8 Days
Arrival in Val di Sole, Check in accommodation. Meeting with the tour leader, dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Full day excursion: how many of you like apples? Well, we all know that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", right? Let’s get ready to discover the territory cultivating this delicious fruit: Val di Non. We’ll visit Mondo Melinda, the visitors’ centre of Melinda Consortium. It’s the place where you can discover the secrets behind the wonderful taste of local apples. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon, time to discover the real gold: honey. We will visit a honey farm, where the Trentino High Mountain Honey is produced. A double-natured product: animal and vegetal, a blend that constitutes one of the best natural foods, whose peculiar properties are linked to the type of flora the bees collect from and thus the territory of provenance. Honey tasting. Back to hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Excursion to Trento. Meeting with our guide and visit of the city centre. History, culture and nature: these are the three pillars that form the foundation of Trento, the capital city of Trentino- Alto Adige region, counting about 120,000 inhabitants. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon, we will visit a small winery: the quality and variety of local wines surprises many visitors and this is thanks to the sunny weather and the rich soil. Indeed, this is a superb place to cultivate vines. It’s no wonder Trentino has several indigenous grape varieties – notably Nosiola, from the Valle dei Laghi and Val di Cembra, the young and fruity Marzemino from Vallagarina, and Teroldego, the big, tangy red which achieves its fullest potential on the Piana Rotaliana. Back to hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. This morning we will explore a cheese factory. In the lower part of Val di Sole there are still some apple orchards, which gradually disappear as you go up the valley. But this is also the land of Casolèt cheese, which you can buy in dairies in the area. The name of the cheese, Casolét, is derived from the latin word caseolus, meaning “small cheese”. Since it was first produced and up until even today, Casolét has had an average diameter and thickness of around 10cm, with a weight of just under a kilogramme. That being said, when it is hand-made, its diameter can vary anywhere between 10 to 22cm, and its thickness anywhere between 7 to 12 inches. This means that when all the variation has been factored into account some wheels can weigh as much as 3kg. It’s a slow food product. In the afternoon free time. Dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast. Today we'll take the Castle train, departing from Val di Sole heading to Trento and going through the Val di Non. We will discover two well preserved castles, while learning more about the incredible history and the typical flavors in this corner of Trentino. The first is Castel Valer: Castel Valer is a medieval castle of Roman origin, rebuilt between the 13th and 16th centuries. It is located in Val di Non - Trentino, at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites, among beautiful apple orchards. Since 1438 the castle is owned by the family Spaur and is now mainly used as a location for events. The second one is Castel Thun. Built on high ground, a few kilometres from Vigo di Ton, Castel Thun is one of the most famous castles in Trentino. Inside, the original sixteenth-century furniture, as well as precious art collections, an important library and a rich picture gallery have been perfectly preserved. On the ground floor are the halls for public functions, while on the first floor there are the rooms of the nobility, amongst which you also see the richly furnished Bishop’s Room (Stanza del Vescovo), entirely panelled with Swiss pine wood. Return to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.
Hotel breakfast. Free time in the morning to try some trekking paths, with lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon departure to Val di Rabbi: one of the most picturesque Alpine valleys, thanks to its pristine-kept natural environment, most of which is included within the boundaries of the Stelvio National Park. An easy road running along the banks of the crystal-clear, tumultuous and fish-rich Rabbi stream, winds up the entire valley for about 12 km - starting at 800 m a.s.l. and ending at 1,400. The first town on the way up is Pracorno, featuring a large number of farm houses, followed a short way up by San Bernardo, the valley's public services centre. Here we can immerse ourselves in a best barefoot experience. Barefoot walking isn’t only good for the mind, but is especially beneficial to your physical well-being. First of all, it helps you to correct your posture, as walking barefoot allows a complete and balanced contact between the ground and the soles of your feet whereas with shoes your weight tends to be concentrated on the heels. Secondly, barefoot walking helps circulation and reawakens the muscles in your feet. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Breakfast at the hotel. Cooking class experience in the morning. The secrets of traditional Trentino cuisine : strudel di mele, the most popular dessert of Trentino. Lunch at your leisure. Dinner and overnight.
Hotel breakfast, end of services.
