We just finished the second season of the Four Seasons, and the last episode was set and filmed in Trento, Italy.
With the magic of TV, it looks lovely. How is the town in real life? Initial research indicates there is public transportation access.
Proximity to the mountains leads me to believe that the best times to visit are late spring or early fall.
Is this off the beaten path, and less crowded, or has everything been discovered now? Have any of you folks been here? As Italy is getting more crowded, seems we need to venture further away from the established areas. I can always count on the wisdom and experience of this Forum to guide me.
Thanks
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
18019 posts
Every year various publications publish the ranking of the most livable cities in Italy where the quality of life is highest.
Trento is number one practically every year.
https://lab24.ilsole24ore.com/qualita-della-vita/tabelle/
https://lab24.ilsole24ore.com/qualita-della-vita/?refresh_ce=1
Posted by
London
1603 posts
Yes, Trento is beautiful! I'm actually watching this series now, but haven't gotten to the final "season" yet, so didn't realise they went here. It's very easy to visit the mountains from Trento, particularly parts of the Dolomites I never see mentioned on this forum which are much quieter with almost no tourists. There are lots of nice places in the town as well, like Torre Aquila, and it's just a nice place to walk around. Nearby Rovereto is nice as well.
Posted by
Green Bay
23707 posts
I was there over night several years ago. It was Christmas Market season and people were lined up waiting for it to open. Hotel Buonconsiglio was excellent and an easy walk from the train station and bus station. Neat cable car in town to get up on the side of the mountain for the views. Birra Forst is the regional beer.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, California
7212 posts
Roberto, Cat, and Sam, thanks for commenting, and for all your input. I will continue to research this. So I'm assuming crowds aren't an issue?
Posted by
Northern California (formerly Brescia and Lago di Garda Italy)
204 posts
A great city (my wedding ring is from there :)
Xmas market is very nice there, good restaurants and close to wine tasting if you like. I spent time there back when the Dolomites were relatively undiscovered (sigh) by North Americans so can’t comment on crowds :)
Posted by
London
1603 posts
I've not experienced crowds, even in August. And you are so close to the beautiful Brenta Dolomites, as well as the top of Lago di Garda.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, California
7212 posts
Cat, thanks again for sharing your experience.
Posted by
1 posts
Trento and nearby Rovereto are both pleasant and have moderate tourism, but nothing i would characterize as “crowds”, apart from a handful of festivals or the busiest nights of the mercatini.
In Trento, don’t miss Tridentum and Villa Orfeo, underground excavations of the Roman city that the modern town is built atop.
In Rovereto, the modern art museum, MART, and the Casa Depero are showcases for a variety of modern art with a special emphasis on futurismo. And the national World War I museum is housed in the castle of Rovereto, which is guarded by a colony of cats that live in an adjacent vineyard.
Trentino wines are not well known outside of Italy, thanks to a lower production volume than more famous regions. Cantine line the valley of the Adige and are easy to visit, while places like Casa del Vino della Vallagarina offer a survey of varieties. Don’t miss Trentodoc, the spumante made like Champagne in the “metodo classico”, outmatching the better-known Prosecco, according to many connoisseurs.