The best walks and hikes around Zugliano

L'Oasi Selgea, protected and hidden at 360° by trees, is a little-known corner of unspoiled nature. It is located near the course of the Astico stream, divided between the borders of the municipalities of Zugliano, Lugo, and Fara. Originally, the Selgea company's gravel quarry stood here. With the epic flood of 1966, the Astico overflowed its banks and its waters flowed into the curve of the excavation. At the conclusion of the extraction activity in 1979, the area was supposed to be reclaimed and returned to agricultural use; but the aquifers re-emerged and permanently filled the basin: this spontaneous reclaiming by nature gave rise to a unique habitat, a haven of peace that hosts floral and faunal biodiversity, including a very numerous colony of herons! https://visitpedemontana.com/2025/06/25/oasi-selgea-il-miracolo-verde-nato-da-una-cava/

A beautiful villa and a very rewarding visit, which requires at least 2 hours if done properly: via QR code you can listen to the audio guide that illustrates the various spaces in a concise but interesting and engaging way. Villa Godi is the first villa designed by Andrea Palladio in 1537, and built between 1538 and 1542 on the hill of Lonedo in Lugo di Vicenza: the architect, although he had not yet defined his classical style principles, conceived this beautiful residence by combining sober elegance with the functionality of daily life. Over the centuries, the villa was owned by various families, hence the compound name: the Godi who commissioned it, the Piovene and the Valmarana; in 1962 it was purchased in a state of decay by the Milanese Malinverni family, who restored it and whose descendants live there today. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The complex includes richly frescoed rooms, with original furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries, the 16th-century large kitchen, the magnificent English and Italian gardens, the hanging garden, the secret garden, the barchessa (which houses the excellent Torchio Antico restaurant), the dovecote, the lemon house, and the romantic 19th-century park with centuries-old trees. Also present and included in the entrance ticket are two small museums: the notable fossil museum, with a majestic, fully and perfectly preserved palm specimen, which at 9 meters is the largest in Europe; the museum on the First World War, focused on the English command that was hosted by the villa in 1918 to coordinate Anglo-Saxon troops on the Asiago Plateau. Info: https://www.villagodi.com

Villa Piovene (1541) stands just above the contemporary and more renowned Villa Godi (1540), on the same hill of Lonedo... and it's no coincidence! It was indeed commissioned by the Piovenes in open and declared competition with the Godi residence: the two noble families from Vicenza, at the time the most important in the area, were in continuous and increasingly bitter rivalry to divide the large estates of the district. With evident Palladian inspiration, it dominates the hill with its elegance and symmetry: a scenic front staircase, framed by statues and an Italian garden arranged on four terraces, descends from the villa to the sumptuous eighteenth-century wrought iron gate. Villa Piovene Porto Godi (this is the full name) is open in the afternoon from March to September, for a fee (4.5€): the interiors are off-limits as it is a private residence, but you can visit the front garden with its beautiful staircase, the chapel, and the large, silent park with centuries-old trees. https://villapiovene.weebly.com https://loveneto.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/un-cancello-su-lugo/

Beautiful example of an ancient Venetian rural building, perhaps dating from the 17th to 18th century. Stone structure with a horizontal layout, simple and functional for agricultural use: it housed a stable, hayloft, storage room, tool shed, as well as housing for the farmers. Given its position and proximity to Villa Godi, located on the Lonedo hill, it could be a former farmhouse of the noble family of the same name, who at the time were among the largest landowners in the area.

This pretty little medieval church is commonly called 'the Pearl of Bregonze': solitary and evocative, simple but elegant, it is located on a peaceful hill overlooking the plain, surrounded by cypresses and horse chestnuts. The little church dates back to at least the mid-12th century (but was probably built even earlier by the Benedictine monks, shortly after the year 1000); its current appearance is from the late 1400s; it was a parish church until the 1600s; then it became a hermitage until the mid-1700s; between the 1800s and 1900s it was granted as a home to needy families in the village; in the 1930s it was restored following the ideal of bringing it back to its original appearance. It is only open on the afternoon of the third Sunday of the month, between April and October, and during the feast of San Biagio in early February: see website. https://chiesasanbiagio.com

Short but suggestive path immersed in the woods, which runs along the Igna stream, in the heart of Bregonze: the black and smooth basalt stones emerge on the walkway and characterize the bed of the watercourse, and testify to the volcanic origin of the hills. In the middle of the route there is a beautiful and well-kept clearing, with a small house and a small bridge, called 'Oasi di Beppino' (see highlight). https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colline_delle_Bregonze

An elegant neo-Gothic building: in addition to the refined Venetian-style decorations and architectural elements, it is striking for its unexpected and seemingly out-of-place rural setting. The mullioned windows, the small balcony, and the lacework in the attic are beautiful; the use of trompe-l'oeil, creating the illusion of real elements, including the texture covering all the walls, is striking. History: In the 19th century, the Castellani family carried out a radical restoration of a 17th-century farmhouse with a barchessa, formerly owned by the noblewoman Celenia Thiene, giving it its current appearance. A recent restoration by the current owners, the Ronzani family, has restored the building to its original splendor. https://bregonze.it/index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=14

path parallel to Villa it rains ... side part from Villa it rains and goes into the grove adjacent to the villa and then comes out on the paved road after 1 km or so .... ideal for walkers and bikers