DISCOVER ITALY’S MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES

Secluded in the mountains and surrounded by forests or cultivated meadows, the villages of Trentino open their doors, their courtyards with their typical stone fountains, frescoes and signs of the sacred on their façades, porticoes, barns and wooden balconies where corncobs or walnuts are still dried.

Borgo Valsugana, the latest to join the association, is home to the impressive Castel Telvana. The town is crossed by the River Brenta, which gives it a delightful Venitian atmosphere. The medieval characteristics of Borgo have remained almost entirely intact with its urban layout remaining the same, characterised by a maze of narrow streets, while austere Renaissance and Baroque palaces stand along the old imperial road.

Within the town, there are numerous sights worth discovering, including the arcades of the Lungobrenta, the Venetian bridge, the old Corso Ausugum, churches and several squares. Once an ancient imperial road, Corso Ausugum is the main street that runs through the heart of Borgo Valsugana. On either side of the avenue are several buildings of particular importance, dating back to the late Renaissance and Baroque periods. Many of them were frescoed in the 16th century. Borgo Valsugana is an ideal destination for a sustainable trip. In fact, it is located on the Trento Bassano railway line and the Valsugana cycle path, linking Pergine and Lake Caldonazzo with Bassano del Grappa. An 82-kilometre stretch connects the Trentino and Veneto regions, which are encompassed by culture, history and natural landscapes.

Also in Valsugana, the village of Pieve Tesino is known for being the birthplace of Trentino statesman Alcide De Gasperi (1881-1954), to whom the Casa Degasperi Museum, located at the foot of the Bosco di Santa Maria, is dedicated. The heart of the village is Piazza Maggiore, where the 'dama delle fonti', an ancient octagonal fountain in red stone, is situated. At the 'Museo per via' inside the Casa Buffa Giacantoni, there is a collection of stories and itineraries of the wandering itinerant workers who used to set off from this area to travel on foot along routes which are unimaginable today.

A typical product of the Tesino area is 'le Verde' sauerkraut, prepared by shredding cabbage and subjecting it to fermentation before seasoning and eating cold. 'le Verde' can be tasted at the restaurant of the Valmalene campsite and Castello Tesino and the Albergo Chalet Abete Rosso restaurants

Luserna/Lusérn is another mountain village at 1,333 m on the Alpe Cimbra. It is truly an island amongst the mountains. Secluded and immersed in this natural setting, it is located at the central-southern border of a large alpine pastureland that stretches between Folgaria, Lavarone and Passo Vezzena overlooking the Astico Valley. The Lusérn Documentation Centre is a museum responsible for upholding the Cimbrian culture. The museum has sections dedicated to history and traditions, local fauna, Bronze Age smelting furnaces and the Great War.

The Haus von Prükk museum is an emblem of the traditions of local people: it is the result of the mindful restoration of an old farmstead that had retained the framework of a 19th-century farmhouse. After a walk through the woods around the village, you can stop at the Malga Campo hut. Or at the Lusernarhof Restaurant, housed in three old Cimbrian houses, you can sample traditional dishes.

Ossana is located at the entrance to Val di Peio, at the foot of the peaks of the Presanella group, close to the Stelvio National Park. From ancient times, the village of Ossana was the political, administrative and ecclesiastical centre of the upper Val di Sole. Throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times, it was a flourishing village, thanks mainly to the ironworking of the Comasine mines in the nearby Fucine and its trade with the nearby Lombardy valleys. The village is dominated by the tower of S. Michele Castle, which is certainly one of the most iconic places in Val di Sole. It stands on a hill that recent excavations have confirmed has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Possibly dating back to the Longobard era, there are written records of it for the first time in 1191. Standing 25 metres high, it oversees the valley and remains the best-preserved architectural element of the entire complex.

Speaking of local products, it is worth mentioning Casolèt cheese, a typical soft mountain cheese, made from raw milk and should be eaten fresh; it has a sweet and delicate flavour and is suitable for all palates. It was the household cheese par excellence, eaten mainly by families during the winter months.

For more information about “Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages” visit: https://www.visittrentino.info/en/guide/must-see/typical-village