Valle dell'Adige, Trento and Monte Bondone. Holiday among nature, sport, art and culture

The Valle dell'Adige valley has always been an important communication route between north and south and is the central section of the valley of the Adige River, between the Val Venosta valley in the north and the Vallagarina valley in the south. Land rich in history, culture, art and nature, it goes from the Piana Rotaliana plain to Mattarello and is characterized by a wide valley bottom covered with vineyards, on the sides of which rise imposing mountains.

In the northern part of the valley there is the Piana Rotaliana plain that, known and appreciated for its renowned wine industry, features a famous local grape variety, the Teroldego, and includes the towns of Faedo, Mezzocorona, Mezzolombardo, Roverè della Luna and San Michele all'Adige. In the center of the valley lies Trento, lively Renaissance town where different cultures and traditions meet and merge in a unique pattern of museums, castles and frescoed historical buildings. West of Trento rises the Bondone Mountain, a paradise for sportsmen both in summer and in winter, as well as favourite holiday destination for nature lovers, coming here to admire its wonderful botanical garden. At the bottom of the western side stretches the Valle dei Laghi valley, an extremely varied and magical scenery made of Alpine and Mediterranean plants, where vineyards and orchards mix with the forests, while the lakes, overlooked by the castles, reflect the image of the surrounding mountains.

The Valle dell'Adige valley offers unlimited holiday choices for sport lovers, especially for cycling lovers, since cycling is one of the most common sport activities of Trentino. Here you find routes of every level and length, like the famous Adige Valley Cycle Track, or the many paths going up to the mountains. Many are the competitions dedicated to this sport, the great part of which take place on the Bondone Mountain: from the famous Gran Fondo Internazionale Charly Gaul for racing bicycles to the exciting Galopera Bike for mountain bikes. Among the many competitions dedicated to other sports, some are particularly famous, like the uphill auto racing on the Bondone Mountain, the Trento - Bondone.

Many are the trekking trails, especially the theme routes, like the Wine and flavours routes of Trentino, a group of wine and food routes at the discovery of the local dishes and products; The Emperor's Fortresses, itineraries leading to the military structures of the territory; Tours and places of the Council, visiting the historical buildings and churches where this important event took place; and Water Itineraries, exploring the uncontaminated nature of the Valle dei Laghi valley.

If you prefer more challenging routes, you can put yourself to the test with one of the many climbing routes or vie ferrate going up to the peaks of the surrounding mountains; among the most beautiful we should mention the via ferrata Giulio Segata on the Bondone Mountain and the impressive via ferrata Burrone Giovanelli on the Mezzocorona Mountain. Sport fishing lovers will find a true paradise in the Valle dei Laghi valley: nine lakes surrounded by a magical scenery and a rich variety of fish.

If you prefer winter sports, the Skiarea Monte Bondone offers beautiful slopes of every level for Alpine skiing immersed in a wonderful landscape. There are also a snowboard park and sledging slopes, and on the Viote plateau you can practice cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

If instead of sport activities you prefer a holiday dedicated to culture, you only have to choose among the museums and castles of this area, without forgetting the many cultural and artistic events taking place in the towns of the valley. You shouldn't miss a visit to the Buonconsiglio Castle in Trento and to the ruins of San Gottardo Castle in Mezzocorona, or to Toblino Castle and the remains of Drena Castle in the Valle dei Laghi valley. Especially interesting are the museums of Trento, like the Mart, the Diocesan Museum and the Museum of Natural Science, while a rich schedule of events will enliven your holiday and give you the chance to get to know better traditions and culture of the Valle dell'Adige valley. There are countless events dedicated to wines, true pride of this territory, like the Wine Exhibition in Trento, the exhibition dedicated to special wines like the Nosiola and the Vino Santo in the Toblino Castle, and the Italian Merlot Exhibition in Aldeno. Other important wine and food events are the Harvest Festival, a series of events taking place from spring to autumn where you can taste local products, and the Bondone Mountain Herbs Weeks. Especially interesting are the costume reenactments of the Vigilian Feasts in Trento and the Harmonic Resonance Festival in the Valle dei Laghi valley, with classic music concerts, conventions and musical instruments exhibits.

Nature lovers will certainly appreciate the beauty of the Valle dei Laghi valley, with its extremely diversified landscape, and the biotopes where you can observe rare animal species and plant species that are typical of the Alpine ecosystem: the Toblino Lake biotope and the Marocche biotope in the Valle dei Laghi valley, and the Viote Peat Bog biotope on the Bondone Mountain.