Naturally...TOURING by Azienda Turismo Val di Sole

NATURALLY...

TOURING 22 cultural Itineraries

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VAL DI SOLE

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ITINERARIES IN VAL DI SOLE 1. MALÉ. THE OLD QUARTER,

Pag. 6

WITH THE CHURCH OF THE PIEVE AND THE VAL DI SOLE ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM

2. JUST OUTSIDE MALÉ 3. AN UNUSUAL WALK: FROM CROVIANA TO DIMARO 4. CALDÉS: THREE CHURCHES AND A CASTLE 5. OLD AND NEW IN THE VAL DI RABBI 6. THE HEART OF THE VALLEY: SANTA AGATA IN COMMEZZADURA 7. THE CASTELLO DI OSSANA AND THE PARK OF PEACE 8. A HIDDEN JEWEL: THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DI PELLIZZANO 9. THE PICTORIAL CYCLE OF SANTA MARIA MADDALENA IN CUSIANO 10. SIGNS OF A DIFFICULT PAST IN PEJO 11. ON THE BORDERLANDS OF TRENTINO: THE PASSO TONALE

OUTSIDE VAL DI SOLE 12. FROM CLÉS TO TÓVEL,

Pag. 18

KINGDOM OF THE BROWN BEAR

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

13. CASTEL THUN 14. THE ALPINE SANCTUARY OF SAN ROMÉDIO 15. TRENTO, CAPITAL OF THE PRINCE-BISHOPRIC 16. BOLZANO: ÖTZI, THE SIMILAUN MAN,

19 20 21 22

AND SO MUCH MORE

17. MERANO, THE CRADLE OF THE TYROL 18. THE MUCGT FOLK MUSEUM IN SAN MICHELE AND THE ‘PYRAMIDS’ OF SEGONZANO 19. A CITY FULL OF CULTURE. ROVERETO AND CASTEL BESENO 20. A TOUR OF THE PASSES: TONALE, GAVIA, STELVIO AND PALADE 21. THE NEW ROAD TO PROVEIS AND THE VAL D’ULTIMO 22. THE PRODUCTS OF TRENTINO: ’MONDO MELINDA’ AND THE VALLEY’S DAIRIES 23. A WIDE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES

Cover picture: Pejo Valley photo A.P.T. Val di Sole archive

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Votive altar

Sole is in a remote corner of Trentino stretching back a thousand Tyears,hewithValas adicanhistory be seen from its castles, churches and noble residences. It has an unassuming charm all of its own, waiting there to be discovered. Side-by-side with nature – with its spectacular rivers and streams, glaciers, mountains, forests and parks – culture has its own allure. There is not much in the line of archaeology, but the towns and villages tell the story of the last ten centuries, with their churches and fortified buildings (Castel Caldés, Rocca di Samoclévo, Palazzo Pèzzen in Croviana, Castel San Michele in Ossana, Palazzo Migazzi in Cogolo). While these testify to the military and aristocratic aspects of the Middle Ages, the churches recount the history of the faithful in a more immediate and accessible language: devotional works, patron saints, frescoes, wooden sculptures and refined religious architecture. The Val di Sole is a treasure-chest of late me-

dieval and baroque culture, to be opened and enjoyed at leisure. The towns and villages of the valley are not far apart and are served by an excellent public transport network.This includes busses and more particularly the Trento-Malé Railway (Tel. +39 0463.901150), extended in recent years up to the Marilleva 900 resort. A cycle path also runs through much of the Val di Sole. There is thus easy access to the very heart of this area. It is a good idea to check opening times before visiting any of the sites, especially the churches and chapels. Many sacred buildings suffered from theft and vandalism in the past and are therefore often kept locked. Equally easy to visit are other fascinating destinations, such as the Park of Peace in Ossana or the church of San Rocco in Peio. The treasures of the Val di Sole are to be discovered gradually, enjoying every moment as a unique adventure.

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Castel Caldes

Magràs

Mendelpass

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Castello Corona Termon

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MALÉ. THE OLD QUARTER, WITH THE CHURCH OF PIEVE AND THE VAL DI SOLE ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM in the western outskirts of Malé. It was originally consecrated to Saint John of Nepomuk, who was popularly worshiped as a protector against floods. The 17th-century altar is the product of the workshop of the Ramus family of skilled craftsmen.The Val di Sole Ethnographic Museum Museo della Civiltà Solandra (Tel. +39 0463 La ‘Stua’ at the Museum 901780) is located to the east of the town. It houses a permanent exhibition of cultural tradihe capital of the Val di Sole has very ancient tions and the world of work in the Val di Sole.The and possibly even Roman origins. There is skills of the carpenter, the blacksmith, the copperwritten evidence dating back to 1178 of its status smith, the weaver, and of farmers devoted to as a pieve, or ecclesiastical unit the church of grazing and tillage are all illustrated which included a baptistery serving next to the dwelling places of generthe surrounding area, although this ations past in the Val di Sole. Displays status was probably established in include a wide range of original tools the last centuries of the first millenand reconstructions of working arnium. Malé is important as a centre eas. The stùa, or wood-panelled for business and tourism and as a chamber typical of the valley, is lotransport hub since the Trento-Malé cated at the centre of the building. Railway was opened in 1909. It has Another area of the museum is dean ‘urban’ layout that is very unusual voted to the well-known mycologist for the valleys of the Alps. The and priest Giacomo Bresadola. On Church of the Assunta is in the the edge of the town towards the centre of the town, in a square used ‘Regazzini’ area favoured by walkers, for centuries as a parvise, or church the Segheria Veneziana, or waterforecourt, and cemetery. Beyond a The Church of the Assunta powered sawmill, is open to the pubnarrow shrine to Saint Valentine rislic. This wonderful complex dating es the Romano-Gothic façade of the church of from 1770 was recently renovated and is used for the pieve. small-scale timber jobs and more particularly for The renaissance porch with its graceful columns educational purposes, since it provides important dates from 1531. In the three-naved interior, the insights into the lives of the mountain peoples. A walls and presbytery are decorated with frescoes segantino, or sawyer, shows tourists and students by the Verona painter Pino Casarini, who painted how the force of the waters of the River Noce is the stations of the cross in 1932. The two altars harnessed to work the mill, while giving practical flanking the presbytery are classical examples of displays of woodcutting skills and producing small Val di Sole baroque. The left-hand altar contains wooden objects. an altarpiece of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin painted in 1614 by Martin Teofilo Polacco. The pulpit dating from 1670 by Giandomenico Bezzi is Malé also striking.The left-hand nave holds the impressive baptismal font that for centuries served the towns and villages of the lower valley, including the Val di Rabbi. The 18th-century Church of San Luigi (Tel. + 39 0463 901192), which has been incorporated into the current seat of the Comunità (local authority) of the Val di Sole, lies

JUST OUTSIDE MALÉ MALÉ-SAMOCLEVO: KM. 4.5 MALÉ-BOLENTINA: KM. 5

The Rocca of Samoclevo

he lower reaches of the River Rabbiés in the Pondàsio area have provided a suitable enviTronment for the work of millers and blacksmiths since the 13th century. An old forge, the Fucina Marinelli (tel. +39 0463.901780-349.5509702), is still in operation, using the force of the water to drive its trip hammer and relying on traditional methods to work the iron.This is the last survivor in a long line of water-powered machinery in the area. It remains in use thanks to a cooperative agreement between its owners, the municipal authorities in Malé and the Val di Sole Centre of Studies. The Church of Santi Egidio e Marco, further up the road leading from Pondàsio to Magràs, is well worth a visit. This 15th-century building boasts beautiful wooden altars adorned with painting and gilding. Above Magràs the few buildings that make up Arnàgo are huddled around the Chapel of San Romedio, dating from 1628. The interior features The Torraccia at Terzolas

a 17th-century wooden statue of the saint sitting astride a bear. A Capuchin convent friary at the foot of this hamlet was built in the early 20th century after a catastrophic fire destroyed the former seat of the order in Malé in 1892. The complex has been converted for use as a congress centre and reception facility for groups and families. Not far away, surrounded by orchards, is the village of Terzolàs. Among other attractions in the centre of the village is the noble residence of the Malanotti family, known as the Torraccia. Built at the beginning of the 16th century, it features notably jutting corners and large frescoed chambers. The late-baroque village church dates from 1801 (tel. +39 0463 901288) and contains paintings by local artists. Worthy of note inside are the altarpiece of the Blessed Virgin and Child with Saints, executed in the 17th century by Elia Naurizio, and the 19th-century painting by Forge at Pondasio Domenico Delpero of the bible story of Tobit and his son Tobiah. Further on lies Samoclévo, a small village outside Caldés grouped around the Church of San Vigilio. The ruins of the stronghold (Rocca) overlooking the town are of great historical significance. Of the original building only the gapped curtain walls remain together with the imposing square keep. Dating from before the 13th century, it guarded the imperial highway of the Val di Sole, which ran above its modern counterpart. A road winding in broad bends leads up from Malé to the medieval villages of Bolentina and Montés at about 1200 m. Once the splendid countryside and enchanting views have been taken in, the solitary 16th century Church of San Valentino is certainly worth a visit.

