Trento, Bressanone or Merano

Been to Trento and it is a very pleasant city, but not worth a big detour unless the history of the Roman Catholic Church is a special interest. Merano is on the way to Malles as is Bolzano. Not too far past Trento is Lake Garda.

Thanks Sam--Lake Garda could also be an option. A good suggestion.

I really enjoyed spending 4 nights in Merano last Fall. There's a complex of promenades along the beautiful Passer river, with pocket gardens and sculptures. There's a system of Walweg trails, that go through vineyards and apple orchards - I took one out to the Gardens at Trautmansdorff Castle, which are spectacular. I didn't make it out to any of the castles, but that would be easy for you since you'll have a car. I did take the bus out to Kurtzras, which is a tiny town a mile or so south of the Austrian border, and a cable car up the mountain to get a peek at the glacier where poor Ötzi the Iceman (now at the museum in Bolzano) was found. I also hear tell that there's a really good science museum in Trento, so that might be worth part of a day.

Thank you Inbsig! It sounds like Merano might be a good option also. Closer to the area where we'll already be and if we don't get to Bolzano from Ortisei it's doable from Merano.

Sharon, lots to see and do around beautiful Lake Garda, especially with a car. Roberto of this forum is full of expertise there, Ken too, among others,

Bressanone has a pretty old quarter, but the town itself is fairly small. I'm not sure what one would do for 3 days there if not taking day trips elsewhere. Bolzano has multiple museums, not just the one housing Otzi.

They are all great places to visit, and the Lake Garda as well, especially the north lake which I like the best (Riva, Malcesine, Limone, Torbolee, etc.). I actually think that in 3 days and a car you can visit all of them easily. They aren't more than 90 min-2 hr from one another. You just have to decide where to stay overnight. Any of those places would do.

Thanks to all! This info really helps us narrow our options. Depending on weather and finding available, reasonably-priced accommodations, it sounds like either Lake Garda or Merano would work well for a three-night stay.

Quick update on our decision! With 3 days and a sunny forecast, we headed to Lake Garda as suggested by several. Thanks to Roberto's suggestion we based in Malcesine and visited Bardolino by car and Limone by boat. We stayed at Hotel Meridiana and had a great meal at VDOC!

We did make a stop to visit Otzi the Iceman in Bolzano! Fascinating!

Thank you for the suggestions all! Next time we'll add Merano, Trento, and Bressanone to our list.

The Dolomites is a wonderful destination!