Poli Museo della Grappa
The steep steps up from Ponte Vecchio bring you to a 15th-century palazzo facing the covered wooden bridge — and inside, the whole story of grappa is waiting, free of charge. Poli Museo della Grappa occupies five rooms of Palazzo delle Teste at Via Gamba 6, where Italian and English panels, video projections, and two "Olfattometri" devices let you smell twenty different distillates side by side. The fourth room holds what is considered the largest and most complete collection of grappa mignon bottles in Italy.
The museum opened on 4 July 1993, founded by Jacopo and Cristina Poli, whose family has been distilling since 1898. Admission is free; a guided tour with a tasting of five spirits costs €3.50.
💛 What travellers fall for
Regulars tend to linger at the Olfattometri longer than planned — twenty distillates, nose to nose, reshapes what you thought you knew about the spirit. The fifth room's showroom is where most people end up buying something, so arrive with a little room in your bag.
The story behind Poli Museo della Grappa
The Poli family's distilling story begins with GioBatta Poli, who worked with a rare mid-19th-century mobile still — the kind that travelled from farm to farm before fiscal regulations made mobile distillation illegal. When the law changed, GioBatta installed a permanent still in 1898, and the family has operated from that fixed foundation ever since.
Nearly a century later, Jacopo Poli and his wife Cristina turned part of that heritage into a public museum, opening on 4 July 1993 inside Palazzo delle Teste. A Library of the Spirit sits between the first and second rooms. In 2011 a second location opened in Schiavon, and together the two sites now draw more than 150,000 visitors a year.
Good to know
Take the train from Vicenza (about 30 minutes) or Padua to Bassano del Grappa, then bus line 3 or 6 to Piazza Garibaldi — the museum is a short walk from there. Open daily 9 am–7:30 pm; closed 1 January, Easter, and 25 December.
Where is Poli Museo della Grappa?
Location
- In Bassano del Grappa
- 45.7672, 11.7349
- Open in Google Maps
Rating
4.7 ★ · 1,869 Google reviews
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What travellers say about Poli Museo della Grappa
Cute little museum. It would’ve been nice to have the opportunity to taste the grappa vs just purchase, but the displays were well done, and the information was displayed very nicely both in English and Italian. We definitely learned something here and you don’t need to spend a ton of time.
Excellent selection of different flavors of grappa made locally in Bassano Del Grappa. The museum is small but it is so beautifully organized and so well maintained. And the grappa is just so tasty that you will want to buy many different flavors. My favorite were Camomile and also the Honey 🍯 Grappa 🤍🥂🇮🇹
During my visit to Bassano del Grappa, I had the chance to explore the Poli Museo della Grappa, and it was an experience worth remembering. This museum offers a fascinating insight into the history and craft of grappa — one of Italy’s most iconic spirits. The museum is beautifully curated, blending tradition and innovation. As soon as you step inside, you’re taken on a journey through centuries of distillation techniques, historic tools, and detailed exhibits explaining how grappa is made. The displays are informative without being overwhelming, and the combination of text, photos, and actual equipment makes the story come alive. One of the highlights for me was the smell -tasting experience. Being able to smell different styles of grappa at the end of the tour helped me appreciate the subtle differences in flavor and aroma. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, happy to answer questions and share stories about the Poli family’s long distilling heritage. Super informative and there was even a screen room. By the way location is the best , right in centre of old town. Free and you can buy some products at the end.
Best grapa museum! A true treasure and must see if visiting the area. Try the honey grapa
Fantastic and free museum! Worth the stop to learn about Grappa! The samples at the end were great and show just how diverse grappa flavors can be.
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