Val di Sole - Lakes, Rivers, Waterfalls and Sawmills

For a few years now we have been escaping the heat of August by taking refuge at high altitude. Each time we choose a different area so as to always see new places. Our preference goes, as always though, to the mountains of Trentino Alto Adige and, this year, the choice fell on Folgarida, a locality in the Municipality of Dimaro, just a few km from Madonna di Campiglio. Here we are in the heart of Val di Sole, at 1270 m of altitude, and coolness is guaranteed even in August.

18 AUGUST 2019: FOLGARIDA

We set off by car at 6.00 in the morning because the traffic could be heavy that day. The whole journey goes great and before 11.00 we are already in Folgarida, at the Hotel Negritella, where we will stay for a week. It is a medium-large hotel, with a light-blue and yellow facade, completely and recently renovated. Everything looks brand new and the owning family is very kind and very helpful. Our room is already ready and we can occupy it right away. In the hotel everything is functional and everything works wonderfully; however, our attic room is not the height of comfort since the bed is uncomfortable, the bathroom is small and the attic ceilings are too low. Somehow, though, we adapt to the situation. We eat some sandwiches at the bar and in the afternoon go to try the lovely pool with its adjacent whirlpool tub.

The hotel also has a wellness centre with sauna and Turkish bath, which however close in the summer period. At 19.30 we dine in the hotel restaurant, furnished in Tyrolean style. Everything is good and plentiful and we eat divinely, as it will be for the whole holiday.

19 AUGUST 2019: DIMARO, MALE'

The next morning we have a good sweet-and-savoury breakfast that will satisfy us until dinner. Shortly afterwards we go out for our first excursion and, since the weather is uncertain, we decide to stay in the surroundings and see what the area has to offer. Heading towards Dimaro, not far from our hotel, we find the lovely Venetian sawmill, dating back to the early 1800s and active until 1960. The sawmill presents itself as a wooden construction, decorated with geraniums, inside which there are some iron and wood mechanisms that use the power of the running water supplied by the nearby stream. By chance, in a nearby village, precisely in Malè (loc. Molini), we spot a second sawmill, even more charming and older than the previous one, dating back to 1774.

Venetian sawmills, veritable hydraulic machines, are very common in this area of Trentino and, during the holiday, we will visit others. In the afternoon we return to the hotel. We rest a little and, later, relax in the pool and the whirlpool. To round off this first day of holiday we treat ourselves to a nice dinner at the restaurant, and this will be our daily rhythm for the whole holiday.

20 AUGUST 2019 - MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO

This morning we want to go to the renowned Madonna di Campiglio, which is only 12 km from our hotel. We travel the evocative road among greenery, mountains and streams that connects Folgarida to the town. We park in a convenient multi-storey car park located right in the centre. We reach the nearby Piazza Righi, the nerve centre of the resort. Here we find lots of people strolling among the shops and venues of the centre. We too can't resist the attractions of shopping, so we go into the shop "Il tabaccaio" and buy some little hearts to hang on the wall. We then go to a large shop of typical products, Ballardini, and buy some foodstuffs for ourselves and to give as gifts to others. In the square we find several luxury hotels, in the typical Tyrolean style.

We try to imagine how this place might be in the Christmas period, with the lights on and the festive Christmas atmosphere, and we suddenly feel a desire to experience that moment. Then we reach the municipal park, where there is the little lake, along whose entire perimeter you can walk. We like Madonna di Campiglio, even though we find it a bit too touristy and crowded. Still, here everything seems looked after and well kept. Who knows, maybe we'll plan a holiday here in the future! We then return to the hotel for our usual afternoon activities.

21 AUGUST 2019: PELLIZZANO, LAGO DEI CAPRIOLI

This morning we visit the Lago dei Caprioli (or Lago Fazzon) in the locality of Pellizzano, 30 minutes from Folgarida. We drive through the village near the idyllic lake, which has something fairytale-like about it: wooden chalets in the greenery, a little church, a fountain, mountains, etc. Here we also find a seller of jams and berries, where we buy some jars of jam to take home. Thus we arrive at the lake proper and, before us, a sheet of water surrounded by coniferous woods opens up. We note with pleasure that we can walk the full circuit of the lake via a packed-earth path, and so we proceed, together with the many hikers present. On the way back we stop at the village of Pellizzano, where there is a covered wooden bridge adorned with lovely pink geraniums. Near it is a well-kept municipal park where, that day, the Farmers' Market is held.

