Garda Trentino and the villages of San Lorenzo Dorsino, Rango & Canale di Tenno

San Lorenzo in Banale, or San Lorenzo Dorsino, how it’s now known after merging with the nearby town of Dorsino, is one of the most interesting borghi you will ever visit in Italy. It’s ranked amongst the “Borghi più Belli d’Italia”, but it’s not just beautiful and picturesque, it’s also very much alive.

Top 5 things not to miss

• Discover the different “fazioni” that form the village
• Meet the locals on a “il borgo dai mille volti” tour
• Taste the local ciuìga
• Hike one of the many trails
• Go mountain biking

San Lorenzo Dorsino is formed by seven main factions. Back in the day, these seven factions were individual villages in and of themselves. However over time, houses were built in the land between villages, leading the villages to merge together into one bigger town; San Lorenzo Dorsino.

When you wander around the town, discovering the picturesque streets and cute corners of San Lorenzo Dorsino, you can still see the distinct difference between the factions. The tell-tale sign of when you’ve reached a new faction is the presence of a church and water fountain since in the past each village always had its own church and water fountain.

If you want, you can hike a trail called “Sette passi per le sette ville”, which will take you to almost all the old village centres. It’s a great way to get some steps in, while also discovering some beautiful corners!

Another great way to discover San Lorenzo Dorsino is to join the “Il borgo dai mille volti: alla scoperta del borgo con i locals” tour. This isn’t just a guided tour, but an authentic experience that allows you to immerse yourself in the life of this village.

We had two local guides, who showed us around the village and shared with us interesting historical information about the town. If listening to a guide isn’t your thing, don’t worry, as this tour actually includes a unique firsthand experience!

During the tour they took us to the homes of a few locals, who welcomed us into their homes for a chat. They shared with us anecdotes from their personal lives, sharing with us what life was like in the mountains back in the day, and what it’s like now. Meeting Quinto and Nilo, and chatting to them about life in Trentino was one of the most fun and interesting travel experiences I’ve ever had, which I highly recommend to everyone.

At two stops of the town tour we also met local actors, who recreated for us scenes from the past of San Lorenzo. One was at the church of San Lorenzo, where an actor impersonated the painter who had decorated the church and told us about its meaning and symbology. Another stop was at the old communal caseificio (where cheese was made), where two ladies chatted about the struggles of daily life in San Lorenzo.

It was a great addition to the tour, and a fun way to learn interesting historical facts. Exploring San Lorenzo like this allowed us to not only see how pretty the borgo is, but also see how alive it is, learn about its history and meet local people in a unique way.

We finished our village tour with a tasting of local products and drinks, where we had the pleasure of trying ciuìga, a unique type of salami only made in San Lorenzo Dorsino. It used to be made with pork scraps and turnips, as it was filling, cheap to make and meant no food was thrown out.

Today the recipe is a little different, with higher quality pork meat and a higher pork to turnip ratio. It’s a recipe unique to San Lorenzo Dorsino, and is made nowhere else in Italy or the world. It has a strong unique flavour, and is a must-try when you visit San Lorenzo Dorsino! 

Once you’ve explored the town, its history and local cuisine, it’s time to get out into nature. Trentino is home to stunning mountains, which means almost every village is blessed with awesome hiking and biking trails.

San Lorenzo Dorsino is amongst them. There are trails of varying levels of difficulty, some with a focus on stunning views, others with a more “walk in the woods” vibe. Whatever type of nature trail you’re looking for, and whether you want to hike it or bike it, you’re sure to find one in San Lorenzo Dorsino.

San Lorenzo Dorsino: Useful information

Best time to visit
The most popular time to visit San Lorenzo Dorsino is in the summer, when the days are longer and the weather is more pleasant. It’s the perfect time to visit if you want to spend time outdoors, hiking the many trails, going mountain biking, and generally enjoying your time in nature.

If you want to avoid the summer crowds, you can aim to visit at the end of September. The weather might not be as good, but you’ll enjoy this beautiful town and its mountains all to yourself.

Between the 29th of October and 1st of November is also a great time to visit San Lorenzo Dorsino, as its when the traditional Sagra della Ciuìga takes place.

