Travel Guide of Trentino, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy
Trentino, officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country’s far north. Trentino is renowned for its mountains, such as the Dolomites, which are part of the Alps. Trentino with a real triumph of natural beauty. From the splendor of the cities to the magic of the glaciers, from the enchantment of the valleys to the majesty of the peaks, Trentino Alto Adige is one of the most fascinating Italian regions.
Inside the Adige Valley which constitutes the main valley around which all the other numerous large and small valleys develop, each making up a small world in itself. A land of mountains and lakes, Trentino in addition to incorporating the northern part of Lake Garda, has a myriad of smaller but no less well-known lakes; examples are Lake Ledro, Lake Molveno, Lake Caldonazzo, Lake Tovel.
Its mountain ranges are known for their extraordinary beauty. It offers pre-alpine mountain ranges, such as the Monte Baldo chain which is reflected in Lake Garda, or the Pasubio group, up to the Marmolada with the Pale di San Martino, to the Adamello, Presanella and Brenta groups. Places for excursions through woods, pine forests, paths on rocky paths up to the numerous alpine refuges, or skiing on the equipped slopes of the famous Madonna di Campiglio which Folgarida has recently joined.
Over 220 bodies of water and a crown of Alpine peaks interrupted by thermal springs: Trentino boasts extraordinary natural landscapes, protected with respect and awareness. It is no coincidence that over a third of the territory is protected as a national park (the Stelvio park also affects part of Lombardy) and a nature reserve, and more than 60% of the area is covered by woods: safeguarding the environment is a value and constitutes a great attraction for tourism.
As are the rocky massifs and glaciers, which delight hikers in a real trekking paradise. Inhabited by Italians and Ladin and German-speaking minorities, Trentino is nestled between the Dolomites, a World Heritage Site since 2009, and is transformed on the shores of Lake Garda, which guarantees the area a microclimate that makes it suitable even for Mediterranean flora.
Enjoying the wonders of nature in Trentino, with its stunning blend of natural marvels, culture and traditions. Nature is completed with the vestiges of the past and with the trends of the future: together with alpine refuges and perched castles, one can visit prestigious art exhibitions and learn about the production techniques of Italian sparkling wine exported all over the world. Exploring Alpine woods, valleys, rivers and lakes. Discovering a fresh sense of balance, relax on the snow or sit and savour a glass of sparkling Trentodoc wine.
Renowned for the efficiency of the tourist services it offers, the region offers numerous accommodation options that include welcoming bed & breakfasts and farmhouses furnished in the typical style of the area, modern and functional residences and hotels of all categories and for every need.
History
The history of Trentino begins in the mid-Stone Age. The valleys of what is now Trentino were already inhabited by man, the main settlements being in the valley of the Adige River, thanks to its milder climate. Situated on the great north-south communication lines, the Trentino area was in commercial traffic and consequently in the cultural relations between the Germanic and Latin peoples. The Brenner and the Verona Lock are the two doors through which the two worlds have always influenced each other.
Between the third and the first century BC the territory was Romanized. Trento (Tridentum) became its main center. After Rome, the Lombards established the Duchy of Trento there. In the early Middle Ages, this area was included within the Kingdom of Italy and the March of Verona. In 1027, the Bishopric of Trent was established as a State of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Conrad II. It was an ecclesiastical territory, roughly corresponding to the present-day Trentino, governed by the Prince-Bishops of Trento.
The Episcopal Principality of Trento was created which maintained its structure from 1027 to 1803, indelibly marking the civil, social, artistic and cultural formation of the region. The manifestations of Romanesque art in Trentino largely benefited from the contribution of Lombard masters who, with the Trento Cathedral, gave the best proof of their art.
The Gothic production then continued throughout the fifteenth century and beyond, leaving numerous churches in architecture in many cities and even more numerous castles; in painting the frescoes of the castle of Avio, of the cathedral of Trento, of the Torre dell’Aquila in the Buonconsiglio Castle of Trento.
