Primiero and Vanoi Valleys

Located in the southern Dolomites in the Alpine region of Trentino in the north-eastof Italy, Primiero and Vanoi are valleys surrounded by impressive porphyry summits of the Pale di San Martino and wide slopes dotted with picturesque lodges and cottages.There are also evergreen meadows with plenty of lush grass that feeds strong bovine cattle, large thick woods full of pines, firs and yews and silvery creeks studded with fluffy carpets of moss. It is still an unspoilt area where you can stay in close contact with genuine nature. Wild woody aromas mixed with berry scents take you back in time to an enchanting fairy world. 

Take a walk in Tonadico, the most unaltered village in the area. There are houses with creaky wooden balconies and colourful sacred images on the walls and tabià, weathered wooden barns standing as reminders of rural life in the past. Visit the Vanoi Ecomuseo including exhibits based on the previous century’s mountain life. Take also the Ethnographic Trail, a set of pathways designed to show you the environment, the memories and memorabilia from  World War II. Another must-do activity is the Palaronda Trek, a spectacular several days high-mountain hike going from one lodge to another.

After a steaming cappuccino early in the morning, you would hike for few hours through the peaceful woods. At noon, you would stop at one of the lodges to eat hearty stale bread gnocchi in broth and chewy browned fresh cheese preserving the pasture grass aroma with fleshy oyster mushrooms. Later on, you would lie down on/at the vivid green shores of a creek and collect fragrant juicy berries. After a relaxing hot bath and a delicious supper, you would go to bed spiritually and energetically reinvigorated.