How to get there
The closest big city to San Lorenzo Dorsino is Trento, which is only 45-minutes drive away. Trento is connected by railway to all major Italian cities, and from there you can catch a Flixbus or public bus to San Lorenzo Dorsino.

Less than a 30-minute drive from San Lorenzo Dorsino, you will find the village of Rango. Rango is also ranked amongst the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”, and is home to some pretty unique spots just waiting to be discovered.

Top 5 things not to miss

• Wander around the cute streets of Rango
• Discover the murals of Balbido
• Visit the Museo delle Palafitte
• Hike the Sentiero della Noce
• Do the Kilometro Zero e-bike tour

Being one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, one of the best things to do in Rango is to simply wander around its picturesque streets. The old centre of the borgo is clustered together, so you won’t have to walk far to discover its many corners.

Walking through its cobbled streets, lined by stone houses with wooden balconies and lofts, will feel like stepping back in time. Many of the balconies are decorated with plants or corn, adding a pop of colour to the scenery.

And if colour is what you’re looking for, make sure to go beyond Rango and walk over to the nearby Balbido; the famous “painted village”. As the name suggests, in Balbido you will find a high number of murals and street art dotted all over the village.

Towards the end of the 80s, Balbido became an open-air museum, and the walls of its houses became canvases for local artists. Don’t expect to find ordinary street art, the murals of Balbido are proper paintings, showcasing what the daily life in the mountains was like in the past.

The murals of Balbido tell a story, showing scenes of daily life like the “arrotino” (knife sharpener in Italian), cobbler or “carègheti” (the person who added straw seats to chairs) at work. Besides showcasing jobs of the past, the murals also tell stories like the legends of witches in the area, or of the horse riding competitions at the Palio di Santa Giustina.

They’re not only stunning works of art, but also tell the story of what life in the mountains was like back in the day. Spend some time walking through the cobbled streets of Balbido, and see how many murals you can find!

If you’re interested in history, make sure to drive to the nearby town of Fiavé, where you can visit the unique Museo delle Palafitte. There are three parts to this historical experience; the actual Museum, the Parco Archeo Natura and the archeological area.

In the archeological area you can see the remaining stilts on which ancient dwellings used to lie. The stilts and houses that were built above them date as far back as 3,800 BCE. In the Parco Archeo Natura you can see reconstructions of what the ancient dwellings used to look like.

In the Museum you will find more detailed information about the dwellings, the societies that lived there and the archeological work that was carried out to discover them all. You should visit all three for a complete experience and understanding of the historical discovery held here.

After discovering all the art and history in the area, I’m sure you’ll be itching to do some exciting outdoors activity! In Rango, you will have the possibility to do a unique experience; the KilometroZero UNESCO Bike Tour.

This food tasting e-bike tour will take you to discover the beauties and local delicacies of the Terme di Comano valley. The idea is that the food you taste will have travelled zero kilometres, and by the calorie balance at the end of the tour will also be zero, as you will burn away all the calories you intake by cycling 50km around the valley!

It’s a great way to combine being active with tasting delicious local food, all while enjoying beautiful mountain views. The e-bike tour will take you to San Lorenzo in Banale, Lomaso, Rango and many other gorgeous towns, to taste local delicacies like mountain cheeses, salami, hams and local drinks.

If you want to do more active activities, you can also go hiking. We’re in the heart of the Italian mountains after all, and there’s no lack of stunning mountain trails! That said, if you want to do a unique trail, you have to try the Sentiero della Noce.

Rango is located in the region of Bleggio, a part of Trentino where they grow and produce the noce bleggiana, a type of walnut only available here. The Sentiero della Noce is a hiking trail dedicated to this unique local delicacy.

The trail is just under 7km, and takes around 2 hours to hike. It’s fairly easy, with little elevation change, and will take you through picturesque towns and villages where the bleggiana walnut still plays a very important role.

Rango: Useful information

Best time to visit
The best time to visit Rango is from September to the end of October. This is when you can enjoy the beautiful nature of this area, away from the summer tourist crowds.

Summer is also a popular time to visit Rango, as the nice weather makes for great hikes, bike rides and other adventures out in nature.

