In Trentino the mountains are best enjoyed on foot. Above the villages, where the roads end and the trails begin, you find dairies, huts and refuges: places you climb to on foot, for the view and for the warm plate that lands on the table at the end of the climb. These are real mountain walks, some easy and suitable for everyone, others more demanding, but all of them pay back the effort with a view and with flavours that only the high country can give. In this guide we take you to discover seven mountain huts and refuges in Trentino you reach on foot, telling you for each one how long and how hard the walk is. We at Italy Holiday have been welcoming guests to this land for a long time, and these are the high places we would recommend to a friend on the way.

1. Baita Segantini, at the foot of the Pale di San Martino

Baita Segantini stands at about 2,170 metres, below the spires of the Pale di San Martino, with a small lake in front of it that reflects the Cimon della Pala, the peak they call the Matterhorn of the Dolomites. It was built in 1936 by the artist Alfredo Paluselli, who lived here in solitude for over thirty years and dug the small lake himself by diverting a stream, so he could see his hut and his mountain mirrored in the water. It is one of the most photographed views in all the Dolomites, magnificent at dawn and at sunset.

The walk starts at Passo Rolle, near the ticket office for the lifts. You follow a wide gravel road for about 3 kilometres, with around 220 metres of elevation gain, and in 30 to 40 minutes you reach the hut. It is a very easy route, suitable for families and all ages, and can even be walked with a stroller made for gravel. Up at the hut they serve hearty mountain dishes, such as canederli (bread dumplings), goulash and polenta with melted cheese.

2. Rifugio Gardeccia, in the heart of the Catinaccio

Rifugio Gardeccia sits at 1,949 metres, on a wide grassy basin in the Catinaccio group, ringed by the walls of the Vajolet Towers. It is a classic Dolomite hut, with broad views over the peaks and a position that makes it the gateway to the most famous trails in the area, such as those climbing to the Vajolet refuges and to Antermoia lake. At sunset the rocks glow pink, the phenomenon known here as enrosadira.

To reach it you go up from Vigo di Fassa with the cable car to Ciampedie, at about 1,950 metres. From there you follow a comfortable trail through the woods, almost flat, and in about 40 to 45 minutes you arrive at the hut. The elevation change is minimal and the route is suitable for everyone, children included. The hut offers a bar and restaurant service, with the typical dishes of the Trentino and Ladin mountains.

3. Rifugio Roda di Vael, above the Val di Fassa

Rifugio Roda di Vael stands at 2,283 metres, on the Ciampaz saddle, in the heart of the Catinaccio group. From up here the eye takes in the Val di Fassa, the Marmolada and the long chain of the Lagorai. The hut was built in the early twentieth century and is run today by the Trentino mountaineering society. In the kitchen it brings the Ladin tradition to the table, with dishes such as canederli and Kaiserschmarren, and a choice of homemade desserts.

The climb also starts from Ciampedie, reached by cable car from Vigo di Fassa. You cross the pastures towards Pra Martin and take the trail leading to Malga Vael, before the final, steeper stretch that climbs to the hut. In all it takes about an hour and a half of walking. It is not a gentle stroll: the last pull needs trained legs, so factor that in if you set off with small children. The hut's season runs from June to October.

4. Rifugio Val di Fumo, in Trentino's little Canada

Rifugio Val di Fumo lies at 1,998 metres, at the end of a wild valley inside the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park, among pastures, streams and glaciers. The valley is so green and rich in water that they call it Trentino's little Canada, with horses grazing and a rare silence. It is a hut run by the Trentino mountaineering society, a quiet base for those who love to walk far from the crowds.

The walk starts from the Malga Bissina dam, at about 1,800 metres. You follow trail 240 along the valley floor, first flat beside the lake and then on a gentle rise, crossing the stream over small wooden bridges. It is about an hour and a half of walking with a modest elevation gain of around 200 metres: an easy and scenic route, suitable for families too. Along the way Malga Val di Fumo sells cheeses and cured meats, while the hut at the top serves warm mountain dishes. It opens roughly from late June to mid September.