AN UNUSUAL WALK: FROM CROVIANA TO DIMARO MALÉ-CARCIATO: KM. 5.5

Altar in the Church of San Lorenzo

road leads along the even valley floor from Malé in the direction of the Passo Tonale to A Croviana 1.5 km away. The village has a very long history and was an important centre in medieval times because it was here that the tithes paid by the inhabitants of the Val di Sole were collected for the Prince-Bishop of Trent. The Palazzo dei Pèzzen (named after a family of minor nobles who arrived from the Valtellina in the 15th century at the time of a mining boom) is located at the entrance to the village. Next to this stands the Church of San Giorgio (Tel. +39 0463 901192), one of the valley’s treasurechests of art. It contains two very skilfully crafted 17th-century wooden altars, one of which located in the family chapel of the Pèzzen, built and decorated with frescoes in about 1613 by Elia Naurizio. From Croviana a lane leads through the meadows to Monclàssico, 1.5 km away, another old village whose origins lie in the later Iron Age. The village The Custom House at Dimaro

contains some noble residences, such as that of the Valenti family, and medieval features such as the pòrteghi, (portico) The village houses are overlooked by the Church of San Vigilio (Tel. +39 0463 974158), with its remarkable baroque altars. Monclassico and Presson have in recent years earned national fame as ‘villages of the artistic sundials’ thanks to the ‘Le Meridiane’ (the Sundials) cultural association that together with the municipality and other bodies has been promoting a ‘Sundial Week’ which sees five new works executed each summer. The year 2012 will bring the total of sundials completed to no fewer than fifty. In association with the Val di Sole tourist office, guided ‘Sundial Tours’ are also available between June and September. The stone crests on some of the doorways of Pressón bear witness to the nobility of the families who owned them. The village church dates back to 1630 and contains a side-chapel with a wonderful baroque altar. Across the River Noce lies Dimaro, a kiloThe Church of San Lorenzo metre away, which is an important tourist resort on the road for Campiglio and Val Rendena. La Casa del Dazio (custom house), also the residence of the de Mazzis noble family, was an important stop-off for the payment of excise duties. The Church of San Lorenzo (Tel. +39 0463 974118) contains late 15th-century frescoes, skilfully rendered by the Baschènis, and gilt wooden baroque altars. Recent restoration work has revealed the real age of this early medieval site, already evident from a significant fragment of Carolingian painting located over the door of the sacristy. A walking tour of the town might finish in the small village of Carciàto, a peaceful farming centre near Dimaro with its generously-sized homes and a small church dating from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

CALDÈS:

THREE CHURCHES AND A CASTLE MALÉ-CAVIZZANA, GOING THROUGH THE HAMLETS AROUND CALDÉS: KM. 10.5

Castel Caldes

bell-towers rise over the village of Caldés. The oldest of these stands in the vilTlagehree square and dates back to the

Cassana is very near the road running through the valley, with its 15th-century Church of San Tommaso. Higher up is San Giacomo, once known as Solàsna, with its solid rural dwellings and splendid church (Tel. +39 0463 901515). The latter contains two fine altars with wooden altarpieces crafted by the Bezzi di Cusiano family of skilled carvers of the 17th century, and some late Gothic statues, including one of Saint James. Bordiana and Bozzana complete this series of villages. On the other side of the valley lies Cavizzana. Its Church of San Martino (Tel. +39 0463 901515) has four admirable altars, presumed to be the work of the Ramus and Bezzi dynasties of sculptors who ran their workshops in the upper Val di Sole in the 17th and 18th centuries. Near the River Noce (just beyond the bridge, descending left along the cycle path) in Cavizzana there is a fish farm managed by the Val di Sole angling association, where the trout are bred that are later released into the lakes and rivers of the valley.

13th century, like a sentry on the thoroughfare that divides the centre in two. This is known as the street ‘de la Vila’ (of the mansion), as it contains the residences once inhabited by the local rural nobility. The stone crests and doorways are remnants of feudal times also evoked by the castle that rises at the eastern edge of the village. Castel Caldes today belongs to the Autonomous Province of Trento and is currently being restored. It was built in 1230 by Ribaldo da Cagnò and expanded over the succeeding centuries. This The Church of San Giacomo branch of the da Cagnò family became the ‘da Caldes’ who lived in the castle until 1464, when it was inherited by the powerful overlords of Thun. The interior features large chambers, a long stone staircase and the famous ‘Stanza di Olinda’ (Olinda’s room).There is an adjoining chapel with frescoes of scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin commissioned by Johann Arbogast, Graf von Thun and executed in 1629 by Elia Naurizio. The Church of the San Rocco is located on the other side of the village. Built after the plague of 1510, it boasts admirable 17thcentury wooden altars. Beyond the village is the quiet ‘Còntre’ area, located on the right-hand bank of an unusually tranquil stretch of the River Noce. There follow the so-called villages of the ‘Capèle’:

Cavizzana

OLD AND NEW IN THE VAL DI RABBI MALÉ-SOMRABBI-RABBI SPA -RAGAIOLO: KM. 20

Rural dwellings in Valorz

he Val di Rabbi offers the visitor some really splendid scenery. In this side-valley of the Val di Sole human beings and nature achieved a degree of harmony that is still clearly visible today. The road leading into the valley starts between Malé and Terzolas and winds for 19 km between mountains that have retained their wild and rugged look. Coniferous forests grow all around the small villages, and water runs everywhere amid thousands of scattered masi, or rural dwellings. Culturally closer to Tyrol than Trentino, and shaped by colonisation in medieval times, the Val di Rabbi was settled from the 13th century on by the inhabitants of the nearby villages of the Val di Sole, as it was seen as a precious resource both for its high Alpine pasturelands and timber for building.The dialect spoken has retained its archaic forms and traditional culture is well-preserved here. Historically the main centres of habitation are Pracorno, San Bernardo and Piazzola, but there is a great number of smaller villages and hamlets where one of the most striking features of this landscape can be seen: hundreds of masi dot the meadows and provide a visual correlative for the idea of a culture that has managed The Spa Centre to combine beauty and function-

ality. The church in San Bernardo is of recent construction (Tel. +39 0463 985126) but blends perfectly with its surroundings, conserving sacred works dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries. A few kilometres on are the notable hot springs, or Terme, (Tel. +39 0463 983000) famous for the curative properties of their waters since the early 17th century. Behind the spa complex stands an 18thcentury water-powered ‘Venetian’ sawmill.This area is part of the Stelvio National Park (Tel. +39 0463 746121). Other noteworthy sights in the park include the Dairy–Museum of Somrabbi, which displays the instruments traditionally used for making dairy products, and the Stablet Visitor Centre, only

The Venetian sawmill

ten minutes’ walk from the Malga (alpine dairy) of Stablasolo and easily reachable in summer thanks to a special shuttle bus service.The centre serves as an information point devoted exclusively to the marmot, a real star of this park. Near the car park Coler, right in the heart of the nature reserve, there is a very original play area that is perfect for children. The Mulino Ruatti mill complex is situated at the beginning of the valley, just before the village of Pracorno. Built at the beginning of the 19th century and recently restored, it displays both the mill machinery and strikingly reconstructed 19th-century interiors, with a stua or chamber completely lined in wood panels, kitchen, numerous other rooms and of course an entrance courtyard, the milling area, the animal shed, and the cellar. The old spleuza, or hay loft, has been converted and fitted out with modern conference and exhibition facilities.

THE HEART OF THE VALLEY: SANT’AGATA IN COMMEZZADURA MALÉ-MEZZANA: KM. 10.5

The Church of Sant’Agata

ituated in the mid-valley, the municipality of Commezzadura includes a group of very old villages, some pre-Roman and others medieval: Deggiano, Mastellina, Mestriàgo, Almazzàgo and Piano, each proud possessor of its own church. The most important among these is the church of Santa Agata (Tel. 39 0463 974174) situated only a short distance from the main road running through the valley. It dates from the late 15th century and has an asymmetrical layout. A large fresco of Saint Christopher executed in 1495 faces out towards the road. Frescoes of biblical figures and the story of Saint Agatha, the patron of the church, decorate the presbytery and apse.These are the work of Simone Baschènis, who belonged to a family of itinerant painters of the 15th-16th centuries. Recent restoration has revealed a noteworthy 13th century painting on the southern facade of the building. There are also three fine gilt carved wooden altars by Giovanni Battista Ramus and Simone Lenner. The little Church of San Antonio Abate stands in Mastellina. Its late 15th century frescoes are also by the Baschènis family and a beautiful altar with statues of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Anthony and Saint John the Baptist dating from the 15th century are by the school of Narciso of Bolzano. A short distance from the church stands the residence of the Guardi family who were memMastellina

bers of the rural nobility, as can be seen from the crest above the entrance doorway. The family became famous for its artists: Gianantonio, Maria Cecilia (who married the famous Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo) and Francesco. They resettled to Venice where they opened an art studio. Francesco met with success as a painter with his works which depicted the Lagoon and scenes from the life of the city in the 18th century. Piano is the last village of the Commezzadura municipality. The village church of San Giuseppe boasts an interesting canvass of the Virgin of the Sorrows with scenes from the Passion of Christ (also portraying the patron of the work) painted by Stefan Kessler in 1666. A couple of kilometres further along this road is Mezzana, a winter and canoeing resort. Its church conserves fine 17thcentury altars (Tel. +39 0463 751138). About twenty minutes above Mezzana lies Róncio, with views over the valley and mountains. The chapel of this tiny and almost uninhabited village is consecrated to Saints Romedius and Barbara. Its highly ornate altar, by The Church at Mezzana the Ramus and Bezzi families of artists, dates from the 17th century. From Róncio the heights of the mountains can be reached, with their masi, or rural dwellings,‘the heirs of solitude’. Right opposite Roncio, and on the other side of the valley, stand the modern buildings of the Marilleva 900 resort, the final stop on the Trento-Malé electric railway. Launched in 2007, a futuristic cable-car serving the important skiing facilities higher up on the slopes of the Val Mastellina leaves from the station in the little village of Daolasa, a short distance from the town hall. An intermodal connection on the valley floor allows skiers to alight from the train, immediately board the cable car and soon reach the FolgaridaMarilleva-Madonna di Campiglio skiing areas with no less than 108 km of slopes, surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Brenta Dolomites.