After the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, the bishopric was secularized and absorbed into the Austrian County of Tyrol. It was governed by the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. The region was the location of heavy fighting during World War I, as it was directly on the front lines between Austria-Hungary and Italy.
Tourism
Trentino is located on the southern side of the Alps, is almost entirely mountainous. Trentino is made up of several purely alpine valleys (for example the valleys of Sole, Valle di Primiero and of Fiemme), which open at the foot of the most important mountain ranges, marked by a rather rigid climate, by the presence of glaciers and by the abundance of waters.
The main tourist resorts are mountain centers, characterized by the presence of numerous ski lifts, often part of large ski carousels, and structures for the practice of winter sports.
The most fashionable center of the province is Madonna di Campiglio, located at 1 550 meters, built in a basin between the Brenta Dolomites and the perennial snows of the Adamello and Presanella groups, the ancient site of a medieval hospice dedicated to Saint Maria. A Campiglio (track 3-Three) are often disputed races slalom of the Alpine Ski World Cup.
San Martino di Castrozza developed in eastern Trentino, surrounded by meadows once guarded by the ancient monastery of San Martino and Giuliano and by the peaks of the largest of the Dolomite groups, the Pale di San Martino. The town, located in Primiero, is considered by many to be the most beautiful area in the Dolomites. Also in the Primiero valley there is another historic village full of charm, Fiera di Primiero, located right at the foot of the aforementioned massif of the Pale.
From San Martino, crossing the Rolle pass, you reach Val di Fiemme (among the major centers, Cavalese, Predazzo and Tesero), a valley famous for its extensive spruce forests and known as an important sports center, especially for Nordic skiing. of which he organized three world championships (1991, 2003 and 2013); north of Fiemme extends the land of the Ladins, the Val di Fassa, made up of several small towns (the largest and perhaps the best known are Moena and Canazei) and sculpted by some of the most important groups of the Dolomites (Marmolada, Sella, Catinaccio).
There are numerous hamlets lying on the highlands of Folgaria and Lavarone, ancient communities of Cimbrian origin and important summer and winter tourist centers, not far from the border with Veneto.
In western Trentino, the two resorts of Folgarida and Marilleva, combined with the Tonale Pass area and the town of Peio, represent the major ski centers of the Val di Sole. Finally, the main tourist resorts are the villages (Andalo, Molveno and Fai) nestled between the slopes of the Paganella and the heart of the Brenta Dolomites.
Other areas affected by ski lifts for skiing are the Brentonico plateau, the Brocon pass, the Panarotta and Mount Bondone.
The numerous Alpine passes make it an attraction for cyclists and amateur cyclists in the summer. Particularly famous is the tour of the Sella Ronda with its steps faced numerous times by the professional tour of Italy. The tour of Trentino, the Melinda trophy, the marathon of the Dolomites and various cross-country skiing are held here every year.
Other popular destinations are the health resorts built near the various lakes of the Province, particularly appreciated by foreign tourists. Among these, we can mention Riva del Garda and Torbole on the northern shore of Lake Garda and the various centers of Valsugana near the lakes of Levico and Caldonazzo.
Thermal tourism Is another popular tour, the most important spas in Trentino are Comano, at the foot of the southern sector of the Brenta Dolomites, Levico and Vetriolo in the upper Valsugana, Peio and Rabbi in the two side valleys of Val di Sole. Another thermal spring was discovered located in Torbole sul Garda in the territory of the municipality of Arco.
Main destination
Trento
Capital of the region, Trento, was founded in the 1st century BC by the Romans, who gave the town the name of Tridentum. Protagonist of important historical events including the homonymous Council, Trento has always been a cultural and artistic crossroads where Italian civilization met Central European civilization, defining the character of the city.
Lying in the Adige valley, Trento is a city on a human scale that offers a cultural life animated by conferences and exhibitions and inspired by traditions and history, also told by traditional costume festivals. Trento‘s symbol is the Buonconsiglio Castle, the largest and most important monumental complex in Trentino-Alto Adige. It hosted, from the thirteenth century up to the eighteenth century, the prince bishops of Trento. The Buonconsiglio Castle and the central Cathedral, which overlooks the square with the fountain of Neptune, are its symbolic monuments.
