Val Liona
Val Liona is one of the Veneto's youngest municipalities: it was established on 17 February 2017 through the merger of Grancona an...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Val Liona
A new municipality born from the union of two villages
The founding of Val Liona in 2017 was not imposed from above: a consultative referendum held on 5 February that year recorded overwhelming support, with more than 84% of residents in Grancona and San Germano dei Berici voting in favour. The two villages, just a few kilometres apart and already linked by everyday relationships, chose to merge municipal services while each hamlet kept its own identity. This path, still rare in Italy where municipal mergers remain a minority choice, makes Val Liona an interesting case study for those interested in local government, as well as a tourist destination.
The covoli, caves carved into the Berici rock
The Colli Berici area is rich in covoli, natural or partially carved rock cavities used over the centuries as shelters, cellars or refuges. Examples of this minor rock architecture can also be found within Val Liona's territory, evidence of a use of the landscape rooted in remote periods. These are not tourist-equipped caves like some better-known ones in the area, but features scattered across the hilly landscape, often discovered while walking along trails among the vineyards. This discreet but constant presence of covoli is one of the distinctive traits of the Berici hills, and Val Liona preserves some examples well integrated into the rural setting.
Vineyards and wine of the Colli Berici
The hillsides of Val Liona are covered with vineyards falling within the Colli Berici DOC denomination, a wine-growing area less well known than others in the Veneto but capable of producing characterful wines, from Tai Rosso to whites made from Garganega and Sauvignon grapes. The wineries are mostly small, family-run operations, often open to visitors by appointment. Walking among the rows through the different seasons, from spring budding to the autumn harvest, reveals a well-tended, living agricultural landscape, very different from the intensive monoculture found in other parts of the region. This is still human-scale wine tourism, without large crowds.
Trails and nature between Grancona and San Germano
The trail network connecting Val Liona's hamlets crosses coppice woods, olive groves and vineyards, offering loop routes suited to a non-specialist public. Elevation changes are modest, typical of the gentle morphology of the Berici hills, allowing for walks of just a few hours with scenic stops over the Liona valley. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking, when temperatures are mild and the landscape's colours more intense. There are also minor points of natural interest, such as small wetlands and mixed woods where local wildlife can be observed, in a setting of quiet hiking, far from the Veneto's major tourist flows.
Village life between Grancona and San Germano
Despite the administrative merger, Grancona and San Germano dei Berici each maintain their own community life, with separate churches, squares and local associations organising sagre and patron saint festivals at different times of the year. This double calendar of events is an added reason to visit Val Liona at different times, discovering two souls of the same municipality. Everyday life is still marked by farm work, particularly related to the vineyards, and by a social fabric that remains close-knit, typical of small hill towns in the Vicenza area. It is in these small details, more than in major events, that Val Liona's authentic character comes through.
Experiences not to miss
- Walk among the Colli Berici DOC vineyards between Grancona and San Germano
- Look for the rock-cut covoli along the hillside trails
- Visit a family-run winery for a tasting by appointment
- Follow a loop trail through the Liona stream valley
- Discover the dual village identity of a municipality founded in 2017
To see
What to see in Val Liona
Routes · Trovido Route