THE CASTELLO DI OSSANA AND THE PARK OF PEACE MALÉ-OSSANA: KM. 16.5

The Castle of San Michele

he Val di Sole features only three castles - those of Caldes, Samoclevo and Ossana - evidence of the strong tradition of independence among the inhabitants of the valley and the careful watch kept by the Prince-Bishops of Trent over these borderlands of their dominions. Restoration work on the fascinating and ruined Castello di San Michele di Ossana is almost complete and it will soon be open to the public. The present structure dates from the beginning of the 15th century when the de Federicis, feudal overlords from the Val Camonica, completely rebuilt it. But there was mention of a castle on this The Church of San Vigilio site from as early as 1191 and recent archaeological studies have indeed uncovered both Bronze Age implements and others from the Early Middle Ages. Ruled over by the bishops from 1004 on, it was granted to various feudal overlords, including the de Federicis from the early 15th century, the Heydorfs and later the Bertellis. For some time, between the 19th and 20th centuries Bertha von Suttner, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905, was the co-owner of this castle. Soon to be opened to the public, it is magnificently situated on a rocky spur that serves as its base and makes it all

but inaccessible from three sides.The quadrangular keep is a landmark for the whole upper Val di Sole. In medieval times the village of Ossana was a pieve, or ecclesiastical unit the church of which included a baptistery serving the surrounding area. The church of San Vigilio (Tel. 39 0463 751203) in the village boasts a facade with a Renaissance porch, while inside both the main altar and the pulpit are the work of the Ramus family of sculptors, who together with the Lenners and Bezzis constituted important schools of wood sculptors in the valleys around the River Noce. The baroque altarpieces that today adorn many churches were carved and gilded in their workshops. The socalled ‘house of the frescoes’ in the old quarter of Ossana contains hidden artistic treasures discovered only a few years ago, with a range of sacred and lay art including scenes of courtly life dating from the 15th century. The house is in need of careful restoration and is not at present open to the public. An outlying area of Ossana still bears the name of Fucine (‘forges’): a good deal of the iron ore extracted in the Val di Sole was smelted here and then worked by the Lombard craftsmen who settled in the environs and even had an influence on the local dialect.A little to the east of the town, on the hill of Tomino, stands the 18th century church of San Antonio, and below it the former cemetery of the Austro-Hungarian War.This is the burial place of 1400 soldiers who perished on the Tonale front during World War I. The flat area bearing the monument to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Mountain Infantry by Othmar SchrottVorst (1917) has been renamed the Park of Peace as a mark of friendship between nations. The Val Piana area is an easy walk from Ossana. The views are impressive, with the peaks of the Ortles-Cevedale group to the north (including Monte Vioz 3645 m), while off to the south Monte Gìner (2955 m) can be seen, a continuation of the Presanella group. For some years now Ossana has been hosting toplevel cultural and tourist events. In summer a wood sculpting competition draws artists from all over Italy while in winter there is a huge show of all sorts of cribs along the streets and entrance hallways of the village, visited by over ten thousand people each year.

A HIDDEN JEWEL: THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DI PELLIZZANO MALÉ-PELLIZZANO: KM. 15; PELLIZZANO-MENÀS: KM. 7

The Church of Santa Maria in Pellizzano

he most important piece of sacred architecture in the valley, the church of the Natività di Santa Maria di Pellizzano (Tel. 39 0463 751138) is to be found in Pellizzano on the River Noce.The church is located in an area of the village filled with Late Medieval and Renaissance architecture, including noble residences with their crests set over stone doorways. Its frescoes were executed by successive generations of the Baschenis family of artists who were active between 1470 and 1533 and cover both the porch and the walls of the entrance. The most striking area of the church is made up of the five altars finely sculpted and gilded by Simone Lenner and Giovanni Battista Ramus.At the top of the left-hand nave stands the Altar of the Disciplinati with a fresco by Cipriano Vallorsa (1571) showing the local disciplinary confraternity of the Compagnia dei Battuti and a Blessed Virgin and Child flanked by Saints Vigilius and Anthony. The church of Pellizzano is filled with precious sacred art: reliquaries, a wooden gateway by Lenner dating from 1626, the Stations of the Cross by Karl Henrici completed in 1782, as well as chalices and processional crosses. An impressive bell-tower rises over the exterior of the church where a beautiful wrought iron gate encloses a Late Medieval Blessed Virgin and Child, also known as the ‘Madonna of the Drowned’ and the stuff of much legend. Six kilometres from Pellizzano the road twists and bends before arriving at the scenic Lake of Caprioli di Fazzón (1301 m), starting point for the more demanding hikes into the mountains around. The visitor centre of the

‘Malga bassa’ (Alpine dairy) just before the lake is well worth a visit, allowing young and old to discover the flora and fauna of the mountains and to play with the goats in their enclosure. The trail leading to the lake also offers plenty of opportunities to delve into the secrets of the wood thanks to a number of explanatory panels. A series of traditional villages are scattered along the opposite side of the valley, in the sun, well-connected by road with the valley floor.The first of these is Claiàno, with its octagonal 18th century chapel. Next is Termenàgo with one Gothic and one neoclassical church. Higher up again is the village of Castello, with its 15th-century church of San Donato. Ortisé (1479 m) is the birth place of the wellknown mycologist Don Giacomo Bresadola (1847-1929). A portion of his writings is conserved in the Val di Sole Ethnographic Museum - Museo della Civiltà Solandra in Malé. A statue to the memory of this world-famous scientist can be seen near the chapel of San Cristoforo, which boasts three altars sculpted by the Bezzi family in the late 17th century. The highest village is Menàs (1517m), with just a few houses grouped around its modest church containing the oldest bell in the Val di Sole, dating from 1441. The mountain overlooking this group of villages is an oasis of quiet, offering splendid views. Anyone with time on their hands is advised to hike towards the Malga Monte (Alpine diary), along the trail for Val di Rabbi over the Passo Valletta (m 2684), or towards the Malga Pozze (Alpine dairy), ringed by peaks rising to almost 3000 metres. Church of Santa Maria - Interior

THE PICTORIAL CYCLE OF SANTA MARIA MADDALENA IN CUSIANO MALÉ-CUSIANO-COMÀSINE-PEGAJA: KM. 27.5

The Church of Santa Maria in Cusiano

ocated inside the municipality of Ossana, the village of Cusiano has ancient origins. Indeed, Bronze Age remains were discovered a little above the village on the hill of Dos Casteler in the 1970s. A beautiful little church consecrated to Santa Maria Maddalena (Tel. 39 0463 751203) stands in the centre of the village. Just before the church is an unusual chapel in the form of an open shrine to Saint Roch, protector against the plague. It contains a cycle of frescoes painted at the end of the 15th century by Giovanni and Battista Baschènis, Lombard artists originally from Averara in the upper Val Brembana (Bergamo). Using captions written on panels in 15th-century Italian, they tell in very popular style the story of Mary Magdalene and her relations Lazarus and Martha.The keys of the rib vaulted ceiling are decorated with The Church of Santa Lucia in Comasine

the crests of Trento, the Tyrol and the noble de Federici family of Ossana, lords of the Castello di San Michele. Beyond Cusiano in the direction of the Passo Tonale is the turnoff for the Val di Pejo. From here the road climbs the left-hand side of the valley to Comàsine, once famous for its rich iron mines. From the little village a side road leads to a flat area that serves as the atmospheric setting for the church of Santa Lucia (Tel. 39 0463 754042), towering over an old cemetery and with views of the high peaks around.The building originally contained three sumptuous altars dating from the 15th-16th centuries, possibly donated by the local miners. These are now relocated to the church of San Matteo in the centre of the village. Back on the main road through the valley, the next village is Celledizzo. The chapel of Sant’Antonio (Tel. 39 0463 754042), adjacent to the bell-tower of the parish church, is entirely decorated with frescoes by the Baschènis dating from 1473. Almost next to the main village is the smaller area of Cógolo, with its old church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo, with noteworthy external adornments representing the passion of Christ. Nearby is the noble residence of the Migazzi family. Originally from Lombardy, they settled in the village in the mid 15th century. The best known member of the noble family was Cardinal Cristoforo (1714-1803), bishop of Vienna for 46 years. On the road to the Malga Mare (Alpine dairy), which is the point of departure for hikes to the Ortles-Cevedale group, stands the little church of Pegaja, dating from before 1500, all that remains of the village of the same name, possibly destroyed by a landslide in the 15th century. The external wall shows Saint Christopher, patron of travellers and protector against sudden death.

