What is Soave known for?

7,000 hectares of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave across thirteen communes; the Superiore DOCG zone was granted in 2001. Tenth-century castle on Colle Tenda, rebuilt by the Della Scala family, with keep and three concentric courtyards above the walled town. Won the RAI Kilimangiaro prize as Italy's most beautiful borgo in 2022, the first Venetian commune to take the title.

When is the best time to visit Soave?

Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. April through June and September through October are the months Soave works best. The Garganega vineyards green up in spring; harvest runs through September into early October and the Festa Medievale of mid-May, with costumed processions through the walls, draws visitors to the castle. July and August push past thirty degrees and the centro empties between two and six in the afternoon; cellar visits move to the morning slots. November through March is quiet. Fog sits on the Lessini plain for days at a time and the walls and castle sometimes float above it. The walk up Colle Tenda to the castle keep is at its sharpest in October, when the vines turn copper across the slope.

Soave is a comune in the province of Verona, Veneto region of Italy, about 35 kilometers from Vicenza.

How do I get to Soave?

From Vicenza, Soave is roughly 35 km by road.

Veneto · Verona

Soave

A walled wine town twenty kilometers east of Verona, 2022 Borgo dei Borghi winner, where Garganega vineyards climb to the Scaligeri castle on Colle Tenda.

Known for

SOAVE DOC
7,000 hectares of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave across thirteen communes; the Superiore DOCG zone was granted in 2001.
CASTELLO SCALIGERO
Tenth-century castle on Colle Tenda, rebuilt by the Della Scala family, with keep and three concentric courtyards above the walled town.
BORGO DEI BORGHI 2022
Won the RAI Kilimangiaro prize as Italy's most beautiful borgo in 2022, the first Venetian commune to take the title.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: San Lorenzo, 10 August

Why come

Soave sits at forty meters at the foot of the Lessini hills, twenty kilometers east of Verona, on the eastern edge of the city's territory. The 1,600 meters of walls that enclose the centro storico were built in 1379 under Cansignorio della Scala, with twenty-four towers and three gates. The Scaligeri castle on Colle Tenda above the town dates to the tenth century, when the first defensive works went up against Hungarian raids; the Della Scala family rebuilt it into the structure that stands now, with a keep and three concentric courtyards.

Soave won the Borgo dei Borghi 2022 prize on the RAI program Kilimangiaro, the first Venetian commune to take the title. The 7,000 inhabitants share their name with 7,000 hectares of Soave DOC, planted across thirteen communes east of Verona, with a minimum of seventy percent Garganega grape. The Superiore DOCG was granted in 2001. Palazzo Cavalli, built 1411, faces the Piazza dell'Antenna inside the walls.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Soave’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

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What to see

Castello Scaligero
Tenth-century fortress on Colle Tenda, rebuilt by the Della Scala family with a keep and three concentric courtyards, in continuous restoration.
Mura di Soave
1,600 meters of walls with twenty-four towers and three gates, built in 1379 under Cansignorio della Scala, encircling the entire centro storico.
Palazzo Cavalli
Venetian-Gothic palace built in 1411 by Captain Nicolò Cavalli, on the Piazza dell'Antenna, with a façade typical of the Veneto mainland.
Piazza dell'Antenna
Main square of the walled town, named for the Venetian standard pole that once flew the lion of San Marco in front of Palazzo Cavalli.
Vigneti di Soave
Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave vineyards across 7,000 hectares of DOC, with the Superiore DOCG zone granted in 2001.

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Signature product

Soave Classico DOCGDOCG

Garganega-based white wine from the volcanic hills east of Verona.

See every town in our catalogue producing Soave Classico DOCG.

Living here

Population 7,152
Commuter belti
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Nearest airport Verona, 47 min drive
Regional capital Venezia, 1 h 10 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

Elevation: 40 m
Population: 7,152
Surface area: 22.72 km²

On the map

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These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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