Set in the heart of the Alps, the city developed in Roman times. And from that period it still retains several elements, starting from the underground archaeological space of Piazza Cesare Battisti to continue with the early Christian basilica, which offer rare but complete examples of Roman urban planning, in a fascinating and evocative setting.
Over the course of its millenary evolution, Trento has been able to attract elements of very different traditions, from Northern and Southern Europe, merging them into a truly unique mix, so much so that it was chosen as the seat of the Council of the Counter-Reformation (1545-1563).
From a cultural point of view, the city offers a truly wide range of alternatives: from History with a capital “s” that you breathe in the austere Buonconsiglio Castle to the particular aspects of the life of the Church presented at the Diocesan Museum, to the thousands of initiatives and events in scientific character of the brand new MUSE Science Museum, flanked by the sixteenth-century villa-fortress of Palazzo delle Albere. Not to be missed are the Piedicastello Galleries and the Doss Trento, where you can immerse yourself in the history of Trentino and visit the Museum of the Alpine Troops.
The geographical position and the historical events have contributed to making Trento a treasure chest that can be revealed to the visitor in its many aspects: art, history, culture find expression in the numerous palaces, in the churches, in the Castle, in the museums… A museum proposal of extraordinary richness, which ranges from art to history, from traditions to science, a great protagonist with the opening of MUSE, the modernist center designed by Renzo Piano.
And in winter Trento becomes the Alpine capital of Christmas, thanks to one of the most renowned and appreciated markets.
Rovereto
The second largest city in Trentino, it is famous for its Bell for the fallen. A walk through history that crosses the Middle Ages in Castelbarco, where the Italian War History Museum is also located; the Venetian domination with the palaces of the historic center such as the house of the Podestà; and the eighteenth century in the elegant facades of Corso Bettini.
Art is at home in the futuristic Mart and at the Depero Futurist Art House, and in the numerous festivals dedicated to dance, theater and the arts. But Rovereto is also a City of Peace, in memory of the Great War which had one of its hottest fronts here, where every evening the 100 tolls of the Bell of the Fallen melted with the bronze of the guns of the nations that took part in the First World War sound.
Ala: Next to the Adige, it has a beautiful historic center with an orderly Trentino urban planning.
Arco: Between the mountains and Lake Garda, it preserves the Castle, the palaces and leville with which the Habsburgs endowed it, who made it a place of climatic stay, leisure and treatment.
Riva del Garda: Elegant center at the north end of Lake Garda, it maintains the atmosphere of a holiday resort of the Austro-Hungarian nobility of the nineteenth century.
Religious architectures
The city boasts numerous churches, with architecture ranging from the Romanesque period to the modern era. The most important are:
Cathedral of San Vigilio
The Cathedral of San Vigilio is the Cathedral of Trento located in Piazza del Duomo. It is the main church in the city and was built in the 13th century on the area where there was originally an ancient basilica dedicated to San Vigilio, from which it takes its name and who is the patron saint of the city. This ancient basilica was built outside the walls because it served as a cemetery church: San Vigilio and the remains of the three Ananuensi martyrs Sisinnio, Martirio and Alessandro were buried there. Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg (author of the LandlibellTyrolean) was crowned in the Cathedral Emperor of the Holy Empire on 4 February 1508 by the Bishop of Gurk Mattias Lang. Most of the bishops of Trento are buried in the cathedral, including all the more recent ones. In the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, important archaeological research was carried out in the apsidal subsoil of the basilica, which also partly modified the internal distribution of the apse area.