SIGNS OF A DIFFICULT PAST IN PEJO MALÉ-PEJO-FORTE BARBA DI FIOR: KM. 32.5

The cemetery of San Rocco

he village of Pejo is well worth a visit. Of prehistoric origin, it forms a wonderful natural balcony with views that stretch as far as the Brenta Group. The Area Faunistica (Wildlife Park - Tel. 39 0463 753106) is located on the way into the village and allows the visitor close encounters with the peaceful inhabitants of the Stelvio National Park, including deer and roe deer.The golden eagle and bearded vulture can also be glimpsed, with their long gliding flight, especially from the foot of Monte Vióz (m 3645), reachable by cable-car and part of the snowy Ortles-Cevedale massif. The recently opened Museo della Guerra Bianca ‘Pejo 19141918: la guerra sulla porta’ (Museum of the ‘White War’ Pejo 1914-1918: the War at Our Doorstep Info Tel. 39 348 7400942) is located in Pejo Paese and features a collection of books, war memorabilia, documents, photographs, weapons, stories of life as lived by the soldiers at high altitude and by the civilian population stricken by war. A few minutes outside the village is the tree-covered Dosso di San Rocco, with its 16th century chapel to patron of plague victims (Saint Roch) and the cemetery for the Austro-Hungarian War dead. Here lie over a hundred soldiers of various nationalities, who perished in the battles on the nearby front where the famous ‘White War’ was fought as part of the larger world conflict (1914-1918). A grey stone pyramid was built in 1916 and stands as a warning against wars of any kind. Recently moved to this cemetery are the remains of some Austro-Hungarian soldiers who died on the slopes of Monte San Matteo (3684 m) during the course of two terrible battles fought there in the autumn of 1918 when the war was virtually over. Every year a very atmospheric ceremony commemorates the victims of this and all other wars. From Dosso San Rocco, the ruins can be seen at the mouth of the Val del

Monte of a fort dating from the early 20th century. This is Forte Barba di Fior, which can easily be reached from the road leading up to the Pian Palù dam. A path branches off from the road and leads across the River Noce before winding up to the enormous military structure. Pejo is more than just war memories, however: the church of San Giorgio contains beautiful carved and gilded wooden altars the largest of which dates from the sixteenth century and is attributed to the workshop of Narciso of Bolzano. The bell-tower boasts a huge fresco of Saint Christopher executed by the Baschènis family in 1484. Nearby the caseificio turnario or cooperative dairy, the last of its kind in Trentino, is always ready to delight the palate of visitors with its butter and cheese made with the milk of cows, sheep and goats. Pejo Fonti is a well-known summer and winter resort, famous for its thermal baths which have drawn visitors since the 17th century and are open all year round. The Malga Talè (Alpine dairy) is a comfortable 3 km walk from Pejo and has been recently renovated. It is home to an a original futuristic themed tour completely given over to the grouse family of birds (which includes wood grouse, black grouse, partridge) and their complex strategies for adapting to the environment.This installation is the first of its kind in Europe using High Definition 3D technology. Back in Cogolo, the headquarters of the Stelvio National Park and the church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo are worth a visit. The entire facade of the church is covered by a fresco executed in 1643 by Giovanni Angelo Valorsa with scenes from the Passion of Christ. The village of Celledizzo, situated a little lower down, has a brand new Museo del Legno – Museum of Wood, housed in an old saw mill.Also of note is Comasine, on the other side of the valley, with its solitary church of Santa Lucia and wonderful century-old larches. Not to be missed is Casa Grazioli (Info.:Tel. 39 0463 754345) in the little village of Strombiano, which has been preserved in its 19th-century state. This humble but dignified country house, with its characteristic wood-panelled stùa and kitchen blackened by smoke is set at the centre of the Ecomuseo Val di Pejo ‘Piccolo mondo alpino’ (Val di Pejo Eco-museum ‘Little Alpine World’), an important project that aims to recount the life and culture of this mountain valley.

ON THE BORDERLANDS OF TRENTINO: THE PASSO TONALE MALÉ-TONALE: KM. 33 the Cross, which tells in pictures the story of Vermiglio.The outlying hamlets of Pizzano and Cortina huddle around their respective churches.The little church of Santa Caterina, on the other hand, has stood alone on the hill of the same name since the 15th century. The nearby Casa del Dazio (Customs House) dates from the same period. It was here that the Forte Strino officials of the Prince-Bishop of Trent levied excise duties. The new Museo della Guerra – War Museum (Tel. onale is the oldest place name in the valley as 39 0463 758200) absolutely must be visited. witnessed by a ‘capitulary’ (legal act) emanated Housed within the complex of the Vermiglio by Charlemagne in 774. The pass is watched Cultural Centre, its displays include over by the old hospice of San Barweapons and the personal equipment tolomeo, now converted as a hotel. Its carried by the soldiers, the special imbell-tower offered guidance to lost plements used in mountain war and a travellers and for centuries marked great number of photos and docuthis historical border crossing. The ments. This precious war memorafrontier was the place of fierce conbilia comes from the collection put flict between Italian and Austrotogether by Emilio Serra, an enthuHungarian forces during World War siastic local collector of objects and I, but as early as 1860 the Imperial accounts relating to World War I. government had begun constructThe Museum was originally founded ing a defence system that included in 1967 in the historic Albergo Alpino. Forte Pozzi Alti (or Presanella), Forte In 2006 Emilio’s heirs - his wife Pina Velón, Forte Mèro, Forte Strino and and son Achille – launched a joint initiaForte Zaccarana. Arranged in a pincertive with the local municipality to provide shape and well armed, they served their new display spaces for the collection.The purpose well and stood up to battle. In fact, it was less the war itself than the so- The Presena Glacier much larger facility allows the full wealth of the collection to be appreciated. The museum called recuperanti (local scrap dealers in the postimmediately captures the imagination of its numerwar period) who ruined them.The most famous of ous visitors, offering them a moving insight into them is Forte Strino (Tel. 39 0463 758200), which the people and places that made up this difficult since 1998 has housed an exhibition and research moment in history. centre of crucial importance to the history of World War I in Trentino. From the Passo Tonale it is possible to reach the Preséna glacier by cableA ‘show’ at Forte Strino car (Tel. 39 0364 92066), where skiing continues through to June. A little under 10 km from the pass lies Vermiglio, a village whose entire population was deported to Austria in August 1915 and which had to be rebuilt after being destroyed in bombardments. The church of Santo Stefano (Tel. 39 0463 758139) contains a 17th-century wooden polychrome altarpiece from the workshop of the Ramus family. The walls of the nave are adorned with the canvasses of a contemporary and original Stations of

hanks to its excellent transport network, Trentino-Alto Adige offers an endless choice of day outings by car. Several destinations are also served by rail, with Trentino Trasporti (Tel. 39 0463 901150) trains running along the Marilleva 900MalĂŠ-Trento line and the Trenitalia national service (Call Centre 892021) departing Mezzocorona. Journeys range from shorter excursions to hundred-kilometre trips in the case of the more distant destinations. But whatever the journey time, the effort is amply repaid by the variety and cultural wealth on offer: South Tyrol, including Bolzano with its archaeological and modern art museums among others, and shopping centre; Merano, the original power base from which the influence of the Tyrol spread; and further off, Bressanone, seat of the Prince-Bishops. The outdoor museum of Teodone, near Brunico, provides a detailed insight into the culture of the Alps in centuries past. The centre and south of Trentino are also filled with interesting sights:Trento, capital for eight centuries of the Prince-Bishopric, and Rovereto, with a

marked Venetian influence in the 15th and 16th centuries and a Modern and Contemporary Art Museum (MART) that has won it world renown. The side valleys branching out from the Adige, including the Val di Cembra or Val Rendena, are perhaps less notable but still have plenty of natural sights to delight the tourist. Enthusiasts of popular culture should visit the MUCGT folk museum in San Michele allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Adige, with its displays reflecting the traditional life of Trentino in times gone by.The wine cellars of the Piana Rotaliana and the fruit stores in the valleys around the River Noce are also certainly worth a visit.And then of course there is Castel Thun, waiting to reveal the luxurious world of a great noble family. When starting out from the Val di Sole to explore Trentino, the important thing is to bear in mind the bigger picture of the region with its long past, that has proudly managed to combine life and history, culture and art, religious worship and work, achieving harmony between human beings and nature.

FROM CLÉS TO TÓVEL, KINGDOM OF THE BROWN BEAR MALÉ-TÓVEL: KM. 32 FERROVIA TRENTO-MALÉ TO CLES - BY COACH TO TOVEL

The Cles Castle

ive kilometres after crossing the breath-taking Mostizzòlo bridge comes Clés, the administrative centre of Val di Nòn. The little town boasts very ancient origins (its name seems to come from “ecclesiae”, i.e. churches). In 1869, digging a little to the north of Cles, a bronze plate was discovered, with a decree by the Roman Emperor Claudio (from Baia by Naples, 46 d. C.) confirming some privileges and the Roman citizenship to the Valley’s inhabitants (called Anàuni). Today Clés is a lively trading centre, with some tourist accommodations, set amidst intensive fruit growing lands. The little town offers three attractions: a castle, which cannot be visited inside, - in a position overlooking the lake - dating back to the 12th Century and inhabited by the noble Clés households (whose most famous member was Bernardo, Prince-Bishop of Trent from 1514 to 1539, and for a long time Prime Minister of King Ferdinand from Habsburg); the castle boasts large halls and some remains of remarkable paintings. The Parish church, dating back from the early 16th The Tóvel lake

century, is the second attraction. Built in typical Cles Gothic, the church is characterised by an interesting reticulate vault; on the right-hand wall of the nave there is the gravestone of Giorgio Clés dating from 1490.The third interesting destination is the Palazzo Assessorile, reportedly existing as early as in 1356; it was rebuilt and frescoed during the 16th Century; the interior has many frescoed painted rooms, probably by Fogolino (1480-1540). A little downhill from the little town you’ll find the Lake of St. Giustina, a large artificial pond built for hydroelectric production (7.5 km long and 1.5 km large: the lake has a capacity of 172 million cubic metres water, whose power is harnessed by the Taio power station). Four kilometres after leaving Clés, you’ll get to Tuenno (a Palazzo Assessorile in Cles fruit growing centre, boasting a peculiar double church dedicated to Sant’ Orsola); a 11 km side road goes down to the Lake of Tóvel. Just before turning into the valley, where the torrent Tresénga flows, you’ll see the 16th Century gothic church of St. Emerenziana towering above a rocky cliff. Val di Tóvel winds up among the steep slopes of Mount Peller-Castellazzo and Cima Vallina to the North, and the cliffs of the northern walls of the Brenta range. In the mid part of the valley, over 17 km long, lies the Tovel lake (1 km long and almost 600 m large, at 1178 m above sea level).The lake is well known because of the reddening of its water, due to a local micro-organism. Unfortunately, the heavy anthropical presence in the area has brought about the loss of this peculiar feature. However, the lake remains a magnificent example of lake environment, reflecting fir trees and the Brenta cliffs. This area is one of the favourite habitats of the brown bear, that is being reintroduced with some individuals coming from Slovenia.