How to get there
The closest city is Trento. From here you can take a bus to Ponte Arche, a town that is 7km away from Rango, and from there make your way to Rango either with public buses in summer or by renting a car or e-bike in the low season.

Also on the list of the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”, the mediaeval borgo of Canale di Tenno is a truly stunning place. Walking through the cobbled streets of Canale di Tenno feels like stepping back in time.

Top 5 things not to miss

• Discover the medieval borgo of Canale di Tenno
• Relax on the shores of Lago di Tenno
• Go mountain biking
• Hike one of the many trails
• Go sailing on Lake Garda

Canale di Tenno is a perfectly preserved medieval village. With its cobbled streets, houses with rock walls, balconies lined with plants, picturesque tunnels, and the sweeping mountain views that surround it, its a magical place to discover.

You can spend some time walking around the borgo, getting lost in the past, before heading to the Casa degli Artisti or Museo degli Attrezzi Agricoli. Here you can see, respectively, a unique art and cultural collection, and tools that showcase what life was like in the mountains and fields in the past.

If you’re visiting in August, you can also enjoy the Rustico Medioevo experience. This is a costume experience, where locals and the town alike dress up in medieval garb, and you can truly immerse yourself into what like was like in the Middle Ages.

Beyond the stunning mediaeval borgo, you can also get lost in the beautiful nature surroundings of Tenno. A short 5-minute drive, or 30-minute walk, from Canale di Tenno, you will find the beautiful Lago di Tenno.

Lago di Tenno is a gorgeous alpine lake, characterised by brilliant turquoise water and lush green vegetation surrounding it. There are small rocky beaches on its shores, so if you’re visiting in summer, you can spend some time relaxing on the shores of Lago di Tenno.

There’s also a trail that goes all the way around the lake, so if you prefer more active holidays, you can also spend some time hiking or biking around the lake, and enjoying its stunning views all throughout.

Lago di Tenno isn’t the only place where you can get active. All around Tenno you will find amazing mountain trails that you can do, either on a bike or on two feet. One of the most popular trails is the one to Rifugio Monte Calino “San Pietro”, from which you get an incredible view over the surrounding mountains and Lake Garda.

Lake Garda isn’t exactly in Tenno, but it’s located only 15-minute drive away, and is such a popular Italian destination that you can’t miss it. Lake Garda is a huge 370 km squared lake, but only its northernmost tip is located in Trentino, with the Dolomites framing the lakefront city of Riva del Garda.

From Tenno you can easily drive down to Riva del Garda, and go on a unique sailing adventure. You can sail along the lake, enjoying the views over the mountains and surrounding towns.

Canale di Tenno is a must-see in Trentino. It’s not just a picturesque mediaeval village, but also a central hub from which you can explore many beautiful mountain spots, and go on fun active adventures.

Canale di Tenno: Useful information

Best time to visit
The best times to visit Canale di Tenno are the spring period, from April to the start of June, and early autumn, from September to October. During this time you will find the ideal weather for outdoors activities, with fewer tourist crowds than in summer.

Alternatively, you can also visit in winter. The weather will obviously be much colder and might not be suited for outdoors activities, but during the weekends you will find a very unique Christmas market.

The stalls are located in the canteens of the houses, not set up in the streets like traditional markets, and they only sell local products.

How to get there
You can get to Canale di Tenno by catching a bus in either Trento or Rovereto, the two main cities close to Canale di Tenno. The bus doesn’t go all the way to Canale di Tenno, but will drop you off at either Riva del Garda or Ponte Arche, where you can then get an additional bus to Ville del Monte.

I hope you enjoyed this article about the Garda Trentino area, and the beautiful villages of San Lorenzo Dorsino, Rango and Canale di Tenno. They might not be amongst the most famous and visited spots in Trentino, but they’re definitely worthy of a visit.

If you want to go off the beaten track, and discover some unique villages where you can see what life was like back in the day, these borghi will give you that. Add to that the delicious local cuisine and stunning nature, and you have an all round winner.

Don’t miss out, make sure to visit Garda Trentino and discover three of the most beautiful borghi in Italy!

Author: Greta Omoboni - Greta’s Travels