In the centre of the park we notice a little wooden house full of books, serving as a tiny library. A short distance away, some likeable characters stand out in the greenery: 8 life-sized scarecrows, with gaudy clothes, that catch passers-by's attention.

22 AUGUST 2019: LAGO DI TOVEL

Today we will go to Lake Tovel, an alpine lake in the Tovel valley, also known as the "red lake" because of the phenomenon of the reddening of its waters, which occurred until 1964 due to the action of an alga. Today, instead, it presents itself as a large emerald-coloured sheet of water. We walk the dirt path that skirts the lake until we reach the visitor centre. The walk is certainly unforgettable and we take endless photos and selfies. On the way back we stop at Cles, a Trentino town overlooking the artificial lake of Santa Giustina. Cles is the main centre of Val di Non. At first glance it seems to us a town congested with traffic and we don't like it. However, we discover an oasis of peace: a panoramic terrace just outside the historic centre, where you can enjoy the view of the lake from above.

It is perhaps the only spot in the town from which the lake can be admired, and where we also find a little church, benches to relax on and a lovely fountain-washhouse.

23 AUGUST 2019: VAL DI RABBI AND CALDES CASTLE

Today we set off towards Val di Rabbi. As soon as we take the road that crosses the valley we realise the many attractions of this splendid area. The road is flanked by a stream with numerous little wooden bridges immersed in the greenery. At the entrance to the valley you immediately come across the Mulino Ruatti, still working: a veritable gateway to the valley that foreshadows the beauties of the alpine landscape we will see later. We then cross the village of San Bernardo, where a renowned outdoor Kneipp path with pools and a little lake is found, right in the middle of the Trentino countryside. And not far away are the fantastic Venetian sawmills of Val di Rabbi. We visit no fewer than 2 of them; the Segheria dei Braghje in Rabbi Fonti, which stands near a flowered bridge and, further on, the Segheria del Bègoj, which runs alongside the Torrente Rabbiés.

Rabbi is, in any case, renowned for its spa, immersed in the landscape of the Stelvio National Park. Right in front of the spa building stands the elegant Grand Hotel Rabbi, in a fine old building with the background sound of the running water of the nearby stream. We would really like to stay here for 1 or 2 nights. On the way back we stop at Caldes, where we admire a large medieval castle, home to exhibitions and displays. It is a white tower-house where we visit the outer courtyard and the frescoed chapel.

24 AUGUST 2019: VAL DI GENOVA

On the precious advice of the hotel owner, a true expert on local excursions, we go to Val di Genova, not far from Madonna di Campiglio, where several waterfalls can be seen. The road leading to the valley is rather narrow and we fear meeting other vehicles at the narrowest points, where two cars cannot pass at the same time. Somehow we manage it and succeed in driving as far as the first waterfall: the Nardis waterfall, among the highest in Trentino, formed by the stream of the same name. At the foot of the waterfall flows the river, a lovely shade of blue, which runs alongside the whole narrow asphalt road. From here the "waterfall trail" starts, along which you can visit no fewer than 5 other waterfalls. We, however, settle for the first and stop here. After all, they tell us that the Nardis waterfall is the most famous and the most beautiful.

On the way back we linger in the centre of Dimaro, where we take a few photos of the most characteristic views we have seen many times while driving through. This, unfortunately, is our last day of holiday; so we enjoy our last swim in the pool, our last long whirlpool session and our last dinner.

25 AUGUST 2019: RETURNING HOME

Today is the day of our return and it is indicated as a "red-flag day" by the various traffic bulletins. So we decide to make a so-called "smart departure" and set off at dawn. At 6, therefore, we stealthily leave the hotel and take the motorway. At that hour we have no traffic problems at all and soon, too soon, we arrive home.

DANI AND MAX

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