©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Trento & the Dolomites POP: 1.03 MILLION / AREA 13,613 SQ KM Why Go? Trento ...........................290 While they’re not Italy’s tallest mountains, the Dolomites’ Rovereto .......................294 red-hued pinnacles are the country’s most spectacular, Brenta Dolomites .........295 drawing a faithful fan club of hikers, skiers, poets and fresh- Val di Non, Val di Sole air fanciers for at least the last few centuries. Protected by & Val di Rabbi ...............298 seven natural parks, the two semi-autonomous provinces of Bolzano (Bozen)........... 301 Trentino and Alto Adige off er up a number of stunning wil- derness areas, where adventure and comfort can be found in Merano (Meran) ...........306 equal measure. Wooden farmhouses dot vine- and orchard- Parco Nazionale covered valleys and the region’s cities – the southerly Italian dello Stelvio ..................309 enclave of Trento, the Austro-Italian Bolzano and the very Val Gardena Viennese Merano – are easy to navigate, cultured and fun. (Gröden/Gherdëina) .... 310 From fi ve-star spa resorts to the humblest mountain hut, Alpe di Siusi & Parco multi-generational hoteliers combine genuine warmth with Naturale Sciliar- extreme professionalism. Nowhere are the oft-muddled bor- Catinaccio .....................311 ders of Italy’s extreme north refl ected more strongly than Val Badia & Alpe di on the plate: don’t miss out on tasting one of Europe’s most Fanes .............................312 fascinating cultural juxtapositions. Val Puste+ria (Pustertal) .....................314 W h e n t o G o Best Places to Eat Bolzano » Kallmünz (p 308 ) °C/°F Te m p Rainfall inches/mm 30/86 8/200 » Scrigno del Duomo (p 292 ) » Stüa de Michil (p313 ) 20/68 6/150 » El Molin (p 300 ) 10/50 4/100 » Acherer Patisserie & 0/32 2/50 Blumen (p 315 ) -10/14 0 J FDNOSAJJMAM Best Places to Stay Jan Grab a Jul Hit the high- Dec Get festive at bargain on the altitude trails and Tyrolean Christ- » Lagacio Mountain slopes in early mountain huts of mas markets in Residence (p 313 ) winter. the Alta Vie. Bolzano, Merano » Hotel Terme Merano (p 308 ) and Bressanone. » Hotel Greif (p 303 ) » Park Hotel Azalea (p 299 ) Planning Your Trip KNOW YOUR LADIN The ski season runs from early December to early April, with the high season taking in mid-December to early » Bun dé Good January and the last two weeks of February (then count morning on a gobsmackingly ultrahigh season between Christmas » Prëibel Please and New Year). Summer rates fall considerably, with the » Dilan Thank you exception of August. Most Alpine resorts shut up shop in April/May and October/November, though making a base » Bëgnodüs! Yo u ’re in the town during these times can mean some splendidly welcome uncrowded trails or touring. Rifugi (mountain huts) open from the end of June to September, off ering meals and ac- commodation for walkers and mountain bikers. Fluent & Fluid Trentino’s fi rst language is WINTER WONDERLAND, SUMMER LOVE Italian but head north to Alto Adige (Südtirol) and The jagged peaks of the Dolomites, or Dolomiti, span you’ll fi nd 75% of the popu- the provinces of Trentino and Alto Adige, jutting into lation are German speak- neighbouring Veneto. Europeans fl ock here for highly ers, a legacy of the region’s hospitable resorts that can’t be beaten for their sublime Austro-Hungarian past. The natural settings and for their extensive, well-coordinat- Ladin language is spoken in ed ski networks. Come for downhill, cross-country and both provinces, across fi ve snowboarding or get ready for sci alpinismo, an adren- eastern Dolomiti valleys; it’s alin-spiking mix of skiing and mountaineering, freeride a direct descendant of pro- and a range of other winter adventure sports. You’ll vincial Latin. also never be far from a bolstering plate of dumplings, gulasch or pasta and a glass of excellent local wine (you are in Italy after all). Hiking Highs The region’s two fl exible passes are Dolomiti » Alpe di Siusi, Sciliar and Superski (www.dolomitisuperski.com; 1-/3-/6-day pass Catinaccio group €42/116/205), covering the east, with access to 450 lifts » Brenta Dolomites and some 1200km of ski runs spread over 12 resorts, and Superskirama (www.skirama.it; 3-/6-day pass » Gruppo del Sella €106/192), covering the western Brenta Dolomites, with » Pale di San Martino 150 lifts, 380km of slopes and eight resorts. » Sesto Dolomites In summer, come for rafting, mountain biking, Nordic » Val di Genova/Adamello walking and rock climbing (and look forward to pit stops group at the region’s famously hospitable rifugi – mountain huts). Road cycling is also big: Trentino has 400km of paved cycling paths and Bolzano is not far behind. R e s o u r c e s » Find a mountain guide at www.bergfuehrer-suedtirol.it. Sella’s Circle » Lonely Planet’s Hiking The Sella Ronda, a 40km circumnavigation of the Gruppo in Italy details five classic di Sella range (3151m, at Piz Boé) – linked by various cable Dolomites hikes. cars and chairlifts – is one of the Alps’ iconic ski routes. The » Cicerone (www.cicerone. tour takes in four passes and the four surrounding valleys – co.uk) publishes specialist the Val Gardena, Val Badia, Arabba (in the Veneto) and Val guides. di Fassa – all of them defi nitely, delightfully, Ladin. Kicking off from Selva (1565m), experienced skiers can complete the clockwise (orange) or anticlockwise (green) route in a day. In summer, the same trails are utilised by mountain bikers and there’s a hop-on, hop-off bus for walkers..