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
Built in the 16th century by Antonio Medaglia at the behest of Cardinal Bernardo Cles, in Renaissance style but with Gothic reminiscences (“clesian style”). The façade has an important sixteenth-century portal, while inside it is worth noting a choir of the same century and the paintings by Cignaroli and Moroni. The church hosted the third period of the Council of Trent (April 1562 – December 1563). The exterior was completely cleaned and restored to its original state in 2007. Archaeological excavations have shown that the sacred building was built over three previous churches (one of which is perhaps Santa Maria della Neve, mentioned in written sources).. The oldest of the three, the paleochristian ecclesia (V-VI century), served as a bishop’s seat and as the main place of worship in the city during the first centuries of Christianity. This ecclesia, in turn, had been built over a Roman public area where a spa complex probably stood.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul
The Church was built in the 12th century near Piazza dell’Anfiteatro on a pre-existing chapel. The neo-Gothic façade was rebuilt to a design by Pietro Estense Selvatico between 1848 and 1850. It started in three bays and is surmounted by the statue of St. Peter. Piazza dell’Anfiteatro (whose shape partly follows the oval of an amphitheater) takes its name from a wall with steps discovered in a local cellar which is believed to be the base of the ancient Roman amphitheater where pagan performances took place. Other fragments of the Roman amphitheater can be visited in an internal area of the Palazzo della Cassa di Risparmio in via Galilei.
Church of Sant’Apollinare
Built in the 13th century at the foot of the Doss Trento on the banks of the Adige near the ancient village of Piedicastello. It is dedicated to the 5th century bishop of Ravenna and this suggests much older origins. It presents itself as an extremely slender upward, with a sloping roof of typical Nordic taste with coverage shingle (small wooden axes). In 1183 Pope Lucius III decided that the nearby church of San Lorenzo should take this church into custody: ecclesiam sancti Apollinaris cum capellis suis et pertinis.
Abbey of San Lorenzo
Construction dating back to the 12th century built by the Benedictines from Bergamo called to Trento by the bishop Altemanno. Particularly interesting is the apsidal part built in Romanesque style and the presbytery.
Civil architectures
The numerous frescoed houses in Piazza Duomo and in other streets of the city are interesting. They are examples of Trentino residential architecture and make up most of the houses in the center, the single-celled terraced houses, which usually rise up to 3 floors above ground. Without any significant decorative elements, it still retains the typical layout with the entrance hall and shop on the ground floor, wooden staircase body with two or more flights and upper rooms facing the street (living room and sleeping area, while the kitchen and latrine are located on the bottom).
Cazuffi-Rella Homes
The Case Cazuffi-Rella are two adjoining buildings of the sixteenth century located in Trento, in Piazza del Duomo nr. 10. The frescoes of the two houses were allegedly commissioned by Tommaso Cazuffi on the occasion of the visit in 1535 by Ferdinand I of Austria, emperor of the Romans. The facade facing the square is adorned with frescoes attributed to Fogolino. The art of painting the facades of buildings is also widespread in the Treviso area and often occurred in conjunction with important events. The character of the subjects gives Trento a secular character differentiated from the religiosity of those painted in the valleys.
Palazzo delle Albere
Renaissance-style palace, it was built around 1550 at the behest of the Madruzzo family, who ruled the Principality of Trento for a century. Despite being a representative residence, it has fortifications and architectural defense elements, such as the four corner towers. It was a suburban country villa of the Princes-Bishops, until it was completely abandoned after the Second World War onwards. After the purchase in the seventies of the twentieth century by the Autonomous Province of Trento, from 1987 to 2010 it was the Trento headquarters of the Trento and Rovereto Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art – MART. Closed for restoration in 2011, it has been used since 2015 as an exhibition space for temporary exhibitions.
Palazzo Pretorio
Located in Piazza del Duomo, between the Castelletto and the Civic Tower, it was the ancient and first bishop’s residence (until the mid- thirteenth century). Bordered by a battlements and decorated with mullioned windows, the Civic Tower was built next to it. It now houses the Tridentine diocesan museum.
Palazzo Thun (current seat of the town hall)
The representative palace of the Thun family, originally from the Val di Non, which united in a single complex a series of pre-existing buildings in the mid- fifteenth century. It underwent a remarkable transformation in 1830, when it was deeply restored by Rodolfo Vantini according to the neoclassical taste by the will of Count Matteo II Thun.
