If Italy and Austria had a love child, the result would be Italy’s northeastern region of Trentino. A two-hour drive from both Innsbruck, Austria, and Venice, Italy, this dramatic, lofty land is emerging as a prime destination for epicurean nature lovers, and out from the shadow of its showier neighbors—elegant Veneto and Lombardy to the south and Germanic Alto Adige-Sud Tyrol to the north.
From the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dolomites to its ancient Roman history and Northern European influences—here are eight ways travelers can immerse themselves in the culture, cuisine, and history of Trentino.
Ski the Dolomites
Skiers come to Trentino’s mountains for a more relaxed Italian style with their Alpenglow. Especially in places like Madonna di Campiglio, a world-class resort in the Brenta Range that until now has been better known to Central Europeans and Italians. Here proprietors of the mostly family-run hotel restaurants—like second-generation owners of Hotel Cerana, Margherita and Daniele Cerana—take as much pride in providing guests with a genuine welcome and refined cuisine as in the fiery sunset glow on the sheer facades of 10,000-foot Tosa Peak towering above.
In southwestern Trentino, skiers hit the slopes at Madonna di Campiglio, a luxury ski resort surrounded by the Brenta Dolomites mountain range, a glacier, lakes, and hiking trails.
Photograph by nikolpetr, Shutterstock
Gliding down the resort’s 100 miles of interconnected slopes (or freestyling in Ursus Snowpark) is a great way to work up an appetite for elevated meals at one of the region’s nearly 50 all-season mountain huts like cozy Pra de la Casa, where owner Matteo Ciaghi’s cheese-stuffed focaccia and tender spinach and cheese strangolapreti dumplings are served with a side of good humor by his wife, Doriana.
(Related: Why the Italian Dolomites is a popular nature and wellness destination.)
Discover the Christmas markets
This region embraces its Germanic past at Christmas when almost every town and village hosts their own lively Christmas Market. But in some places, like Faedo, a medieval burg with a 13th-century castle overlooking the Adige River valley, visitors will get the bonus of traditional Italian presepe viventes—live re-enactments of nativity scenes.
The Christmas markets in Rango are open from mid-November to the end of December, selling handcrafted goods like wooden toys, ceramics, knitted scarves and hats, candles, soaps, jewelry, and locally produced honey, cheeses, and sauces.
Photograph by Italy pics, Shutterstock
In Trento, revelers ride the mini Christmas train between three of the capital city’s holiday markets, while peaceful mountain villages like Rango and Canale di Tenno—restored stone hamlets clinging to the Alpine foothills near Lake Garda—deck ancient stone passageways and cobbled streets with twinkling lights and fresh garlands. Try strolling the network of walking trails connecting these mountain hamlets around Tenno Lake. The faint ruts in the cobblestones are a living memory of handcarts once used by mountain folk to transport olives, walnuts, and apples to market.
Sip Spumante
The regional bubbly, Trentodoc, is the first Italian appellation reserved for sparkling wines made by bottle fermentation—a technique that originated in France’s Champagne region. This metodo classico, practiced by Trentino winegrowers since 1902, produces Italy’s most-awarded sparkling wines.
Wine connoisseurs should visit high-altitude wineries in the Cembra Valley, such as Corvée Winery and Cantine Ferrari, to taste some of the best wines in Trentino and Italy.
Photograph by Diego Matteo Muzzini, Shutterstock
Over 50 high-altitude wineries, mostly in and around the Adige and Cembra river valleys, transform chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes into Italy’s top toasting wines. Standouts include those from the region’s oldest producer, Cantine Ferrari, known for their award-winning Extra Brut Reserva del Fondatore, and 15-hectare Corvée Winery’s sprightly Opera Riserva from vines that cling to the Cembra Valley’s steep slopes.
For an overview of Trentino’s bubblies and tips about which wineries to visit, chat up the sommeliers at the Enoteca wine bar inside Trento’s 16th-century Palazzo Roccabruna while tasting your way through five local wines (for 10 Euros on Thursdays through Saturdays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.)
Unplug on a wellness walk
Hundreds of perfectly groomed trails for all levels of ability—from day hikes to spiritual camminos (walks) to challenging via ferrata routes—crisscross Trentino’s gorgeous mountain nature preserves, like the Adamello-Brenta and Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino parks, which are among the most well-managed in Italy thanks to the region’s self-governing status.
More than 153,000 acres, the Adamello Brenta Natural Park is the largest protected area in Trentino and includes the River Sarca which flows through the Val di Genova.
Photograph by Martin Zwick, VISUM/Redux
Since these parks cover about one-third of the territory, visitors don’t have to go far to unplug. Special highlights include seven all-season wellness-walk fitness trails in the Brenta range around Madonna del Campiglio. Explore centuries-old chestnut groves laced with ancient cobblestone paths leading to medieval San Stefano church or high-altitude pastures dotted with shepherd’s huts en route to the Vallesinella waterfall. Along the way, signposts offer tips for getting the most out of “nature’s spa” through walking in streams, inhaling the forest scents, or embracing a silvery birch trunk for the ultimate in forest bathing.
(Related: You’ve heard of forest bathing. Now try forest therapy.)
Enjoy Trento, the regional capital
Romans knew it as Tridentum—Latin for “trident” and a nod to the city’s sheltered location between three spiky mountain peaks on the Adige River. The powerful prince-bishops, who ruled the region from 1027 to 1803 called it Trento. Today, the most populous city in the Italian Dolomites is both a jumping-off point for a myriad of outdoor activities and a peaceful university town with a growing culinary scene.
