Trentino is a protected land. A large part of its territory belongs to nature parks, where glaciers, ancient forests, alpine lakes and wild animals have been kept just as they are for many years. These are the places where the mountains show their best side, and where you can walk for hours without meeting anyone. In this guide we take you to discover the three great parks of Trentino and some of the most beautiful places they protect, telling you what makes each one special and how far it is from our area. We at Italy Holiday have been welcoming guests in this land for a long time, and these are the parks we would recommend to a friend on the way.

1. Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta, the largest in Trentino

The Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta is the largest protected area in Trentino, with around 620 square kilometres of land between the Adamello group and the Brenta Dolomites. It is a UNESCO Global Geopark, a title that rewards the value of its geology: glaciers, valleys carved by ice, dozens of alpine lakes and dense forests. Inside it flows the wild life of the mountains, with deer, chamois and marmots.

The symbol of the park is the brown bear. Here, in the Brenta Dolomites, lived the last bears of the Italian Alps, and thanks to a reintroduction project the population has grown again to more than ninety animals today. Among its wonders are Lago di Tovel, the waterfalls of Val Genova and many trails for every level. From our area the heart of the park, around Madonna di Campiglio and Val Rendena, is about an hour and twenty by car from Trento.

2. Dolomiti di Brenta, the stone peaks of the park

The Dolomiti di Brenta are the most spectacular face of the Parco Adamello Brenta. They are one of the nine Dolomite groups recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and they lie in the western part of Trentino, separate from the rest of the Dolomites. Eight of their peaks rise above 3,000 metres, with Cima Tosa, the highest, at 3,173 metres.

It is a world of spires, towers and vertical walls, crossed by historic via ferratas and high-altitude mountain huts. Below the peaks open pastures, woods and clear lakes such as Molveno and Tovel. For those who love to walk it is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Alps, while for those who prefer to watch, a cable car or a scenic trail is enough to have them in view. They lie in the same area of the park, about an hour and a half by car from our zone.

3. Cascate Nardis, the water of Val Genova

Val Genova is one of the wildest valleys of the Parco Adamello Brenta, closed in by the glaciers of Adamello and Presanella. They call it the valley of waterfalls, and the most famous is the Cascata Nardis. The water plunges for over a hundred metres down a rock wall, fed by the Nardis glacier that descends from Presanella, the highest mountain in Trentino at 3,558 metres.

The drop is even more striking in the late afternoon, when the light plays between the spray and the rock. The falls can be reached on a short walk suitable for everyone, and from here starts the Sentiero delle Cascate that runs along the valley. It is a perfect outing for a family day immersed in the nature of the park. From our area Val Genova lies beyond Val Rendena, about an hour and a half by car from Trento.

4. Lago delle Malghette, the mirror of the Brenta

Still in the Parco Adamello Brenta, near Madonna di Campiglio, hides one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Trentino. The Lago delle Malghette lies at around 1,890 metres, in a basin of glacial origin surrounded by thick conifer forests. Its clear waters reflect the peaks of the Brenta Dolomites, which rise right in front of it.

It is one of the largest lakes in the park, reachable on foot from several sides along marked trails. A loop runs along the shores, and near the water there is a hut where you can stop to rest. It is an ideal destination for those who want a not too difficult walk with a spectacular finish, far from the crowds. From our area it lies in the same zone as Madonna di Campiglio, about an hour and twenty by car from Trento.

5. Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, the great alpine wilderness

The Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio is one of the largest parks in the Alps, spread across four provinces between Trentino, Alto Adige and Lombardy. Its Trentino part covers the valleys of Peio and Rabbi, in Val di Sole, and is dominated by the glaciers of the Ortles-Cevedale massif and by peaks that rise above 3,000 metres. It is a world of untouched nature, with thousands of kilometres of trails.

Here live marmots, chamois, ibex and golden eagles, in an environment that has stayed wild. Among its treasures are the Saent waterfalls, the high-altitude lakes and the ancient thermal waters of Peio and Rabbi, known for centuries. It is the right park for those who seek the truest and most silent mountains. From our area Val di Rabbi is about an hour and ten by car from Trento, Val di Pejo about an hour and twenty.

6. Val di Rabbi, waterfalls and a suspension bridge in the Stelvio

Val di Rabbi is one of the most authentic valleys of the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, still little known. It stretches for kilometres among conifer woods, pastures, mountain huts and streams, and protects the Saent waterfalls, reachable on foot along a trail that passes beside the water on wooden walkways.

Above the torrent you cross a suspension bridge, about a hundred metres long and hung sixty metres up, from which you enjoy a different view of the valley. At the bottom you find a Kneipp path where you can walk barefoot in the cool water, and ancient thermal baths with iron-rich waters. It is pure nature and quiet wellbeing. From our area Val di Rabbi is about an hour and ten by car from Trento.

7. Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, the forest of violins

The Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di San Martino stretches across around 20,000 hectares in eastern Trentino, between Primiero and Val di Fiemme. It wraps the Pale di San Martino, the largest group in the Dolomites, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it protects alpine lakes, rocky plateaus and wild valleys such as Val Canali.

Its most precious treasure is the Paneveggio forest, around 2,700 hectares of spruce trees known as resonance firs: their wood is so special that for centuries it has been used by violin makers to build violins, and for this reason they call it the forest of violins. In the woods and pastures live deer that can be observed near the visitor centre. The park is open all year round and free to walk through. From our area it lies beyond San Martino di Castrozza, about an hour and a half by car from Trento.

8. Val Venegia, the meadows at the foot of the Pale

To close we take you into the heart of the Parco Paneveggio, into one of the most beautiful and accessible valleys in Trentino. Val Venegia opens at the foot of the Pale di San Martino, crossed by the Travignolo stream and dotted with mountain huts such as Malga Venegia and Malga Venegiota, where mountain cheese is still made.

It is a landscape of green meadows beneath huge rock walls, which turn pink at sunset. An almost flat road lets you walk the valley even with children, while the fitter can climb up to Baita Segantini, one of the most photographed viewpoints in the Dolomites. Spring and summer are the best seasons. From our area it is reached from Passo Rolle, about an hour and a half by car from Trento.

Where to stay to experience the parks of Trentino

If you look at the map of these parks, you notice one thing: they are spread across all of Trentino, and to experience them at their best it helps to choose a base that is easy to move from. The Parco Adamello Brenta, with the Brenta Dolomites and Val Genova, is closer to Val di Sole and Val Rendena. The Parco dello Stelvio, with Peio and Rabbi, is reached from the same direction, beyond Val di Non. The Parco Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, to the east, makes a lovely day trip.

From our zones all these parks stay within reach of a single day. From Trento, the Vigolana and the lakes of Valsugana you are in the centre of Trentino, with the parks reachable in a little over an hour or an hour and a half. From Rovereto, further south, you have Lake Garda and the valleys close by, and the great parks at a comfortable distance. In the morning you set off toward the protected mountains, and in the evening you return to a welcoming home down in the valley.

We at Italy Holiday welcome guests in these very zones, in homes designed to make you feel at home from the very first moment. If you dream of a holiday among glaciers, forests and alpine lakes, discover where to stay near the parks of Trentino and pack your bags: the protected nature of Trentino is waiting for you.