Valdaone: one of the oldest areas of the Giudicarie Valleys

In the Valle del Chiese valley, natural border between the regions of Trentino and Lombardia, rises Daone, one of the oldest villages of the Valli Giudicarie valleys. The area includes the source of the River Chiese on the Adamello mountain, and its wild and unexplored nature is appreciated by all those who love outdoor sports, especially trekking in the nature reserve Adamello Brenta in summer and ice climbing in winter. Besides providing the perfect environment for practicing sports, the village has also a charming little center and some cultural jewels.

Valdaone is just the perfect place for outdoor activities. Climbers have at their disposal natural rock walls, artificial climbing walls and ice climbing walls. 180 waterfalls spring from these rocks which provide a natural training ground for trekkers and climbers of every level, and in winter these same falls change into crystal walls perfect for practicing ice-climbing. For the last ten years Daone has been in fact the only Italian stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup.

Cyclists have at their disposal 14 routes ranging from 23 to 56 km, on panoramic roads running through the lush vegetation of the valley. There are also many old cattle trails you can explore on foot, by bike or on horseback, leading to farmhouses, refuges and lakes: Val di Fumo, Val di Leno, Val Danerba, the nature trail "Fauna dei Campi e dei Prati" (fauna of the pastures and meadows), and the four "Sentieri nella natura e nella storia" (paths in nature and history) are only some of the routes to explore.

Amateur sport fishing is practiced in the many streams and rivers of the territory, and in the river Chiese you can also experience the thrills of rafting. The Grotta di Aladino (Aladdin's cave), with its charming network of galleries, waterfalls and wells, is one of the best places to visit in the valley.

The beginning of the winter season is not the end of outdoor activities, since you can practice snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ski mountaineering on the surrounding mountains.

Valdaone rises near the largest nature reserve of Trentino, the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, where you can see some typical Alpine animals: deer, eagles, chamois, and even the brown bear. Inside the reserve there are many visitor centers where you can learn everything about the local plants and animals. The one in the territory of Daone is the visitor center dedicated to animals, the Casa della fauna (fauna house), hosted inside the 16 century Villa De Biasi. In the center you will get all the main information on local species, and then you can test your knowledge through multimedia games.

The small village has some architectural and natural jewels that are worth seeing: the ancient Saint Bartholomew Church, dating back to the year one thousand and for a long time a meeting point for the whole community, and the log of a century-old silver fir called "la Bura", cut in 1955 and carried from the farmhouse of Boazzo to the square in front of the town hall, where you can still see it today.