5. Malga Venegia and Malga Venegiota, in Val Venegia

Val Venegia is a soft, green valley at the foot of the Pale di San Martino, crossed by the Travignolo stream. Along the valley floor you come across two working dairies, Malga Venegia and Malga Venegiota, where you can taste the cheeses and typical products of the Trentino tradition, made up high. Above them, higher still, opens one of the finest views of the Dolomite walls, which turn red at sunset.

You set off from Pian dei Casoni, reached by car from Passo Rolle following the signs for Val Venegia. From here you walk on a wide gravel road, almost entirely flat: about 3 kilometres to Malga Venegiota, with just 130 metres of elevation gain and a little over 45 minutes at a steady pace. It is a walk suitable for everyone, doable with children and with a gravel stroller too. The first dairy, the Venegia, arrives after only about twenty minutes of flat walking.

6. Rifugio Lago delle Malghette, in the Adamello-Brenta park

Lago delle Malghette is an alpine lake at about 1,900 metres, inside the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park, framed by conifer woods with the Brenta Dolomites in the background. Its clear waters mirror the peaks, you can walk a full loop of the shore, and on the bank there is a hut that serves homemade cakes and typical dishes of the area. It is a serene destination, perfect for a day of quiet walking surrounded by nature.

You climb from Passo Campo Carlo Magno, above Madonna di Campiglio: you take trail 201 and in about an hour you reach the hut on the lake. It is a walk of medium difficulty, not trivial but within reach of many, through conifer woods, streams and stretches of forest road. The hut on the lake is open in summer, with seasonal periods to check before you set off.

7. Utia Gardenacia, on the Gardenaccia plateau

Utia Gardenacia is a hut at around 2,050 metres, overlooking the Gardenaccia plateau, in the heart of the Dolomites. From up there the view opens onto the Sasso di Santa Croce, the Marmolada glacier and the Puez peaks, while all around the animals graze in the high meadows. It is one of the most spectacular natural balconies in the area, the reward of a climb that crosses pine woods and flowering meadows.

The trail to the hut climbs through pine woods and grasslands up to the plateau. It is a real mountain walk, with a significant elevation gain to reach altitude, so you need a good pace and proper footwear: plan it as a half-day hike, not as a light stroll. Along the way the landscape changes constantly, from the shady woods to the open pastures of the plateau.

Where to stay for your walks in Trentino

Looking at the map of these seven destinations, you notice they spread across two large areas of Trentino: the eastern Dolomites, with the Catinaccio and the Pale di San Martino, and the western valleys of the Adamello-Brenta. To enjoy them without rushing it is worth choosing a comfortable base and setting off early in the morning, when the trails are fresh and the huts quieter.

If you love the mountains but also want a lake within reach, the lake area of the Valsugana, around Caldonazzo, Levico and Pergine, is a pleasant and well connected base: you walk in the morning and relax by the water in the afternoon. From here the Pale di San Martino and Val Venegia remain a fine day trip. For the destinations in the west, such as Val di Fumo and Lago delle Malghette, the valleys of western Trentino are closer, such as Val di Sole and Val Rendena towards Madonna di Campiglio. If instead you prefer a town as a base, Trento and Rovereto give you services, trains and roads to move in every direction, while the Vigolana plateau, above Trento, is a quiet balcony a short way from the trails. The Dolomite destinations of the Val di Fassa, such as Gardeccia and the Roda di Vael, are the farthest from these bases, more than an hour and a half by road, but they are worth the trip for a full day up high.

We at Italy Holiday welcome guests right in these areas, in homes designed to make you feel at home from the very first moment. If you dream of days of walking, mountain views and real flavours up high, discover where to stay in Trentino with Italy Holiday and pack your boots: the huts and dairies are waiting for you.

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