My visit to the beautiful Trentino region of Italy was a city break, ski holiday and wine tour all in one

Trentino is now more of a hidden gem, seemingly untouched by a tourist influx despite being just an hour from Verona and around two hours from both Milan and Venice.

Barbara has barely stopped talking since we arrived in the city, clearly eager to ensure that none of the group leaves without a full picture of Trento’s historical and cultural significance.

This is my first visit to the region, and in fact going on this trip was the first time I’d heard of either Trento or Trentino despite having visited northern Italy several times. But Barbara’s hour-long tour leaves us all with a colourful picture of the city, what it was in the past and what it offers today.

One of Trento's beautiful frescoes which earned it the name 'The Painted City' | National World

The city’s fame in the 1500s came primarily from it being the home of the Council of Trent – meetings of the Catholic Church convened by Pope Paul III in 1545 and credited with starting the Counter-Reformation. And its buildings, adorned with beautiful frescoes which earned it the nickname ‘The Painted City’, serve as reminders of that rich role it played throughout the centuries.

The city itself is a blend of Italian and Austrian influence. It was once part of Austria-Hungary and the short-term home of fascist Benito Mussolini who left when he found himself unable to drum up anti-Austrian feeling.

Reminders of Mussolini’s dictatorship can still be found on murals in the city. Barbara leads us to one depicting a woman above a quote by the fascist leader. The image would once have shown the woman carrying a Fasces - a weapon made with a bundle of wooden rods and an axe blade - but the item has been erased from the art work along with Mussolini’s name; a stand taken by the local people.

The image of the weapon, as well as Mussolini's name, have been erased from the mural. | National World

The mural only remains, Barbara tells us, to serve as a reminder of the city’s history and a lesson about the dangers of fascism.

The war is not the only dark period in Trento’s history. Another mural on the doors of a church directly opposite the aforementioned mural gives a nod to the disturbing story of Simonino di Trento - a young boy who went missing and was later found dead in a water channel which ran under a Jewish man’s house.

Fifteen men were blamed for the two-year-old boy’s death and were subsequently burnt at the stake as punishment, with the Jewish community ordered to leave Trento.

Piazza Duomo in Trento | Daniele Lira

Even the food of the region offers a hint of the macabre. While out for dinner, I order the Strangolapreti - a traditional dish from the area which is a sort of gnocchi-dumpling hybrid made with spinach and cheese. I am later told the choice was a brave one, the name of the dish translating as ‘priest stranglers’ due to gluttonous clergymen in the 16th century having eaten it until they choked.

Trento is a compact city but with something to see or experience at every turn. Our whistle-stop tour includes visits to the stunning Piazza Duomo, cathedral and also the Castello del Buonconsiglio, a fortified castle dating back to the 13th century which for years was home to the Prince Bishop of the city and today gives visitors the chance to explore its many rooms as well as view exhibitions and art collections.

And among those attractions we weren’t able to fit in during our short visit are the MUSE natural science museum, Museo Diocesano and the Mausoleum of Cesare Battisti, a leading figure in Italian irredentism before he was hanged in 1916.

Lake Garda can be seen from the top of the mountain. | Mattia Bonavida

Exploring Trento was the activity on our second day, with the first having been spent on the slopes of Paganella, a mountain in the Brenta Dolomites.

Lake Garda might not often be associated with skiing holidays, but my first sight of it came from the top of the mountain, where we had made a pit stop for beers and Aperol Spritzes at a popular mountain-top bar, La Roda.

It came after a morning of non-stop skiing on the sunny slopes above the town of Andalo where we were staying, around a 40 minute drive from Trento.

The views of the surrounding Dolomites would have been enough to take one’s breath away, but it was when our instructor pointed to a break in the mountains, where the sun was hitting a body of water and pointed out that we were in fact looking at the largest and most famous lake in Italy, that we began to queue up with our cameras, eager to capture the view and the moment.

With eight ski schools and more than 200 instructors, Paganella is the perfect destination for families and beginner skiers. While exploring the slopes, we pass a number of children’s play parks - in close proximity to the bars and restaurants so that parents can also unwind in the breaks between skiing.

The view from my room at the Cavallino Lovely Hotel in Andalo | National World

It’s also not without its more difficult slopes, and I’m not just saying that because I took a tumble within about two minutes on a red run (it was icy, I swear). Paganella’s famous black slope, Olimpionica 2, is the training base for the Norway Alpine Ski Team and there is also a snowpark where those braver than me can practise tricks and jumps.

It’s not just skiing that’s on offer either. Paganella also has three sledding slopes and both indoor and outdoor skating rinks as well as chances for visitors to go paragliding and snow shoeing through the mountains.

Paganella is perfect for families and beginner skiers. | Other 3rd party

And as if a holiday combining snow sports and city sight-seeing isn’t enough, there is one other activity in store. What I haven’t mentioned is that Trentino is also known for its wine production - sprawling vineyards adding to the beautiful views.

The Marco Donati winery and vineyard sits on the floor of a valley, a postcard-perfect setting framed by rolling hills and majestic mountains. It’s one of the oldest wineries in Trentino, having been run by the Donati family since it was established in 1863.

It’s not just the beauty of its surroundings that matters. The climatic conditions in the valley make it a perfect place to ripen the grapes and ensure they’re of the highest quality with every harvest.

The view from the Marco Donati winery and vineyard which sits on the floor of the valley. | National World

We are treated to a wine tasting hosted by Elisabetta Donati, the great-granddaughter of the winery’s founder. Among the wines on offer are Teroldego Rotaliano, a rich fruity red, and Teroldego Rotaliano Rosato, its rosé counterpart which we are told is an aphrodisiac.

I mention those two only because everyone in our group got back on the bus having purchased a bottle of each at the end of the tour. But every wine we taste, including the region’s sparkling wine Trentodoc, was absolutely delicious and made all the more so when paired with Elisabetta’s wine knowledge and passion for not only the family business, but the region as a whole.

And that’s what makes Trentino such a lovely place to visit. Of course its stunning views, delicious wines and excellent slopes have something to do with it, but it’s the fact that it is so loved and championed by those who call it home that makes anyone who visits also fall in love.