Must-sees include Saint Vigil Cathedral, where the Council of Trent was held in the mid-16th century, and Buonconsiglio Castle, the Gothic-meets-Renaissance seat of the prince-bishops with its notable Cycle of Months, a series of frescoes found in the castle’s Torre Aquila (Eagle Tower).
Visitors can also delve deep into 10,000 years of Italian history, art, and archeology by visiting five castles in Trento, Italy. Although the largest castle, Buonconsiglio Castle, is now a museum, it was a 13th-century fortress, residence for the city’s prince-bishops.
Photograph by mary416, Shutterstock
Delve into the history of the Dolomite mountains that define this region at MUSE, the city’s Renzo-Piano-designed science and nature museum. Or join the evening passeggiata—an aperitif-hour stroll common throughout Italy—along the historic center’s pedestrian ways.
For an immersive culinary experience, book a table for a casual lunch or dinner tasting menu at Augurio, a contemporary Italian restaurant owned by the three Augurio brothers who are also chefs. The open kitchen lets guests watch the action. Save room for mouth-watering desserts like the brothers’ original twist on the chestnut puree-filled Mont Blanc and be sure to check out the vaulted cantina for a peek at some of the finest bottles from the Alps and elsewhere in Italy.
(Related: Five relaxing experiences in Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy’s adventure capital.)
Visit the grappa producers of Santa Massenza
After a convivial multicourse Italian meal (is there any other kind?) it’s no wonder that a shot of grappa—Italy’s potent distilled spirit made from grapes—is de rigueur for digestion. Grappa is either sipped neat or, in the Trentino region, poured into your empty espresso cup for a “rinse” (resentim in the local dialect). Learning about Italy’s grappa opens doors to another kind of spiritual culture, especially in the villages clustered around the bucolic Valley of the Lakes, where 30 percent of Italy’s grappa is produced.
Home to five artisanal grappa distilleries, the small town hamlet of Santa Massenza is a fine place to wander from distillery to distillery. Just don’t get confused by seeing “Poli” on most signs. All five owners are descendants of Francesco Poli, the first distiller in the village.
Grandson Pierpaolo Poli, whose father owns the Giovanni Poli Distillery, also produces a spectacular still white wine made from the Nosiola grape, which is used to make the best grappa, as well as Vino Santo—a historic late-harvest passito or Italian dessert wine lauded by Slow Food.
Wrap up your grappa tour with a stop at Hosteria Toblino, the local cooperative where you can purchase all the wines from the area and taste Chef Sebastian Sartorelli’s beautifully-plated “creative cuisine with a smile” in an unpretentious setting, elbow-to-elbow with local wine producers.
Taste cheese and charcuterie at Alimentari Caola
Family-owned since 1921, Alimentari Caola, a tiny gourmet grocery in Pinzolo, overflows with artisanal products from around the region. Reserve in advance and Antonio Caola or his daughter Letizia will walk you through their emporium’s locally cured meats, mountain cheeses, wines, beer, sweets, and sparkling wines before sitting you down for a tasting of local treats selected by nonna (grandmother) Poldina, who is 96 and still rules the basement cheese counter.
For a bonus, Antonio can facilitate visits to some of his small local producers, like the Il Petar micro-winery and agriturismo, where the owners produce small-batch natural wines from native grapes along with savory traditional treats like Trentingrana cheese and chard-stuffed dolmas wrapped in grape leaves.
Follow the Olive Trail
Since Roman times, Trentino’s southern reaches have provided fertile terrain for olive groves. A well-marked olive trail takes visitors on a nearly five-mile stroll in, above, and around Arco, the historic town where Empress Sissi and the Hapsburg court wintered in 1889. Marvel at millennia-old olive trees and visit an old mill as you ascend the cobblestone path through the village’s communal grove to the picturesque ruins of Arco’s 12th-century fortress. From there, Lake Garda’s waters sparkle in the distance.
For a less strenuous sensory adventure, or to expand your olive oil cred, book a tour and tasting at the state-of-the-art OlioCru mill and boutique in nearby Riva del Garda. The friendly English-speaking staff is a fountain of knowledge about everything related to the region’s unique varieties of liquid gold.
Cap off your day of olive exploration with a tender crunch by dredging perhaps the most delicious homemade breadsticks you’ll ever come across in a saucer of local oil at Antiche Mura. At this restaurant, native chef David Cattoi takes his guests on a contemporary culinary journey featuring Trentino’s bounty. Then, wander down through the pedestrian old town to Riva di Garda’s historic port, or up the Old Ponale Road path for breathtaking views of the lake.
Getting around
From the U.S., travelers can take a connecting flight from Europe to Verona Lake Garda Airport. Reserve a car at the airport, but remember to request snow tires during the colder months. The regional capital, Trento, can also be reached by train or bus. Regional buses connect the main cities.
Where to stay
In the Dolomites and on Lake Garda, two locally-owned Lefay Resort properties make it easy to learn about Trentino’s culinary culture in a luxurious setting. At Michelin-starred Grual Restaurant, the decor evokes an enchanted forest and Chef Matteo Maenza’s regionally-inspired tasting menu provides a sense of place on your plate: from Lake Garda pikefish in menière sauce, to pillowy red turnip gnocchi, to Alpine saddle of venison.
In Madonna di Campiglio, ski-in ski-out Hotel Cerana offers posh, understated style and a rooftop spa for unwinding, while smaller, chalet-style Hermitage Hotel has perhaps the best sunset views from its riverfront great room (and a Michelin-starred restaurant).
Riva del Garda, the main town on the lake’s northern shore, offers plenty of options, like Antiche Mura—a family-owned B&B (and restaurant) that brings a contemporary touch to the old city.
