Truffles and more - Diamonds on the table
The diamonds on the table - a culinary foray in Le Marche
Travel dates 29th oct. to 4th November 2022
Le Marche are so far only known to insiders and if it were up to them, it should stay that way. We are talking about the most enchanting region of Italy, which has nevertheless managed to keep its naturalness and remain a real Italy - as we imagine it and perhaps also got to know many years ago.
But it is not only the unique beauty of the landscape, the infinite number of cultural assets, the hospitality of the people, it is also the culinary experiences that are a land of milk and honey. Experience the diamonds on the table: truffles and chestnuts, excellent wines and very special spirits, award-winning olive oil and "cooked wine" ... the list is very long!
Day 1: Benvenuto nelle Marche
In the afternoon you arrive at your hotel Residenze degli Ulivi near Campofilone. After check-in and a welcome drink, you can familiarize yourself with your new surroundings or,
Depending on the time of arrival, a small excursion can be undertaken.
Marche specialties are served for dinner. The hotel is known for its excellent cuisine, so please postpone diets after the Marche period.
Day 2: Autumn - the time of plenty
The autumn months are the most important time of the year in Le Marche. These are the months of harvest.
Start harvesting and processing one of the most important goods, the olives. Surely many of you have already experienced olive oil tastings. However, we want to show you more. Experience the olive oil production live at one of the 200 world’s best olive oil producers, Agostini. (In the “Feinschmecker” category he was voted first place in 2014 as the best olive oil producer) You start your visit in the morning and follow the production from the beginning to the moment when the liquid gold flows out of the tube. In between you will learn everything about the olive and also how a “real” oil tasting should take place.
You stick to the topic of olives. Not far away, in an agriturismo that has already been awarded twice as the best in Italy, you will watch the preparation of Ascolan olives, the No. 1 specialty in Marche, and, if you want, help.
Now that lunch is more than deserved, you will experience the fullness of this organic farming.
After so much experience, it's time to relax. We will take you to another world - the ancient Cupra. A place like an old postcard. Get to know one of the most beautiful places over the sea and love it for sure! After a little surprise with a wide view over the sea, the journey goes back to the hotel. An excellent menu will await you there in the evening.
Day 3: Vino Cotto and Anice
It will be difficult to assign anything to these two names. To change that, visit a manufacturer in Ripaberarda of these two drinks that are only originally found in the brands. Vino Cotto is not about mulled wine! This wine is said to accompany the Marchigiani from birth to death. So much can be revealed: Among other things, you will get to know a wine that has matured for more than 60 years! In the wonderfully equipped rooms, which are used for both production and tasting, you will also be shown the distillation of the anice. This digestif made with green anise has it all, as you can then test for yourself. At the end of this “high-proof visit” you will have a small lunch, in which aniseed plays an important role. It is not for nothing that Castignano green anise was included in Slow Food's 2018 list of valuable foods. If you don't like aniseed, you don't need to eat or drink it, we have substitutes for it.
Now you should finally get to know the beautiful city of 100 towers, Ascoli Piceno. Made entirely of travertine, it is considered the most beautiful city in the Marche. During a city tour (approx. 2 hours) you will not only visit the cathedral with its cultural treasures, you will find out what the genealogical towers are all about, admire a bridge that was built in 89 BC. was built by the Romans and still holds up and finally marvel at the Piazza del Popolo. This square is one of the 10 most beautiful squares in Italy and it is home to one of the 10 most beautiful Art Nouveau cafes in the country. The piazza looks like a theater backdrop, in a wonderful harmony of the buildings. It is hardly surprising that the Ascolans call it their living room. Café Meletti has often been used for films, and it is even said that Rossini wrote his operas here. The fact is that the anisetta was invented here and therefore it is almost a must to drink the anisetta and the caffe ‘meletti.
Then enjoy some free time to look around this treasure chest yourself. In the evening, review the day with a first-class dinner.
Day 4: Fermo - Palazzi, Römer and… .made in Le Marche
The city of Fermo is a beauty like Ascoli Piceno, but in a different way. Noble palazzi dominate here and give the city an elegant look. This place also has a history of more than 2000 years. The most tangible evidence of this ancient city is the cistern. Built in the 1st century AD. she has defied all the adversities of time unchanged. It is considered to be the largest Roman cistern after Istanbul. The cathedral on the Girfalco with the episcopal park offers a panoramic view from the sea to the mountains, the Palazzo dei Priori houses the impressive Globular Hall with one of the oldest libraries in Italy and an art gallery with unique pieces that tell history and the Palazzo degli Studi was one of them of the oldest universities in Italy.
