4 to Rovato, then Iseo and up to Zone). By train Brescia–Iseo–Edolo to Marone, then the bus to Zone: doable without a car, but the timetables need care — tell us when you book.