Trentino‘s pathways are included in the most important European trails for trekking: among them some are remarkably awe-inspiring and of historical and geographic interest. For example, the «Sentiero della Pace», an itinerary winding from East to West, pinpointed by handicrafts and fortifications recovered to memory by the frontlines of the Great War; or still,  the «Sentiero Garda-Brenta», connecting the Garda lake with the Brenta dolomites, in a trail of over 130 kilometres and more than 8.700 metres of overall height difference to overcome, through an environment partly characterised by Mediterranean vegetation and partly alpine.

Alta  Badia offers also fifty kilometres of walks that are well prepared and well marked, connecting the towns that make it up, and lead to the discovery of secular Ladin «masi» (farms), places of worship and enchanted peaks. The alternatives to choose form are therefore naturally innumerable. One of these is the è itinerary that leads towards the highest Sanctuary in Tirolo, the little church of Santa Croce, at the height of 2.456 metres. Built in 1484 by the bishop Konrad of Bressanone, it was completed in 1718 as a refuge for «pilgrims»; in its ancient «stuben» you can taste local specialities, like «canederli», thanks to the manager, who is at the same time the cook and the sacristan of the little church. To reach the sanctuary on foot start from San Leonardo, or climb up a part with the chair lift.

A second possibility will lead you to explore ancient Ladin farms, gatherings of country houses sharing the courtyard, the oven, the wood storage, the central fountain. The «closed maso» system, that is the indivisible property, dates back to the empire of Maria Theresa of Austria: the population feels a strong tie with these masi. There are over 200 farmers that work in nature trying to keep it intact. Tourist associations offer weekly guided tours to these places.

Trentino opens up to the practice of the most varied and exciting sports disciplines: from hangliding to paragliding, to canoeing and canyoning in the torrents, to climbing and mountain horseriding, to winter skiing and summer skiing too – on the Presena glacier, 3.000 metres high.

Also we must not forget the various lakes crowding this region: there are almost three hundred of them, and in at least ten you can practice surfing and windsurfing. In high altitude ones, in fact, the water temperature is very always cold; one of the major concentrations of inspiring water mirrors is in the Adamello-Brenta group, inside the park by the same name, and a splendid itinerary of the five lakes, upstream to Madonna di Campiglio. In the Lagorai group you can find the greatest concentration of alpine lakes in a unique landscape, easily explorable in stages, resting st the refuges and camps scattered along the way.  The lakes have also great abundance of fish: the best catches are the pike, the lake trout, perch, carp, chub and burbot. In the little alpine lakes it is possible to capture the prized char. The fishing activity, in any case, is regulated by precise regulations for the safeguarding of the fishing patrimony.

April.2002