Hidden Trentino
8 little unknown places to discover
You may not find these places in the classic guides, but those who live in Trentino know them well. They are small hidden gems, off the beaten track, that you have probably never even heard of. Secrets well-guarded by the residents, surrounded by the spectacular nature of Trentino, which will surprise and enchant you.
Orrido di Ponte Alto
Few know about this place at the moment, but not for long, thanks to its spectacular beauty. The Orrido Canyon, on the outskirts of Trento, was opened to the public after a considerable amount of work to make it safe. It is a truly extraordinary experience to stand in the middle of this chasm, carved out over the course of millennia by the river Fersina, surrounded by falls over 40 metres high and layers of red rock.
Giardino dei Ciucioi (Ciucioi Garden)
A twenty-minute drive from Trento takes you to the village of Lavis, where there is a fiction-like garden. It is the Giardini dei Ciucioi, a unique hanging garden, featuring an interplay of ruins and vegetation that create a dreamlike romantic-decadent landscape (P.S. open from July).
Nagìa Grom
This place also brings us back to the years of the Great War and helps us understand how the young soldiers lived, season after season, armed with a shovel and a rifle. The itinerary on monte Nagia Grom, lying between Rovereto and Lake Garda, takes you to the heart of the trenches, amidst artillery posts, observation points and troops quarters.
The water path
A walk along the river Astico, on Alpe Cimbra, to discover the importance of water for the communities that have lived in those mountains since prehistoric times. An itinerary amongst woods, ancient water mills and old water-powered sawmills, fed by the stream.
Castel Belfort
On the Paganella plateau, near the town of Spormaggiore, are the remains of an ancient medieval castle. Silent walls, an incredibly intact large tower and a ghost, that of the Cavalier Cristoforo, who wanders around the ruins seeking revenge!
Writings of the shepherds
Thousands of markings, thousands of stories: all recorded on the rocks by the shepherds of Val di Fiemme over the centuries. The writings consist of initials, symbols, dates, names, livestock tallies, figures of animals, and messages of greeting dating to between the 15th and 20th centuries. You can see them for yourself as you walk the slopes of Monte Cornon.
The Church of Santo Stefano,
A walk full of surprises in the heart of the Val Genova. And the first one? It's the ancient glassworks of the Pernici family, producers of prestigious crystalware. Then just keep walking and then you arrive at the spectacular Nardis Waterfall. But it doesn't end there: on the return journey, make a diversion to see the Church of Santo Stefano, with its extraordinary frescoes by the Baschenis brothers.
Sass delle Parole
This mysterious place is also the site of messages carved into stone: the Sass delle Parole, or “Rock of Words”, is a great boulder on the slopes of Monte Gac on the Piné Plateau, between Bedollo and Brusago. In times gone by, emigrants would come here and etch their names on the rock before leaving their home place behind, in the hopes that one day they would return. While you’re here, don’t miss out on the view over the lakes of Piné from Cròs del Cuc.