CASTEL THUN FROM MALÉ: KM. 31

Castel Thun

astel Thun (Tel. 39 0461 657816) is a treasurechest of art and history, a sumptuous noble residence reopened to the public on 17 April 2010 after two decades of restoration by the Autonomous Province of Trento as part of the same Museum project as the Castello del Buonconsiglio. Standing on a hill (609 m) overlooking the village of Vigo di Ton in an extraordinarily scenic setting, its terraces offer glimpses of dozens of castles along the Val di Non. This is an imposing example of Tridentine castle architecture, encircled with towers, bastions, moats and a chemin de ronde. Castel Thun by night

The originally medieval complex today bears the marks of its 16th-century rebuilding. The impressive Porta spagnola (Spanish Gate, 1566) leads to the drawbridge and first courtyard, beyond which stands the entranceway to the noble residence in Renaissance-Gothic style, flanked by turrets and rising four floors, each richly decorated and furnished in styles ranging from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the many chambers, the ‘Bishop’s Room’ is outstanding, entirely panelled as it is in Swiss Pine with a coffered ceiling and a monumental doorway bearing the date 1574, although the chamber itself dates from 1670. The castle is first mentioned in 1267, as the residence of the da Tono family, whose name was subsequently Germanised to Thun. The family were great collecInside Castel Thun tors and as a result the castle has a huge range of artworks, from family portraits to paintings with sacred and mythological themes, as well as landscapes and still lives by both Italian and foreign masters. The original furnishings are also extraordinary with artefacts from right across Europe, maiolica stoves and silverware. The chapel of San Giorgio is also well worth visiting, painted between the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century with Episodes from the Life of Saint Barbara and Judgement Day. As indeed are the old and new kitchens, the bakery, the ‘Ancestral Chamber’, the dining room, armoury, guardroom, and the 16th century loggia with cannons and a large collection of carriages and sleighs.

THE ALPINE SANCTUARY OF SAN ROMÉDIO MALÉ-S. ROMÉDIO: KM. 28; MALÉ-CASTEL BRAGHÉR-TRÉS: KM. 28

The sanctuary of San Romedio

lés is reached after crossing the deep gorge of Mostizzòlo by way of a breathtaking bridge set 85 metres over the river. Beyond the town is the Santa Giustina dam, soaring 152 metres and the highest in Europe at the time of its completion in 1951. A little further on is the town of Dermùlo and from here the road for the Upper Val di Non leads to Sanzéno. This was the place where three evangelists were burned in the year 397 – the so-called Anaunian Martyrs, Saints Sisinius, Martyrius and Alexander, who had set out from Cappadocia on their missionary journey. A Renaissance-Gothic ‘basilica’ was built at the site of their death, as well as a series of chapels dating from medieval times.A signpost in the centre of Sanzéno points the way to San Romédio (Tel. 39 0463 830133) from the porch of the little church of Santa Maria, dating from the year 1000. The road runs along the gorge of the Rio San Romédio and reaches the foot of the cliff on which the sanctuary was built after about three kilometres. The sanctuary has a Castel Braghér complex history, with successive buildings raised over a period of nine hundred years. The ‘chapel of the relics’, the highest of these, features pre-Romanesque columns and medieval paintings. It was probably inhabited by the saint around the year

1000. Further chapels were then built in his honour on stepped levels descending the 70-metre rock spur. Notable among these is the church of San Michele, built in 1514, while the chapel of San Giorgio with its wonderful frescoes dates from 1487. These buildings are grouped around the little Franciscan friary and a steep flight of steps. This secluded and spiritual place was famous in the past, in part due to the bears that were traditionally kept there since legend had it that Saint Romedius used as his mount the bear that had eaten his horse. Back on the main road, the itinerary leads on to Taio where a good road (1.7 km) leads up to Castel Braghér, which is privately A brown bear owned and not open to the public. This fascinating and well-preserved fortified complex is defended on three sides by natural cliffs and is set in the midst of a forest of firs. The noble residence dates from the 13th century and in 1323 became part of the formidable holdings of the powerful Thun family. From here the main road leads to Coredo, where Casa Marta’s display of popular costumes from across the world is well worth a visit, as is the 15th-century Palazzo Nero, the court of the surrounding jurisdiction where witch trials were held in 1615. Back on the road for the upper Val di Non, the next stop is the village of Fondo, at about 1000 metres, offering an amazing view of Lago Smeraldo. In summertime the lake is a perfect place for relaxing walks and in wintertime a skating venue. From here an atmospheric nature trail leads along a deep gorge cut into the rock, to which in recent years the ‘Canyon Rio Sass’ has been added, an incredible adventure among rocks and fossils, deep mountain rapids and the fantastic ‘Marmitte dei Giganti’ or natural hollows sculpted into the rock by the action of the water.

TRENTO, THE CAPITAL OF THE PRINCE-BISHOPRIC MALÉ-TRENTO: KM. 60 FERROVIA TRENTO-MALÉ

Piazza Duomo in Trento

rento (A.P.T. - Tourist Office: Tel. 39 0461 216000) is easy to reach from the Val di Sole even without a car thanks to the Trento-Malé-Marilleva 900 light railway (Tel. 39 0463 901150). The journey takes about 80 minutes from Malé along a peaceful and interesting route through the lower Val di Sole and all of the Val di Non, with dozens of villages and old castles rendering this scenery unique. The 20 kilometres of this route running through the Val d’Adige are framed by the splendid vineyards of the Piana Rotaliana and the heights of Paganella (2125 m).Trento was a Roman municipium and important vestiges of this period remain, such as the subterranean complex of Sass, which allows visitors to walk along stretches of Roman streets and even inspect the sewage system. The Porta Veronensis gateway is reached from the Museo Diocesano in Piazza del Duomo.There is little evidence of subsequent rulers – the Ostrogoths, Lombards, Franks. The real life of the city began when, with its surrounding regions, it was made part of the Holy Roman Empire around the year 970, later becoming a Prince-Bishopric (from 1004 to 1802). The two spheres of influence, ecclesiastical and lay, which ruled side-by-side in this little Alpine state for 800 years, were represented respectively by the Duomo (Cathedral, with the neighbouring Palazzo Pretorio) and the Castello del Buon Consiglio (Tel. 39 0461 233770). It was in this fortified residence that the Prince Bishops lived from the 13th century on. Its complex layout is the result of various subsequent buildings being added to an original pre-Romanesque nucleus. The Magno Palazzo, built on the orders of the prince and cardinal Bernardo Clesio during the 16th century, was added to the old castle and the Giunta Albertiana followed in the late 17th century. Its interior houses a number of museums and the so-called Lapidario collection of marbles in

its aristocratic chambers (known as camere or stùe). During the reign of Bernardo the rooms and chambers were amply decorated with frescoes executed by the brothers Dosso and Battista Dossi, Marcello Fogolino and Girolamo Romanino and the terracotta decoration of the sculptor Zaccaria Zacchi.Worthy of separate attention in their own right are the frescoed pictures of the Torre dell’Aquila, a splendid example of international Gothic architecture with its ‘Cycle of the Months’ painted by the Bohemian maestro Venceslao around 1390. The cathedral is set in the middle of the city centre, a wonderful exThe ample of the work of Buonconsiglio the Lombard Comacine Castle Master Adamo d’Arogno and his sons. It has its origins as the burial place of the Bishop Saint Vigilius in the 5th century but was continually rebuilt until it acquired its 13th century shape during the reign of the Prince-Bishop Federico Vanga.The exterior is dominated by a large bell-tower finished during the baroque period and by the northern rose window with its famous ‘Wheel of Fortune’, as well as setting within the square.The interior has a severe linearity and manages to transmit a feeling of great serenity. Next to the 18th-century ciborium (canopy) of the main altar is the entranceway to a subterranean chamber where the various building stages from the original construction on can be traced more clearly. The Palazzo Pretorio contains the sumptuous Museo Diocesano (Diocesan Museum - Tel. 39 0461 234419), with 16th-century Flemish tapestries and art treasures from the Cathedral. Many other features add to the beauty of the city: the churches of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Lorenzo, the Piazza Fiera (or market square) and the Palazzo delle Albere, which now houses the Trento collection of the world-famous MART (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto).