Palazzo Geremia
A building built towards the end of the fifteenth century with a Renaissance style on the outside and late Gothic in the interior. It is now owned by the municipality and houses the mayor’s office and cultural events. On the facade are portrayed various characters such as Marco Curzio portrayed on a white horse (on the first floor to the left of the quadrifora), Muzio Scevola (to the right of the quadrifora) and Curio Dentato. On the lower level are the wheel of fortune and the halberdier.
Palazzo Sardagna
Building owned by the Autonomous Province of Trento, it was built in the sixteenth century and renovated in the eighteenth century by the will of the Sardagna family, whose family crest is painted in the vault of the atrium. From 1982 to 2013 it hosted the headquarters of the Tridentine Museum of Natural Sciences. One of the three putti, who appear in the Constantine Room, was portrayed with particularly dark shades, cd. little black angel, which according to legend is the result of a miracle that occurred while the author, Marcello Fogolino from Vicenza, was painting the fresco. Today it is the seat of the Rectorate ofUniversity of Trento.
Palazzo Salvadori
One of the first examples of Renaissance civil architecture in Trento. It was built by the Lombard master Lucio Tosani, in the Clesian period starting from 1515. Around the middle of the eighteenth century it was posted two medallions in stone on the façade to celebrate the martyrdom of St. Simon of Trent, the child who is falsely believed the victim of a Jewish ritual in the Easter of 1475. This episode, perhaps the most negative in the history of the city, caused the expulsion of the small Jewish community of Trento, which had its own synagogue in the buildingwhich rooms are still visible at a semi-underground level along the Vò alley complete with a commemorative stele. The chapel of the Saint, on the other hand, is located in the Palazzo Bortolazzi and is occupied by a jewelery shop.
Palazzo Galasso or Del Diavolo (Ca del Diaol)
Built in 1602 by a descendant of the powerful Fugger family of bankers; so called, according to the legend, also cited by Goethe, due to a bet won by Fugger against Mephistopheles. In the adjoining noble chapel of the Holy Anaunian Martyrs, on 9 January 1837, King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies married Archduchess Maria Theresa of Habsburg-Teschen, the wedding was celebrated by Bishop Giovanni Nepomuceno de Tschiderer.
Trautmannsdorf Palace
Extends between piazza Mostra and via Suffragio and overlooks piazza Raffaello Sanzio; it assumed its present appearance during the seventeenth century by the Tyrolean counts Trautmannsdorf. Previously it belonged to the noble Particella family; after the accounts it passed to the Salvadori barons.
Palazzo Tabarelli
Built in 1515 takes its name from those who ordered its construction. Also known as “Palazzo dei Diamanti”: in fact, this is how the Trentini baptized it, for its shining façade with reflected diamonds. 22 profiles of local historical figures are carved on the façade (the last on the right on the first floor is Bernardo Clesio).
Palazzo Ranzi
Built in Neo-Renaissance style (pilasters in pink granite from Fiemme) on which facade a series of marble busts representing 15 characters from Trentino have been placed: from the bottom left: Andrea Pozzo (Jesuit architect), Francesco Oradini (sculptor), Gianbattista Lampi (painter), Francesco Guardi (painter), Fede Galizia (painter), Bianca Laura Saibanti (poetess from Rovereto), Niccolò Dorigatti (painter), Andrea Rensi (painter), Antonio Tita (naturalist), Aliprando Caprioli(engraver); on the second floor from the left: Andrea dell’Aquila (painter and sculptor), Vincenzo Vicentini (painter), Alessandro Vittoria (sculptor), Vigilio Rubini (sculptor) and Bernardo di Santagnese (religious).
Palazzo Vescovile
Built on a project by Ignazio Liberi for the Ceschi family, taking advantage of some structures of the seventeenth-century extra-urban villa dei Particella, then Cannella, which in turn was built on the site of the two sixteenth-century huts. From the residence of the Particella, known according to legend, “La favorita”, remains the portal with large white and red ashlar that serves the garden. Since 1921 it has been the archiepiscopal residence and seat of the Curia.
