Trento, Monte Bondone and the Piné plateau
A holiday spanning the city, museums, lakes and mountains
- A visit to Renzo Piano’s MUSE
- Explore the old town centre and Piazza Duomo
- Nordic skiing at the Viote cross-country ski centre
- A walk around Lake Serraia
Located in the middle of the Valle dell’Adige, the city of Trento is a treasure trove of art, culture and a breathtaking blend of quintessentially Italian Renaissance architecture and Central European atmospheres. A fountain called the Fontana del Nettuno stands in Piazza Duomo, which is one of the most beautiful squares in Northern Italy. As you walk through the streets in the old town centre, you can admire towers, Renaissance buildings and the Castello del Buonconsiglio (a castle).
It’s definitely worth making the short walk from the old town centre to the MUSE science museum – which was designed by Renzo Piano – and the Gallerie di Piedicastello museum, where you can learn about local history.
Heading south-west out of Trento, it takes about half an hour to drive to Monte Bondone, where you’ll find hiking and mountain bike trails. In the winter, there’s a Ski Area with great facilities and the Viote cross-country ski centre boasts more than 35 km of trails.
More than 1,000 invaluable species from all over the world are safeguarded at the Botanic Gardens, which are part of the MUSE network. Don’t miss the Terrazza delle Stelle in the Conca delle Viote: a terrace where you can look at the sky and the stars through a telescope with a diameter of 80 cm.
Meanwhile, if you drive north-east out of Trento, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the Piné plateau, where you can enjoy long, relaxing walks around Lake Serraia and Lake Piazze in the summer. It’s interesting to note that Lake Serraia is also the site of spectacular dragon boat racing every year! There are all sorts of family-friendly walking, mountain bike and horse riding routes to follow.
In the winter, the Ice Rink in Miola di Piné is an ideal place for fun for the whole family. At Christmas time, make sure you check out the traditional Paès dei Presepi display of nativity scenes!