BOLZANO: ÖTZI, THE SIMILAUN MAN, AND SO MUCH MORE MALÉ-BOLZANO THROUGH MÉNDOLA: KM. 62; ON HIGHWAY KM. 75 FERROVIA TRENTO-MALÉ TO MEZZOCORONA STATE RAILWAY TO BOLZANO

Bolzano’s Cathedral

he city of Bolzano forms a bridge between German and Italian culture, a place rich in art. The magic atmosphere of its Christmas Market adds colours and scents to a fine and history-filled central square dedicated to the poet-traveller Walther von der Vogelweide. There are many reasons for visiting Bolzano, but naturally - since the city sprang to world fame with the discovery of the ‘Similaun Mummy’ in 1991 - one of them is the body of this prehistoric hunter, armed with his axe, bow and quiver, wearing his straw-lined leather shoes. ‘Ötzi the Similaun Man’ is accommodated in a special wing of the Museo archeologico di Bolzano (Bolzano Archaeological Museum: Tel. 39 0471 320100) and draws thousands of visitors fascinated by this man who emerged from the mists of time. Of course Bolzano (A.P.T. - Tourist Office: Tel. 39 0471 307000) is more than this one mummy. It was a famous Roman military outpost known as Pons Drusi, and later a Bavarian dominion before coming under the rule of the Prince-Bishops of Trent in 1004, remaining under Tridentine rule for centuries. Usurpations and donations later saw Bolzano become part of the Tyrol, although it always preserved strong links with Trentino, and remained within its diocese. The oldest area of the city includes the Gothic cathedral of Maria Assunta in Piazza Walther, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, with its beautiful bell-tower rising to 65 metres.The three naves inside contain artworks that date from the 15th to the 20th centuries.The baroque main altar is a masterpiece of its kind. Not far from the cathedral stands the church of the Dominican friars which dates from the end of the 13th century. Its interior features fine frescoes, including some in the style of Giotto in the atmospheric chapel of San Giovanni,

which dates from 1340. Also very striking is the cloister frescoed during the 15th century.The most typical corner of Bolzano is its Piazza Erbe, home to a thriving fruit and vegetable market. And it is here that the archways of the Via dei Portici, shopping heart of the city, begin. To the left and right dozens of elegant, well-stocked stores stretch out, incorporated into 15th-18th century houses with their jutting decorated fronts or Erker, and refined doorways. Halfway along this thoroughfare is the Palazzo Mercantile where the city’s four famous fairs were planned.A number of castles in the environs of the city are certainly worth visiting, first and foremost Castel Róncolo (Tel. 39 0471 329808), an exceptional noble residence with medieval frescoes taken from episodes of the Arthurian Cycle of legends. It was in 1390 that Niklaus Vintler ordered the ‘Summer House’ to be decorated with the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table,Tristan and Iseult, Garel of the Flowering Valley and Sir Gingalain (‘Le Bel InOtzi: the man from Similaun

connnu’). The city offers many atmospheric walks to the visitor. On its outskirts is the Benedictine monastery of Gries, with its magnificent baroque church.A contemporary art collection is housed in the Museion (Tel. 39 0471 223411), a cultural centre known across Europe that hosts shows that have stimulated debate and even controversy.

MERANO, THE CRADLE OF THE TYROL MALÉ-P. PALADE-MERANO: KM. 74

A view of Merano

rom the Passo Palade (reached either via Mostizzòlo, Revò and Fondo or by way of Clés Dermulo and Fondo) the road leads through evocative Alpine scenery down to the upper Valle dell’Adige, passing through Tesimo and leaving Castel Leone to the right. Beyond Lana, with its cemetery and church containing a large and picturesque 16thcentury Gothic altar, a pleasant stretch of road leads through orchards, vineyards and castles including the medieval Castel Lebensberg in Marlengo.The entrance to Merano is across the bridge over the River Adige (A.P.T. – Tourist Office: Tel. 39 0473 272000), passing near the famous Maia Bassa horseracing track. Set in the heart of South Tyrol, this city is a key tourist destination, with a very old centre featuring the arched fronts of its Via dei Portici in a busy quarter filled with shops, bars and restaurants. The atmosphere becomes magical in the wintertime, lit up by one of the prettiest Christmas fairs in all of the Alps.The street arcades lead on to the Cathedral, which was built between

Castel Tirolo

1367 and 1495.Visitors are greeted by the large St. Christopher painted above the Gothic doorway.The bell-tower rises to 83 metres, while behind the apse the chapel of Santa Barbara contains a gilt altar dating from 1450. The three-naved interior features a number of 15th-century altars also painted and gilded. The statues of the Apostles in the presbytery date from the 19th century.The Via dei Portici leads to the Castello Principesco, residence of the Archduke Sigismondo between 1449 and 1480. Its modestly sized but pleasant interior spaces are a fine example of a Tyrolese noble residence, with a guardroom, chapel, master bedroom, dining room and games room. Each chamber is decorated in period style. Not far from the castle is the interesting Museo cittadino (Folk Museum). In the Maia Alta area the gardens of the Castel Trautmansdorff (Tel. 39 0473 235730) are well worth a visit. These extraordinary botanical gardens, with a wealth of plants growing in every season, are never quite the same from one day to another, offering a very varied tour and great fun for children.The castle contains a museum of the history of tourism in Merano and South Tyrol, as well as an excellent restaurant and café. Merano is the birthplace of the Counts of Tyrol, who dominated the area from the 12th century up until 1363, when they were supplanted by the Hapsburgs. Their castle, which is one of the most important historical buildings in the region, is about a half-hour’s walk from the village of Tirolo (3.7 km from Merano). Apart from the collections contained in the Museo archeologico, the huge Sala dei Cavalieri (Hall of the Knights) and the two-storeyed chapel embellished by a huge Crucifixion from the German school of the 14th century are also worthy of note. The Romanesque doorways and their symbolic figures are splendid.A wonderful view can be had from the Sala del Trono (Hall of the Throne). On the way back down from Castel Tirolo an alternative route brings the visitor to the small pre-Romanesque church of San Pietro and Castel Thurnstein, and from there on foot to the railway station in Merano.

THE MUCGT FOLK MUSEUM IN SAN MICHELE AND THE ‘PYRAMIDS’ OF SEGONZANO MALÉ-S. MICHELE-SEGONZANO: KM. 70

A detailed view of the museum

n 29 September 1145 the Augustinian friars invited by Bishop Altmann of Trento settled in San Michele all’Adige. Their friary, equipped with a fine library, was a beacon of Tridentine culture until the establishment was suppressed in the early 19th century.The Augustinians were accomplished vine growers and revealed their secrets to the local country people. In 1869 the Provincial Tyrolean Diet acquired the religious complex and adapted it for use by the Agrarian Institute set up in 1874, adding a new building adjacent to the original structures. The medieval part of the complex is arranged around a triangular courtyard adorned with a loggia and a threeEarth pyramids at Segonzano

sided cloister. Since 1972 the friary has been home to the prestigious MUCGT folk museum (Tel. 39 0461 650314), founded in 1967 by Giuseppe Sebesta and occupying about 40 rooms. The collections housed here reflect the history, economy, religious beliefs, folklore and customs of the people of Trentino, especially from the 18th century on.The display halls show the techniques used for winemaking, distilling and milling.Agriculture is represented by a complete collection of tools used on the land, while the sections devoted to metallurgy, spinning and pottery contain the implements used by skilled craftspeople. Ample space is also devoted to woodThe Museum’s exterior

work, pastoralism and traditional cooking. The collections of household linen and clothing for everyday use and for feast days are also interesting. All of this makes the museum a must-see for anyone wishing to gain an insight into the culture and history of Trentino. The road for the Valle di Cembra branches out from Lavis, a town on the northern outskirts of Trento, and leads to Segonzano.This area is famous for the statuesque monuments sculpted by nature out of the debris from the valley’s glacial moraine. Different types of ‘pyramid’ render the landscape unique: the most striking are those shaded by a porphyry rock ‘hat’ (sometimes weighing dozens of tons), while others are arranged like organ-pipes and still others look like sharpened blades. Legend has it that these are fairies and elves turned to stone by a mysterious spell.

A CITY FULL OF CULTURE: ROVERETO AND CASTEL BESENO MALÉ-ROVERETO: KM. 84 FERROVIA TRENTO-MALÉ TO TRENTO STATE RAILWAY TO ROVERETO from the 16th century, but an earlier medieval fortress had been built over an original prehistoric nucleus. Its various inhabitants have left their marks in the form of walkways, towers, spiral staircases, trapdoors, artillery emplacements and also frescoes Piazza Rosmini in some of the chambers. For almost 500 years the castle was the property of the Trapp family until the overeto, described on its municipal crest as the 1970s when they handed it over to the Autonomous ‘City of the Oak’, (A.P.T.- Tourist Office: Tel.: 39 Province of Trento.The province set about restoring 0464 430363), is situated in the heart of the Val Lagait to perfection and in summer organises splendid rina, between vineyards and groups of costumed re-enactments of times past. towns and villages running along the right Rovereto is approached from the north and left banks of the River Adige.A seempassing close to the Castel Pietra (meningly endless series of armies, emperors tioned by Macchiavelli in 1508) and and prelates have travelled through this through Volano, an old town with the beauvalley, including Barbarossa, Maximilian I of tiful church of San Rocco, entirely frescoed Habsburg, Charles V, Pope Pius VI, in the 16th century.The centre of RovereNapoleon, and the Emperor Franz Joseph. to has a long history. An Iron Age settleGoing even further back in time, a church ment was built over by the Romans and in the city commemorates the wedding of then by the Germanic colonists of the MidTheodolinda and Authari, King of the Lomdle Ages.The Castelbarco family raised the bards. Rovereto with its rich history is walled enclosure (13th-14th century). now one of the world capitals of contemLater the city came under Venetian rule Bell of Peace’ porary art, thanks to MART (the Museum (1416-1509), as testified by the castle of Modern and Contemporary Art of (now the War History Museum) and the church of Trento and Rovereto - Tel. 39 0464 454110), which San Marco (1462). In the following centuries Roveremanages to attract visitors, artists and art critics to became the intellectual capital of Trentino, with from across the world thanks to its exhibitions and three musical chapels, the Accademia degli Agiati the complex in which it is housed – a veritable basscholarly society and famous figures such as the aution of culture. Castel Beséno (Tel. 39 0464 834600) thors Girolamo Tartarotti and Clementino Vannetti, is located on the approaches to the city, standing the philosopher Antonio Rosmini, and the composer guard over the plain of the Adige and the road leadand conductor Riccardo Zandonai. It was here in ing to the plateau of Folgaria.This is a walled feudal 1769 that the young W.A. Mozart gave two concerts. complex measuring 250 metres by The silk industry also flourished in the city for four about 100 metres. The presentcenturies, joined by the paper industry in the 18th day castle dates century. Today Rovereto is still a modest centre for industry. Its 19th-century noble buildings of the are Castel worth visiting, especially the Palazzo Rosmini, the Beseno Teatro Zandonai, le Valbuse, the Civic Museum of Natural Sciences, the church of Carmine.The Campana della Pace (Bell of Peace) is located three kilometres from the city centre on the hill of Miravalle, measuring 3.36 metres high by 3.21 metres across its mouth and weighing 22.6 tonnes. Parking is available in the small square in front of the monument.