Ex Casa Littoria
Built in 1938, depicts on a portion of the facade a high-relief of a bare-chested man wearing a cloak with one hand raised, in the other holding a rifle and a spade, above which he there is a balcony with a carved falcon on the parapet. Towards the top of the building there are two supports between which there was a bundle.
Molino Vittoria
Dating back to 1912, initially used for processing cereals, it frequently changed use and destination. It is now owned by the University of Trento which has reserved some rooms for library use. The south facade has two interesting statues dedicated to Ceres, goddess of cereals and crops (in the west corner), and Mercury, god of goods and protector of traders (in the east corner).
Francesco Crispi Schools
Built as an orphanage, they were commissioned around 1860 to the architect Angelo Milesi of Ortona by the Civic Congregation of Charity of Trento. The project involved the demolition of the pre-existing Maso dei Leoni, the deviation of the canal and the construction of the building in alignment with those that made up the southern limit of Piazza Fiera. The building is characterized by an internal courtyard, a full arch arcade and an arched loggia with balustrades, both closed when, towards the end of the 1920s, the municipality obtained the structure with the aim of adapting it to a school building. Project and renovation works were carried out between 1927 and ’28. A second renovation, which lasted several years, was completed in 2014.
Military architectures
In addition to the castles and towers located in the municipal territory there were, and some still exist, some military barracks, including the “Cesare Battisti”, the “Gavino Pizzolato” and the “Damiano Chiesa”.
Buonconsiglio Castle
Built in the thirteenth century, it hosted the prince bishops of the city for five centuries. The oldest structure is represented by the Castelvecchio (13th century), later rebuilt. Next to it was built by the will of Bernardo Clesio the Great Palace, decorated by Romanino and Dosso Dossi, then put in direct communication with the ancient building through the Giunta Albertiana. Torre Aquila, oriented towards Aquileia, preserves an important fresco of the International Gothic, the Cycle of the Months, perhaps attributable to the master Venceslaoof Bohemia. Other towers of the castle are Torre d’Augusto (the main tower, the circular one) and Torre del Falco.
Towers
Noble families did not hesitate to erect a tower at their home as it is known that temperatures are warmer on the upper floors.
Fortifications
In the province of Trento there are numerous forts and fortifications dating back to the 17th and 19th centuries and in any case before the First World War built by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, some are in a good state of conservation, of others only the remains are visible. Of the many Trentino fortifications, some of these constituted the fortified complex ” Fortress of Trento “, in German Festung Trient.
Archaeological sites
In Trento there was also an amphitheater, in fact, under the homonymous square of Trento, fragments of pavement, walls and steps of the same were found, in addition to the fact that the position of part of the houses in the square has the typical curvature of the amphitheater, being the houses built on the remains of the same and using existing walls and stones. Pieces of city walls, towers, roads, houses have also been found under numerous buildings, streets and squares in Trento.
Recent excavations under the church of Santa Maria Maggiore are bringing to light another area of the city, in fact, here was the ancient ecclesia that served as a cathedral in the early centuries of Christianity, it is hypothesized that it rose above an ancient temple. According to Roman urban planning, this building stood in the public area of the city, so it is thought that the forum of Tridentum was present in this place. Also in the forum there were other public buildings. Further excavations have also brought to light a Roman tower behind the building of the sociology faculty and a Roman villa in the place where the new faculty of literature will rise.
Museums
Trento boasts numerous museum structures and various exhibition spaces.
Buonconsiglio Castle Museum
The provincial artistic collections have been organized in the large rooms of the Buonconsiglio Castle. Important sections of medieval and modern art (Castelvecchio and Magno Palazzo rooms). Also of note are the archaeological and ethnographic materials and a numismatic collection, as well as the collections and temporary exhibitions organized every year.
Trento and Rovereto Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Palazzo delle Albere houses the Trentino section of the Trento and Rovereto Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MART). The museum boasts a vast permanent collection from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, up to the First World War (from the romantic Francesco Hayez to the futurist Boccioni) and organizes numerous temporary exhibitions.