But that's not all. The theater is a gem and representative of all 186! Let Olympus look down on you or test the magnificent acoustics yourself.
You cannot leave Fermo without having dined with Regina. So you will have a small lunch where you will find the first name Regina, in this case Queen of the Kitchen, is justified.
Hardly anyone knows that around 85% of all Italian shoes come from brands. It is not a shoe industry, rather it is an enormous number of small and medium-sized shoe manufacturers that are setting the trend for the next season worldwide! Tods is the luxury brand among them. Now the credit cards should be kept well under lock and key, because you pay a visit to the so-called Fermano, the area of shoe manufacturers. The strongholds are in Montegranaro and Cassette d'Ete. We pay a visit to the shopping park with most of the outlets in a small space - Tods is also among them….
In the late afternoon you will return to the hotel, where you will also have the evening menu.
Day 5: Palm Riviera and the stronghold of Rosso Piceno
This morning should provide a little relaxation after the varied and much experienced. Use e.g. this time for a stroll along the promenade of S. Benedetto del Tronto, known as the Palm Riviera. Not surprising, because well over 10,000 palm trees line the promenade over a length of approx. 10 km. However, anyone who loves Italian markets will find paradise here. The Marche's largest market takes place every Tuesday and Friday and leaves nothing to be desired. From model dresses to wooden spoons, from expensive to cheap, everyone will find what they are looking for here. Not to forget that this city has the largest fishing port on the Adriatic and the second largest in Italy. Since the water of the Adriatic is awarded the Bandiera Blu, the symbol for the best water quality, by the EU every year, it is not surprising that freshly caught fish is available in the fish halls that was caught along the coast of the Marche. You will then meet for a lunch menu to enjoy one of the Marche's most important foods based on fish. Of course there is also a menu for non-fish eaters.
A wine tasting with 6 wines is easier to cope with with a well-filled stomach. In Offida, the stronghold of the red Rosso Piceno Superiore and the white Pecorino, you will get to know some of the finest grapes in one of the most renowned wine producers of the brands in its wonderfully equipped showroom. In Offida, one of the small towns represented in the “Borghi piu‘ Belli del ’Italia” award, a visit to the grandiose church of S. Maria della Rocca is a must. Even non-churchgoers will long remember the sublime beauty and history associated with it. Here too, a look into one of the really small theaters with just 180 seats is tempting and you will be amazed to see how the lace makers turn a thread into a work of art at breakneck speed.
Then you return to the hotel to enjoy another culinary highlight.
Day 6: Amandola - Diamanti a Tavola
This day is entirely dedicated to the truffle. As much as it is surprising, it is not just Piedmont with its large truffle deposits, it is also the brands. Two areas are particularly important, the area in the northern Marche and the Monti Sibillini. Here in Amandola you will get your money's worth at the great truffle festival. It already starts in the morning at 10 a.m. when the various stands are opened and lasts all day. Soak up the atmosphere of this charming little medieval town. Of course, a grandiose lunch with plenty of truffles shouldn't be missing, prepared by a star chef. It would be a shame to ignore the beauty of this perfectly intact mountain world on this visit to the Sibillinen. In the afternoon, before returning to the hotel, you will take a detour to the oldest St. Mary's Church in Italy. The Madonna dell’Ambro church, which is beautifully embedded in green, has a story all of its own.
In the evening it is then for the last time: Please have dinner. Look forward to a wonderful farewell dinner.
Day 7: Arrivederci Marche
It's the day of parting. You have had varied experiences and I hope you will remember many of them.
© ulla kastner
Min. Number of participants 4, max. 15
other travel dates on request, but possible without the truffle festival.
Services included:
6 x HB in a 4 * hotel with shower / toilet, air conditioning / heating, TV, garden
3 x lunches with regional specialties in typical restaurants and as part of the tastings
1 x fish meal
1 x truffle menu
Olive oil, wine, anice and vino cotto tastings
Entrances
constant experienced German tour guide
Menus for vegetarians possible
Local transfers from / to Ancona Falconara airport in minibuses
Services not included:
getting there
Drinks except for the wine tasting, the Anice and Vino Cotto tasting, and the truffle menu
Meals not listed
Tips
Cancellation insurance
Price per person in a double room: € 1,760.00 from 4 participants
Price per person in a double room: € 1,540.00 from 6 participants
Price per person in a double room: € 1,470.00 from 8 participants
Price per person in a double room: € 1,390.00 from 10 participants
Surcharge (double room for single use): + € 150.00
