The Water Green Road
Pedalling along and towards the water, through nature and history
- 1 day
- May, June, July, August, September
- Active holiday, Cycling and mountain biking
It is called the “Water Green Road”: a 143 km cycle-tourism loop itinerary, 138 km of which run on a bicycle/pedestrian trail, and a very small stretch of 4 km on a low-flow road.
The Water Green Road, which in the summer of 2021 was awarded the Italian Cycling Tourism Oscar, immediately slides along the banks of the Adige river, passing through Trento and Rovereto, then continuing towards Lake Garda. The return is along river Sarca, up to the Valley of Lakes. The final stretch is the one that involves a little more climb up to Monte Bondone, to then descend towards the city of Trento and climb up to the starting point.
Our advice? Travel along the Water Green Road calmly, without haste. Take a few breaks and set your curiosity perhaps with some deviation from the route to discover museums, sanctuaries, canyons.
You can take a cue from this itinerary, which sees the Water Green Road in 3 stages!
Explore Vigo di Fassa on foot
Once you have parked your car, take a look around, let your eyes wander across the scenery of the Dolomites and take a deep breath to fill your lungs with the clean mountain air: your weekend in Trentino has just begun!
Now you are ready to explore Vigo di Fassa and get lost among its little streets. Among the features that you will notice are the crucifixes and newspaper kiosks at crossroads, the stone fountains and the large wooden haylofts, which are called tobié in Ladin. They bear witness to the proud, vibrant Ladin traditions, which you will learn about in the afternoon when you visit the Museo Ladin de Fascia.
Stop at the Panificio Boninsegna for a snack before the walk that we have planned for the second part of your weekend.
A walk from Ciampedìe
From June to September, a handy cable car can take you from Vigo di Fassa to sunny Ciampedìe, at 1998 metres above sea level. From there, you can follow numerous routes around the Fassa Dolomites.
We recommend two walks in particular. The first is very easy and it takes approximately one hour. It leads from Ciampedìe to the Rifugio Gardeccia, where you can stop for lunch and admire the views of the Rosengarten (Catinaccio) group. It is best to check the opening times and book in advance. The walk is suitable for everyone, including children.
If you are in good shape, the other option is a walk to the Rifugio Roda de Vael. Once again, you can take the cable car up to Ciampedìe. From there, it should take you around three and a half hours to get to the mountain hut and back again. It is definitely worth it because the Rifugio Roda de Vael, nestled among the Rosengarten (Catinaccio) group, boasts some of the most iconic views in Trentino.
Before you pick one of these trips, remember to ensure that the cable cars are actually running (which is normally the case from June to September/October). If they are not, you can go on one of the many walks through the villages. For example, there is a route that leads to Tamion, where there are stunning views of the Val di Fassa.
Discovering Ladin traditions in Vigo di Fassa
After a walk through the village and a hike in the Dolomites, it is time to find out more about Ladin culture. Make sure you visit the Museo Ladin de Fascia, a modern, innovative museum where you can see the ethnographical collections that the Istituto Culturale Ladino (Ladin Cultural Institute) has built up over 20 years of research into various aspects of Ladin society. Multimedia materials, information points and illustrations by comic book artist Milo Manara will introduce you to the fascinating culture of the local people.
Just a short distance from the museum is the beautiful Pieve di San Giovanni (or Church of San Giovanni), which has a bell tower standing no fewer than 67 metres tall and is one of the main landmarks in Vigo di Fassa. Surrounded by the greenery of the fields all around the village, it is the ideal place to take a photo with the Dolomites in the background.