SAT Museum
The SAT Museum, dedicated to the history of the Tridentine Alpinists Society, is located on the first floor of the SAT building in via Manci. It collects a large collection of photos, documents and memorabilia relating to the mountains and the history of mountaineering in Trentino.
Historical Museum in Trento
Dedicated to the history (political, economic, social) of Trentino from the 18th century to the end of the Second World War is the Historical Museum in Trento, which houses a large bibliographic and archival collection.
Tridentine diocesan museum
The Tridentine diocesan museum is located in Piazza Duomo, at Palazzo Pretorio. It collects the sacred art heritage of the archdiocese of Trento and presents a section dedicated to the Council of Trent.
Historical Museum of the Alpine troops
The Doss Trento hill houses the Historical Museum of the Alpine troops, built in a former Austrian powder magazine. The structure preserves photos, documents, memorabilia, personal objects relating to the history of the body of the Alpini.
Piedicastello galleries
The Piedicastello galleries, recently reused as a museum space after the ring road was diverted to another tunnel. Here there are two galleries about 300 meters long, one white and one black, which offer both the visitor and the exhibitor a large exhibition space.
Tridentine Museum of Natural Sciences
The Tridentine Museum of Natural Sciences was housed in Palazzo Sardagna and presented a series of exhibitions on natural sciences and the natural landscape, structured on a space of 21 rooms. To replace this, since summer 2013 there is a new museum, the MUSE. The building that houses it was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. The MUSE is located immediately south of the historic Palazzo delle Albere, within the residential area of Le Albere, also designed by Renzo Piano.
Natural space
There are also many natural parks in the Trentino area. The Adamello Brenta Natural Park, famous above all for its blood-colored lake, the Stelvio National Park, an ideal destination for those in search of unspoiled nature, and the Sesto Dolomites Natural Park are one of the numerous naturalistic oases.
The highest mountains with peaks that exceed 3000 meters in altitude and which constitute an attraction that no skier can resist. From the Dolomites to the Rhaetian Alps, Trentino Alto Adige offers excellent skiing facilities with downhill and cross-country trails suitable for all levels. The area is also particularly suitable for those who love trekking and mountain biking.
Monte Bondone
A few minutes from the city of Trento, Monte Bondone offers many opportunities for those who want to spend time outdoors in safety and tranquility and for lovers of sporting activities: splendid walks in the countryside, trekking and hiking trails of all levels, via ferratas, mountain bike trails and many activities for adults and children such as the Monte Bondone Adventure Park, archery and outdoor games.
Monte Bondone is also the guardian of a very rich floristic heritage: at 1,500 meters above sea level there is the Viote Alpine Botanical Garden, which boasts more than 1000 wild species in cultivation coming from the mountain ranges of the whole world. The Garden is part of the territorial network of the MUSE – Science Museum together with the Terrace of the Stars, whose large telescope measuring 80 cm in diameter allows the observation of the celestial vault on summer evenings.
Ponte Alto – Cognola Trento
The gorge near Ponte Alto has attracted inhabitants and tourists from the city of Trento since the 1800s. The so-called “Orrido” is a deep canyon carved by the river Fersina over thousands of years. Here, in the 1500s some of the most ancient hydraulica works in the world were built, in order to protect the city from floods. Two weirs give rise to magnificient 40m high water falls that flow through red rocks, thus creating spectacular light effects.
Valleys
The possibilities for excursions in Trentino are innumerable. Furthermore, Trentino and Alto Adige have a good network of cycle and pedestrian paths, which follow the course of the valleys.
Val di Sole: Val di Sole is the main valley which has the Val di Peio and Val di Rabbi as tributaries. The capital of the area is Malé.
Val di Non: A valley rich in history and dotted with castles and lakes, in the north-western area of Trentino, alongside the Val di Sole and its capital is Cles, located next to the large artificial Lake of Santa Giustina.
Valli Giudicarie: Val Rendena, Busa di Tione, Valle del Chiese and other minor ones (Val Genova, Valle di Campiglio, Vallesinella etc.) make up the Giudicarie; Tione di Trento is its capital. The most important tourist center is Madonna di Campiglio.