A TOUR OF THE PASSES: TONALE, GAVIA, STELVIO AND PALADE FROM

On the way to Passo Tonale

n exciting tour along famous Alpine roads, though some of the highest peaks in Trentino, Lombardy, Switzerland and South Tyrol, this itinerary takes in the whole of the Stelvio National Park, which covers no less than 135,000 hectares. From the upper Val di Sole, take the road for Vermiglio and climb up along the Austro-Hungarian fortifications including the most famous of all, Forte Strino, under the white wall of the Presanella (3556 m). The Passo Tonale (1883 m) forms an open plain, a winter sports destination also offering the option of summer skiing on the pistes of the Presena Glacier at almost 3000 m. These mountains marked the Italian frontier for ten centuries. The monument-ossuary, built after World War I (1914-1918) is just inside Lombardy. The road climbs down along a series of bends towards Ponte di Legno. A little before arriving at the resort, take a right turn off the SS 42.After 16 km this leads to the Passo di Gavia (2621 m), between Monte Gavia (3223 m) and the Corno dei Tre Signori (3360 m), and then continue down to Santa Caterina Valfurva after 13 km of bends.This tourist resort contains an interesting ethnographic museum. Bormio (A.P.T. –Tourist Office: Tel. 39 0342 903300) lies another 13 km along the road, a strategic point guarding some of the most imDown from Passo Stelvio

MALÉ: KM. 254

portant passages through the Alps. From the town the road follows the route traced by a military highway opened between 1820 and 1825 and which winds for 22 km up to the Passo Stelvio (2758 m), connecting the Valtellina and the Val Venosta. From here there is an optional ascent by cable-car to the Rifugio Livrio at 3174 m.The descent towards Spondigna consists of 27 km of winding roads through no fewer than 42 bends! Here the route passes under the sparkling heights of the Ortler (3905 m), through thick forests and resorts including Trafoi, Prato allo Stelvio - with its 12th-century Romanesque church - and Gomagoi. The Val Venosta, beginning at Resia near the Austrian and Swiss borders and cut through by the River Adige, is a long basin filled with picturesque old towns and villages.These include Lasa with its white marble quarries, Silandro placed between wide orchards and overlooked by an imposing Renaissance castle, Laces, Castelbello with is noble residence, and Naturno. This last village is overlooked by Castel Juval, dating from the 13th century and the home since 1983 of the famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner.The castle can be visited (Tel. 39 348 4433871 – 39 0471 631265, closed July-August and through the winter season). Fourteen kilometres from this village the route passes through the Foresta area on the edge of Merano, with its ancient and famous brewery. From here take the ‘Strada delle Palade’, which passes by the old village of Lana and rises through broad bends to the Passo (1512 m). On the descent, a road to the right leads to the wonderful sanctuary of ‘Unsere Liebe Frau im Walde’ (‘Our Lady of the Woods’ also known as the ‘Madonna di Senale’), containing very beautiful wooden baroque altars and a Madonna which has been worshipped since the Middle Ages. From Senale (14 km) the road leads on to Fondo, a farming and tourist town in the upper Val di Non. There are two alternatives for the return to Malé: either continue towards Dermulo, then turning right for Clés and the Val di Sole; or otherwise leave the main road at Fondo and head for Brez, Cloz and Revò immersed in their orchards, returning along the road leading from Mostizzòlo to Malé.

THE NEW ROAD TO PROVEIS AND THE VAL D’ULTIMO MALÉ-S. GERTRUDE VAL D’ULTIMO: KM. 50

Val d’Ultimo

he northernmost part of the Val di Nòn, known as ‘Deutschnonsberg’, has been inhabited since the 13th century by people of Germanic origin. The northerners cultivated the mountainsides and worked the local quarries, and also brought with them one of their distinctive customs: settlement in scattered masi, or rural dwellings, with a legal system, known as maso chiuso (or ‘closed estate’), a tradition of land inheritance through a single child, which today is no longer necessarily the first-born son. Another distinctive feature is the use of the German language.The German-speaking community lives principally in the villages of Laurein and Proveis (Lauregno and Proves in Italian) and in the area around the Passo Palade (San Felicio/Sankt Felix and UnRural dwellings sere Liebe Frau im in Val d’Ultimo Walde/Madonna di Senale). These are high mountain villages, once almost completely cut off from the rest of the population of South Tyrol by the mountain chain forming a barrier to the north. Not many years ago a road was built through it along a scenic route linking this tiny community in the Val di Nòn with the Val d’Ultimo (Tel. 39 0473 795387) and thus with the Merano and Bolzano area, saving its inhabitants a long and winding journey. From Malé the journey continues on towards Clés: at Mostizzòlo the route leads up to Revò, an elegant village im-

mersed in apple orchards boasting a number of noble residences, with Casa Càmpia in pride of place, and an extraordinary church built in 15thcentury Swabian Gothic style. Immediately before the village a well-signposted road leads northwest, skirting Tregióvo. In the Frari area, at the junction of the road leading for Rumo (a group of small villages featuring extremely beautiful little churches frescoed in the 15th century by the Baschenis family) the route heads north, climbing in the direction of Proveis. The new road does not lead directly through Laurein, the legendary home of King Laurino who ruled over the Dolomites, nor Proveis, but continues through bends and tunnels to cross the mountains between Ilmenspitz and Monte Luco. From here the route leads down towards the Val d’Ultimo, meeting up with the general road network between San Pancrazio (Sankt Pankraz) and Santa Valburga (Sankt Walburg). The valley is about 40 km long and includes a number of villages of typical South Tyrolean appearance, where many of the old traditions, such as the processions of the Wise Kings, are preserved in the masi. This area has a wealth of forests and is equipped with excellent winter sports facilities, as well as a small ethnographic museum devoted to the traditional architecture of Sankt Walburg. The highest village in the area is Sankt Gertraud, on the edge of the Stelvio National Park. It serves as a point of departure for excursions on foot towards the Cima Sternai (3443 m) and the Val di Rabbi. Schützen

THE PRODUCTS OF TRENTINO: ‘MONDOMELINDA’ AND THE VALLEY’S DAIRIES MALÉ-SEGNO KM. 25; MALÉ-MEZZANA: KM. 10.5; MALÉ-TERZOLAS: KM. 2 FERROVIA TRENTO-MALÉ, LINE COACH

Cheese making

ur land, set at high altitudes amongst mountain peaks, is not as fortunate as others in terms of fruit and vegetable growing. The climate is harsh, the farming land is almost always steep. However, our land is no mean: beside the vineyards - especially widespread along the river Adige sides and producing famous wines as well as respectable spumanti (sparkling wines) - the Val di Nòn slopes are thick with thousands of orchards. During the Middle Ages, this area was known as the region’s granary, which was due to the skills and genius of its inhabitants. In the fields, by the mulberry-trees and the vines, were already flourishing apple and pear trees, as well as quince trees and medlar trees.As late as in the early 18th Century, this area was famous in Vienna for its fruit output, while, towards the end of the same Century, Napoleon himself could enjoy the apples that a valley’s nobleman had offered him. Today Val di Nòn is a huge orchard; three sorts of apples are mainly grown by local farmers as well as by those in Lower Val di Sole: the Canadian Queen-Apple, Golden Delicious e Red Delicious. The fruit is processed and marketed through modern facilities, partly directed towards the export markets. You do not need to go a long way to have an overview of the local fruit-growing activities or to taste the savour of their output ‘MondoMelinda’, at Segno, is a sort of Mecca of Doc apples. The visit is not only intended as an occasion for sampling food. Instead, it is an occasion to introduce beginners into the world of co-

operative work, that in the Bleggio area (western Trentino) was introduced as early as in 1890, to further expand across the whole province of Trento. Co-operatives gave very positive results, as they helped to overcome misery and to contain emigration from these lands. Our territory has also a proven, longstanding tradition in another area, namely in cattle growing and dairy production. These activities used to be the main source of living – along with sylviculture and agriculture – for the inhabitants of Val di Sole and Upper Val di Nòn. There are certainly fewer cowsheds today than there used to be, but there are several thousands cattle. Their milk is used to make genuine products, such as butter and cheese, that still contribute to the Valley’s economy. Though some small ‘caseifici turnari’ (cheese making factories with a typical shift organisation) are still operating in the Valley, as they used to do in the past, most of the dairy production is concentrated in two modernly equipped, efficient facilities: the Caseificio Presanella in Mezzana ant he Caseificio Cércen in Terzolàs. A visit to each of them might be an instructive and tasty occasion to know about dairy tech. ‘MondoMelinda’

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The Val di Genova and the waterfalls on the Nàrdis and Làres: nature at its most fascinating, wild and spectacular (40 km). Info: 39 0465 501007. Innsbruck: historic capital of the Tyrol, with the Imperial Court and Church, the Tyrolean Museum of Popular Art, the Ferdinandeum (Tyrolean State Museum), and other very interesting monuments, churches and castles (including Ambras Castle) (Malé 180 km; also by rail from Mezzocorona). Info: 43 512 59850.

