The Italian region with free attractions & transport cards for tourists – and it’s home to pretty towns and castle stays
WITH rustic, cliff-edge restaurants overlooking vast bodies of water, it is no wonder the Italian lakes have caught the eye of celebs Tom Cruise and George Clooney.
But what makes the alpine region of Trentino, home to the northern tip of Lake Garda, particularly special is that you will automatically receive the Trentino Guest Card after spending just one night here.
This gives you FREE access to public transport, as well as free entry to over 20 castles, 60 museums and 40 attractions.
Sam Street shares his top five reasons to visit.
DIP IN THE WARMEST LAKES IN SOUTHERN EUROPE
Lake Como and Lake Garda are breathtakingly gorgeous, but they can become a little crowded in summer.
Instead, head to the “Land of the Blue Flag”, 40 miles north-east of Riva del Garda where the lake temperatures reach a balmy 24 degrees due to their smaller size.
The emerald-green water, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, are what gives Lake Levico and Lake Caldonazzo a more alpine vibe over their neighbours.
Check out the nearby Venetian-style resort town of Borgo Valsugana while you are here.
MAKE YOUR OWN PESTO
If a foraging tour sounds like your cup of tea, the Valle dei Mocheni is an impeccable spot to try it.
The valley is inhabited by the Mocheni people, who use an old German-style language, Mocheno — with only 1,900 speakers left in the world.
The Between Foraging And Survivalism: Herbs To Eat tour, you will learn how to safely pick up stinging nettles (optional!) and which plants, flowers and herbs are, and are not, safe to eat.
Ground ivy leaves turned out to be a particular treat, with a taste that suggested they would make an excellent Mediterranean lamb spice. Dandelion petals, meanwhile, are said to be good for the liver.
But the most rewarding part of the tour was making three different types of pesto to sample with fresh bread in the garden of the Malga Kaserbisn Hitt mountain hut restaurant, where the views across the Dolomites are simply heavenly.
Foraging tours are free with the Trentino Guest Card (see visittrentino.info).
STAY IN A FAIRYTALE CASTLE
The 13th-century Castel Pergine is like something from a fairytale with medieval curved turrets overlooking a peaceful walled garden.
You can stay in an antique room with original furniture from 1910, when the castle first opened to guests.
Or you can opt for a modern room, which blends the past with the present, featuring modern beds and furnishings woven among wooden beams and traditional windows.
Those looking for a truly unique experience, however, will want to stay in one of three available tower suites with room for up to five people. It features stained-glass windows and thick woven rugs.
If you fancy something more modern and close to the action, try the 4H Hotel Cristallo in Levico Terme.
SAMPLE TRENTINO’S CHAMPAGNE
The Trentino region is famous for its TrentoDoc, a sparkling wine similar to champagne — the first of its kind in Italy to be made using the Methode Champenoise (champagne method).
There are few places better to try it than the Castel Ivano, which is perched above the Valsugana Valley.
The castle is owned by the Staudacher family, who have lived there since 1901.
They host the Terre del Lagorai winery, where each sparkling wine is named after one of the family members. The rosé Franz was a particular favourite.
VISIT THE ARTE SELLA OPEN AIR MUSEUM
Artists invited to create a piece of work for Arte Sella must agree to two conditions: Art should be made of natural and recycled materials; and the completed works should be left to nature.
The prize work at this open air museum is the Tree Cathedral, which was installed in 2010 to the specifications of artist Giuliano Mauri.
The woven hazel and chestnut branches form impressive columns over a 650m distance, but only when they are fully grown will the work have blossomed into a spectacular natural church.
Other resourceful works include a bridge of newspapers, which has merged almost seamlessly with the forest, and the Memorial of Past Light.
The latter appears, from a distance, to be made of wood, but is actually built entirely from old LED bars.
My favourite piece was Liquid Landscape. At first it looks to be simply a well-kept mound, but step on top of it and you will experience something more like a natural bouncy castle — almost impossible to drag yourself away.
GO: Trentino
GETTING THERE: Ryanair flies direct from Stansted to Milano Bergamo from £14.99 each way. See ryanair.com.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at Castel Pergine cost from 130 euros (around £110) per night for stays of two nights or more on a B&B basis.
See castelpergine.it/en. Rooms at Hotel Cristallo cost from 139 euros (around £117) per night on a B&B basis.
See hotelcristallo-altabadia.it/en.
For more info, see visittrentino.info/en.