Experience the best of Trento

Trento lies in the Adige valley beneath steep Alpine walls, in the northern Italian region of Trentino. From 1545 to 1563 its cathedral and churches hosted the Council of Trent, which shaped the Catholic response to the Reformation. The Piazza Duomo, with its Neptune fountain and frescoed houses, is the heart of the old town, and the Castello del Buonconsiglio, the residence of the prince-bishops, holds a famous cycle of frescoes of the months.

The MUSE science museum, by the architect Renzo Piano, stands in a rebuilt former factory district, and a cable car climbs to Sardagna and the pastures of Monte Bondone. The Brenta Dolomites, a UNESCO landscape, rise to the west, and the northern end of Lake Garda, Lake Caldonazzo and Lake Molveno are within reach. In the Val di Non, apple orchards cover the valley floors.

Bread dumplings called canederli, spinach dumplings called strangolapreti, polenta with mushrooms and apple strudel are mountain classics, with speck ham and local cheeses. The sparkling Trento DOC is made by the traditional method, and Teroldego red comes from the plain to the north. Snow arrives in winter, spring brings blossom to the orchards, and summer days are warm and clear.