‘La Strada del Vino’ (wine tour): a land of vineyards and orchards overlooked by ancient castles, with the beautiful Lago di Caldaro. The mountain crossing at Méndola (1363 m) links the Val di Nòn and the South Tyrolean Val d’Adige. There are wonderful views from the nearby Monte Pénegal (57 km to Appiano: the road up to Méndola is 10.5 km long). Info: 39 0471 345245.

Teodone and its ethnographic museum in Val Pusterìa near Brùnico: three hectares of rural buildings at the Maso Mair am Hof, illustrating South Tyrolean rural culture (92 km). Info: 39 0474 5520870474 555722.

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Livigno: duty-free zone offering excellent shopping bargains! (187 km, via Passo Tonale, Aprica, Tirano and Bormio). Info: 39 0342 052200. St Moritz in Switzerland: wonderful views of the mountains and glaciers at over 4000 metres. The Bernina Express runs alongside the road and is the highest railway in Europe, (150 km). Info: 41 81 8373333 – Rhaetian Railway Co.: Tel. 39 0342 701353.

Val Ridanna at the foot of the Pan di Zucchero offers the exciting chance to visit a mine worked from the Middle Ages on. Located near Vipiteno, with paintings by the artist Michael Pacher (145 km). Info: 39 0472 656364.

Lake Garda and Lake Toblino: the splendid Benacus of the Romans, of glacial origin and with a Mediterranean climate, is 52 km long and extends through the three provinces of Trento, Brescia and Verona (80 km, via Campiglio,Tione and the Passo del Ballino to Riva; also by motorway from San Michele to Rovereto Sud and Mori-Riva). Romantic Lago di Toblino with its 11th-century castle is 17 km from Trento (motorway exit Trento Nord) between the mountains around the River Sarca. Info: 39 0464 554444.

Bressanone: the old capital of the Prince-Bishopric; Castello Principesco (with a collection of cribs) and an impressive old quarter (cathedral, parish church, the arched Via Portici). Four kilometres to the north stands the Romanesque abbey of Novacella (with a wonderful baroque church - Tel. 39 0472 836189) (95 km). Info: 39 0472 836401.

Sanctuary of Pietralba (from the road for Val di Fiemme): built in the 16th century with a baroque church and wonderful views towards the Rosengarten (79 km). Info: 39 0462 241111 - 0471 615165.

Capodiponte in the Valcamonica: with the Parco delle incisioni rupestri, or Rock Drawings Park, in Naquane featuring inscriptions dating from Neolithic to Paleo-Christian times spanning 4000 years and appearing on a hundred of rocks. (78 km). Info: 39 0364 42080.

Sanzeno, with the atmospheric sanctuary of San Romedio, built before the year 1000 and the Museo retico (Rhaetian Museum), which traces the prehistory of the valley and of Trentino.

Romallo, with the Parco fluviale della Novella (river park), an extraordinary nature trail through the gorge of the mountain stream starting at Lago di Santa Giustina.

Coredo, Casa Marta, with its extraordinary collection of folk costumes from right across the world.

Spormaggiore, in Val di Nòn, offers generous views out over the valley and the Brenta Group. Its wildlife park is home to a number of brown bears and hosts a centre for the monitoring and study of specimens living in the mountains around (40 km). Info: 39 0461 653637 – 39 0461 653622.

Fondo: a tourist and farming town in the upper Val di Nòn. Twenty minutes’ walk to the north along a route of botanic interest lies the little Lago Smeraldo, beautifully framed with pine and fir trees (33 km). Info: 39 0463 830133.

Ponte di Legno: a winter sports and summer resort at the foot of the Passo di Tonale and close to Adamello. Eight kilometres to the north-east stands the traditional hamlet of Case di Viso (41 km). Info: 39 0364 91122.

Val di Brésimo: a narrow Alpine valley overlooked by the ruined castle of Altaguarda (13 km). From Basélga a good mountain road leads to Malga Bordolóna (Alpine dairy - 25 km). Info: 39 0463 530310.

USEFUL ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS AZIENDA PER IL TURISMO DELLE VALLI DI SOLE, PEJO E RABBI V.LE MARCONI, 7 - 38027 MALÈ (TN) TEL. 0463.901280 - FAX 0463.901563 info@valdisole.net - www.valdisole.net

MUSEUM AND CASTLES

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES VAL DI SOLE

☎

OPEN YEAR ROUND Malé Folgarida Mezzana/Marilleva Passo Tonale Peio Cogolo Dimaro

0463.901280 0463.986113 0463.757134 0364.903838 0463.753100 0463.754345 0463.974529

SEASONAL OFFICES Commezzadura Marilleva 1400 Ossana Pellizzano Rabbi Vermiglio

0463.974840 0463.796306 0463.751301 0463.751183 0463.985048 0463.758200

TRANSPORTS Ferrovia Trento Malé Marilleva Malé 0463.901150 F.S.Trenitalia (without code) 892021

STELVIO NATIONAL PARK Cogolo - Via Roma, 65 Rabbi - Loc. Bagni Cogolo di Peio 30

0463.746121 0463.985190 0463.754186

IN VAL DI SOLE ☎ Museo della Civiltà Solandra Malé - Via Trento 0463.901272-901780 Museo of Dairy Traditions Rabbi - località Somrabbi 0463.903046 “White War” Museum Vermiglio 0463.758144 Forte Strino Vermiglio 0463.758200 White War Museum “Peio 1914-1918” Peio Paese 348.7400942 IN TRENTINO Folklive Museum of Trentino S. Michele A.Adige Buonconsiglio Castle Trento Natural Science Museum Trento - Via Calepina Diocesan Museum - Trento “G. Caproni” Aircraft Museum Mattarello di Trento Castel Thun - Vigo di Ton Castel Stenico Stenico - Val Giudicarie Castle of Rovereto and Historical War Museum Rovereto Mart - Rovereto Castel Beseno - Besenello Sabbionara Castle - Avio Palafitte Museum Molina di Ledro

0461.650314 0461.233770 0461.270311 0461.234419 0461.944888 0461.657816 0465.771004

0464.438100 0464.454110 0464.834600 0464.684453 0464.508182

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TOURIST ASSOCIATIONS AND TOURIST BOARDS

☎ A.P.T. A.P.T. A.P.T. A.P.T. A.P.T. A.P.T. A.P.T.

Trento Bolzano Merano Piné e Valle di Cembra Rovereto Garda Trentino Campiglio, Pinzolo, Val Rendena A.P.T. Bormio A.P.T. Val di Fiemme A.P.T. Val di Fassa A.P.T Val di Non Pro Loco Val d’Ultimo Pro Loco Cles Pro Loco “Le Maddalene” Pro Loco Tovel - Val di Non

0461.983880 0471.307000 0473.232000 0461.557028 0464.430363 0464.554444 0465.442000 0342.903300 0462.241111 0462.601113 0463.830117 0473.795387 0463.421376 0463.530310 0463.454023

CHEESE FACTORIES - APPLES Caseificio Presanella Mezzana 0463.757282 Caseificio Cercen Terzolas 0463.901431 Mondo Melinda Segno (Val di Non) 0463.469299

WINE FACTORIES AND DISTILLERIES Associazione Vignaioli del Trentino Trento 0461.911957 “La• Vis” Lavis 0461.249519 Distilleria Bertagnolli Mezzocorona 0461.603800 Rotari - Cittadella del vino Mezzocorona 0461.616300-603906 Istituto Agrario S. Michele all’Adige 0461.615111

Cavit Trento Casa Marchesa Pallavicina Mezzolombardo S. Leonardo Borghetto all’Adige - Avio Castel Noarna Nogaredo F.lli Pisoni Pergolese Cantine Ferrari Trento F.lli Dorigatti Mezzocorona Casa del Vino della Vallagarina Isera Cantina d’isera Isera De Tarczal Marano d’Isera Spagnolli Isera Cantina Valle di Cembra Valle di Cembra Maso Martis Martignano Pojer e Sandri Faedo Balter Rovereto Madonna delle Vittorie Linfano di Arco Conti Bossi e Fedrigotti Borgo Sacco Rovereto Maso Poli Pressano Letrari Borgo Sacco Rovereto Longariva Borgo Sacco Rovereto Grigoletti Nomi Maso Cantanghel Civezzano

0461.381711 0461.603303 0464.689004 0464.413295 0461.563216 0461.972311 0461.605313 0464.486057 0464.433795 0464.409134 0464.409054 0461.680010 0461.821057 0461.650342 0464.430101 0464.505542 0464.439250 0461.658514 0464.480200 0464.437200 0464.834215 0461.859050

PLAN: A.P.T. Valli di Sole, Peio e Rabbi TEXT BY: Fortunato Turrini - All rights reserved • PHOTOGRAPHY BY: G. Bernardi, A. Dalpez,V. Mariotti, Zotta, De Polo, Risser, Andergassen, Fraschetti, Simonini, A.P.T. Val di Sole archives - D.Andreis PRINTED BY: Tipografia Esperia srl - First Edition 2000 - Updated reprint 2011

TRAIN+BIKE from June 25th to September 4th 2011

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPECIAL TRAINS THAT HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO TRANSPORT BICYCLES THROUGH CERTAIN AREAS OF THE VALLEY. With your own bike or with a rented bike, for a whole day or for five hours of your choice, you can easily go from one area to another and enjoy the many MTB routes, the cycling path of the valley and the specially equipped train that can transport 80 bicycles from MOSTIZZOLO – MEZZANA. And when you’re tired you can put your bike on a train and relax as you enjoy the ride back.

BIKE BUS Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday you can use the special Bike Bus service that can transport up to 25 bicycles on a bus from MARILLEVA 900 – COGOLO; this service is also available every Tuesday and Sunday from DIMARO – MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO and every Thursday from MALÉ-PASSO TONALE. This service must be booked in advance.