Experience the Val di Sole

Countries

Val di Sole consists of 13 villages and many small hamlets, distributed along the axis drawn by the river Noce. Some villages are located at the bottom of the valley, others on the slopes of the surrounding mountains.

The municipalities of the Val di Sole are small pearls, enchanting places to discover and get to know. They are places rich in history and tradition: you can walk in the streets of the historic centres, admire the historic shops and be pampered by the people who work and live there.

The villages to discover are: Caldes, Cavizzana, Commezzadura, Croviana, Dimaro Folgarida, Folgarida, Malè, Mezzana Marilleva, Ossana, Passo Tonale, Peio, Pellizzano, Rabbi, Terzolas, Vermiglio.

What to do in Val di Sole

The Val di Sole is particularly suited to outdoor activities: there are many from biking, rafting and trekking to skiing and snowshoeing in the winter season.

The ski area of reference is Folgarida-Marilleva with 3 ski areas, 270 km of slopes and 93 lifts. Here you will find for private or group lessons the instructors of five ski and snowboard schools, as well as three snow playgrounds.

Folgarida is a modern and very well integrated resort in Val di Sole, 9 kilometres from Madonna di Campiglio. Marilleva is spread over two levels connected by a cableway: Marilleva 900 and Marilleva 1400, from which the ski lifts depart.

The Dolomiti Express is the little train that connects the Trento railway stations with Malè, Daolasa, Dimaro and Marilleva, thus up to the ski lifts: it is the only example in Italy of a direct interchange between rail and cable.

But in winter, in addition to alpine skiing, snowshoeing and ski mountaineering trips can also be planned. The holiday is not only about skiing, but also about music and fun during après - ski with friends.

In summer, the valley is a true paradise for cycling enthusiasts. A truly complete offer, including mountain bike trails, bike parks and the 35 km long cycle path from Cogolo di Peio to Mostizzolo and along the Noce stream.

The Noce itself is famous for being the longest river in Europe, on which various activities are practised: the most famous, adrenaline-pumping and suitable for everyone is rafting.

What to see in Val di Sole

Glaciers, peaks over 3,000 metres, waterfalls, lakes, ancient farms and gentle slopes. There are so many things to see in Val di Sole that one holiday would not be enough. Definitely worth mentioning is the Presanella Glacier and the Denza refuge, at an altitude of 2298 metres, which is located right at the foot of the glacier: from here you get a truly suggestive and highly panoramic first taste of the beauty the valley has to offer.

The second stop on the agenda is definitely Val di Pejo, a side valley of Val di Sole. Here, too, there are several excursions to be made, the most famous being to Lake Pian Palù. Another natural attraction in the valley is the small lake of Caprioli. Leave your car in Pelizzano and you will reach this body of water in about an hour's walk! You can walk around the lake and then climb up to Malga Alta, a place with many animals and splendid views of the Val di Sole.

We also recommend the small lakes of San Leonardo, pools of striking beauty, ideal if you want to relax in nature after a long walk. They can be reached from the centre of Vermiglio.

For the cultural side, we recommend a visit to the Castle of San Michele, in Ossana: a medieval fortification, built on a rocky spur and recently renovated. Val di Sole is, in fact, rich in historical and artistic evidence that can be found in the many castles in the valley.

Of course, we can only suggest rafting, which you can do with us at Ursus Adventures, on the Noce. This river is the best place to go rafting in Italy; think of it being named the best river in Europe for river sports by National Geographic. A rafting experience in Trentino is an adventure for everyone, full of fun and adrenaline.

History, culture and gastronomy

The Solandra cuisine is made up of simple and nutritious dishes, composed of genuine ingredients from agriculture, animal husbandry and dairy production. These activities were once the basis of Val di Sole's economy. In the past, polenta was the staple dish of every Solander's lunch and was prepared with buckwheat or spelt, today maize is used. It is offered as 'polenta rostida': cut into slices and heated in lard with potatoes and cheese.

Other traditional dishes are 'canederli' (dumplings), 'strangolapreti', 'minestra d'orzo' (barley soup) and 'tortei de patate' (potato cakes): very tasty and flavoursome dishes, characteristic above all of Trentino cuisine.

The Val di Sole is an ideal place for the production of apples, small fruit and potatoes, thanks to the particular combination of soil and climate.

Another typicality and staple of Val di Sole cuisine is milk and its by-products, produced by the alpine cows. Butter, ricotta and tasty cheeses are produced in the alpine pastures. The best cheeses are Grana trentino and Cosolèt, to be served with salami and rye bread. Ricotta, called 'poìna' in dialect, can be enjoyed fresh or used as a filling for large ravioli called 'capelàzi', for gnocchi or for the delicious 'de poìna' biscuits.

Sausages are also still prepared according to old traditional recipes, and are then smoked with aromatic woods. Also typical is the 'Mortadela', which is made by stuffing pork dough, left to dry on wood and dusted with maize flour.

Another speciality is trout, bred in the clear waters of the Val di Sole fish farms. Not forgetting game, which is often prepared using wild berries and herbs. And the dessert? Definitely the strudel, typical above all in Val di Non, but widespread in every corner of Trentino Alto Adige, together with the delicious apple and 'fregoloti' cakes.

In the numerous restaurants and agriturismi, you can find all these delicacies, tasty traditional dishes skilfully prepared with local products.

The thermal baths

If you are not a sports enthusiast, but more simply a lover of relaxation, the Val di Sole certainly has what you need. In fact, you can treat yourself to moments of wellbeing at both the Terme di Pejo and Rabbi spas. The two spas, as well as being curative, also offer wellness paths for mind and body with packages designed for your needs. You can regenerate, with specific treatments that will immediately give you a relaxing, regenerating and toning effect, perhaps after a day in nature, in the splendid setting of the Val di Sole landscape.