Alto Garda and Ledro: It embraces the northern tip of Lake Garda and extends into the Ledro Valley with the smaller but touristically important Lake Ledro.
Valle dell’Adige: This is the tourist and administrative area of Trento and its immediate territory, in the middle course of the Adige in the Trentino area. In a broad sense, the Val d’Adige geographically embraces the entire course of the river, bathing the cities of Merano, Bolzano, Trento and Rovereto and runs from north to south almost all of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Vallagarina: Also called Val Lagarina, Rovereto is its capital. Other populated centers are Ala and Mori.
Alta Valsugana: The area includes the Bersntol or Valle dei Mocheni and coincides with the western part of the Valsugana. Its capital is Pergine Valsugana. Levico Terme is a renowned spa resort.
Val di Fiemme: It extends in north-eastern Trentino; Cavalese is its historical and administrative capital, while Predazzo is the most populous center and the economic and social engine of the valley. Also known for tourism are Castello-Molina di Fiemme and Tesero.
Primiero: The Primiero Valley, also known as the Cismón Valley, is more frequently called simply Primiero and is located in eastern Trentino. Tonadico is its capital, but the tourist resort of Fiera di Primiero is certainly better known.
Ladino di Fassa: Val di Fassa enjoys a significant summer tourist flow which has contributed to the development of this area where Ladin is widely spoken, so much so that the area is also referred to as Ladinia. The capital is Pozza di Fassa. Other important tourist centers are Moena and Canazei.
Spa towns
Caderzone Terme: Recently established, its thermal baths are a further attraction for the already well-known Val Rendena
Comano Terme: Location of the municipality of Lomaso, in the Giudicarie Valleys, is in a narrowing of the Sarca valley.
Garniga Terme: The fundamental element of thermal treatments in Garniga consists of the herbs collected in the early morning in the Viote meadows on Monte Bondone, with which the herb baths (phytobalneotherapy) are practiced.
Levico Terme: One of the most popular spa resorts, it is also a well-known holiday resort appreciated for its lake.
Peio: At the foot of the Cevedale mountain range, it is a health resort known above all for the marketing of its water.
Pozza di Fassa: Alongside the thermal treatments, there is a well-developed tourist organization as a summer resort
Rabbi: More than half of the territory of the municipality of Rabbi is included in the Stelvio National Park, which makes it a place of great naturalistic interest.
Roncegno: Combines thermal treatments and climatic stays in a relaxing natural environment.
Vetriolo Terme: The highest thermal center in Europe joins the establishments of the municipal capital Levico Terme
Cuisine
The region is known for its food and wine delicacies from ancient mountain traditions. The local cuisine still uses the nourishing and genuine products of a people with a peasant culture. Famous are the regional cheeses that are produced in full respect of the traditional production in the mountain huts, but the meat dishes, the dumplings and the delicious apple strudel are also highly appreciated by gourmets. Furthermore, the well-known apples from Trentino and the many berries that grow in the area and which are used for the production of excellent jams and marmalades. Among the Trentino wines, there are the Mueller Thurgau and Chardonnay vineyards as well as the Marzemino, Teroldego and Nosiola.
Traditional Trentino cuisine is characterized by local resources with a broad culinary spectrum: typical Trentino dishes are, for example, canederli, which can be presented with butter and sage, or dropped in hot broth; potato cakes are a characteristic and very common dish, even if the cooking and preparation procedure differs from kitchen to kitchen, so as not to find a unique version of the tortei: the preparation is simple, and consists in frying finely grated potatoes and mixed with flour. Local game, which ranges from roe deer to wild game, is widely used for the preparation of charcuterie products, such as venison salami, or sauces with which to accompany pasta (the roe deer ragout is undoubtedly the best known), and meats prepared according to traditional techniques of Trentino cuisine, such as goulash. As side dishes, the most famous mushrooms of the Boletus family, primarily Porcini Mushrooms, and characteristic vegetables, such as the so-calledsauerkraut.