The Covered Bridges of Trentino (Val d'Ega, Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme)

For a few years now, every summer we spend a week's holiday in the mountains. Our favourite destination is Trentino Alto Adige, which, in our view, has no competitors in this field: not the Aosta Valley, not the mountains of Lombardy and not Veneto, which we have never considered (like Renato Zero's "Triangle").

SATURDAY 15 AUGUST 2020 - NOVA PONENTE

We set off before dawn, right on Ferragosto, since this holiday doesn't interest us. We leave the ridiculous 15 August celebrations to the "imagination-poor" and set off. The journey goes smoothly because, at that hour of the morning, the traffic flows freely, and we reach our hotel in Nova Ponente, Hotel Regglbergerhof, where they are still serving breakfast. While waiting for our room to be ready, we have breakfast too. The hotel is a decent 3-star superior, of average level, located in a quiet area of Nova Ponente (Bz) at over 1300 m of altitude. The hotel is nothing exceptional but decidedly comfortable and functional. It is entirely family-run, and the various members of the owning family, all working in the establishment, are extremely kind and helpful.

In particular the son, Roland, the owner of the establishment, is very friendly and gives us plenty of excellent advice on the excursions to do in the coming days. Advice we will follow and that will prove very useful for rounding out our programme of trips, already partly drawn up. Our room is big enough, with a nice wooden balcony with a small table and chairs. We have a look around the hotel and then go to rest, since that day we woke up very early and the tiredness is setting in. In the afternoon we devote some time to reading and to a coffee on the hotel terraces. For Ferragosto a special dinner is planned, with an aperitif buffet served in the hotel bar, where we particularly enjoy some tasty vegetable fritters. After that we move to the restaurant to continue the dinner. But we are utterly exhausted, our eyes are closing and we don't even make it to dessert.

So we retire for a restorative sleep. A' demain!

SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020 - PIETRALBA

Average breakfast at the hotel. Unfortunately here the restaurant service is a bit poor, and the foods that run out at the buffet are not easily replenished. You have to arrive very early if you want to find everything. This morning, being Sunday and to avoid traffic, we decide to visit a place a few km from us: the Sanctuary of Pietralba. We are not at all fans of religious places, all the more so of this one, which isn't much. Let's say it has a rather imposing exterior but uninteresting interiors. On top of that, outside, the Sunday mass is in full swing in German, with too many faithful who "wander, wander, wander, roam, roam, roam" (quoting Ligabue, "I ragazzi sono in giro"). In conclusion: AVOIDABLE. A glance from a distance is more than enough. We then take the opportunity to explore the surroundings of the hotel by car, with green meadows and dense coniferous woods.

We visit the little central square of Nova Ponente, with a couple of places with outdoor tables, the parish church and the colourful little cemetery beside it. Still in Nova Ponente, in the locality of Rio Nero (Schwarzenbach in German), we are struck by the stream that gives the area its name and that flows along the edge of the main road. There we also spot a small decorative mill, also on the same road and next to the charming Schwarzenbach Hotel, which we like so much and which we will keep in mind for future holidays. We then go back to the hotel for coffee and cake on the terrace and for the afternoon rest. The rest of the afternoon we will devote to reading, a bit of TV, a quick swim in the pool and an outdoor Spritz while waiting for dinner. This will be our daily rhythm for the whole week. For dinner this evening, a meat grill is planned, which we enjoy.

A brief stop at the hotel bar, where Max will taste a different grappa every evening, and then off to bed.

MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2020 - CANAZEI AND CAMPITELLO DI FASSA Today we get up very early because we want to go to Val di Fassa, an area with a lot of traffic in this holiday period, as Roland duly informed us. Besides, the weather is uncertain: initially very cloudy, but then the sun will shine. Fortunately we manage to reach Canazei fairly quickly. Canazei, it must be said, is a cheerful mountain resort. "Cheerful" because the beautiful Tyrolean-style houses and the various hotels are all very colourful and ooze merriment with the multicoloured flowers at the windows. The main attraction of the village is the rushing river that flows through the centre with several bridges, including the attractive wooden covered bridge. Another much-photographed building, striking for its rich multicoloured decoration, is a private house near the covered bridge, called "La Floriana".

It is impossible to see it and not be charmed, leaving aside the Canazei full of shops and venues. It stands near the little church and is dedicated to Saint Florian. The artist Giancarlo Debertol enriched it with stuccoes, lacework, carvings and fantastic paintings. The wooden chain is made of unique pieces; the balconies have elaborate carvings and the two tree trunks at the entrance lead into a fairytale world. In short: it is the most photographed house in Canazei. Not to be missed. We then visit the little central square with some shops, where we will buy our first souvenirs at Souvenir Canazei - P.za Marconi. On the way back, we stop at Campitello di Fassa. It should be noted that all the villages of Val di Fassa, along the road connecting Canazei to Moena, are very charming and all deserve a stop: Campitello di Fassa, Pozza di Fassa, Vigo di Fassa, Mazzin and Soraga di Fassa.

Today we choose Campitello, also crossed by a small river with little waterfalls and bridges: here too there is no shortage of colourful houses and a lovely central fountain/washhouse. By 1 pm we are back at the hotel for coffee, rest and reading. We dine, as usual, with little choice of dishes, overly simple fare (like at home) and meagre portions, even though they often offer us seconds. As far as food goes, the Hotel Regglbergerhof really doesn't satisfy us. In past years we have stayed at other establishments in Trentino Alto Adige, decidedly better and at the same half-board price.

TUESDAY 18 AUGUST 2020 - NOVA LEVANTE

This morning we go to nearby Nova Levante, which is 11 km from Nova Ponente. Here too there is the river with small waterfalls crossing the town centre and a wooden covered bridge of a somewhat unusual shape. Past Nova Levante you reach Carezza with the famous Lake Carezza of distinctive colour. We, however, will not linger on the lakeshore, but will only see it as we drive past, since we have already been there on a previous trip a few years ago. Instead, we prefer to stop at Nova Ponente in the locality of Stenk, where the most pleasant covered bridge of our trip is found: not excessively long but splendidly adorned with flowers. Beneath it the rustling stream and beside it the Hotel Mondschein, perhaps a little too modern but in an excellent panoramic position.

In the afternoon Max goes to the Enoteca Obkircher in Nova P., recommended to us by Roland, to buy local wines and grappas to take home. In particular, he would like to buy the same flavoured grappas tasted at the hotel: a different grappa every evening, including fruit, hay, lupin grappas and more. At the Enoteca Obkircher too you can taste before buying, after which there is nothing left but the embarrassment of choice. Indeed Max will return to the hotel with a fair stock of bottles. WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2020 - MOENA Today we wake up early because we plan to go to Moena and we know there could be traffic. And so it is, and it takes us a little longer than it should to get there. We park without difficulty in a large paid car park right in the town centre.

Moena is called "The Fairy of the Dolomites" and it is not hard to see why, given that it truly presents itself as a fairytale resort. We note with pleasure that Moena too has its usual covered bridge, even though it is tiny; the smallest in the valley. Moena is a very cheerful, colourful and lively little town. We particularly like the square, where the big orange house stands out, home to a cheese shop (including the famous Puzzone di Moena). We like Moena very much and would like to return the next time we come to this area. In the late morning we get back in the car and return to the hotel by a different road from the outward journey, passing through the village of Tesero, which perhaps deserves a visit. But we are tired and put it off until next time. THURSDAY 20 AUGUST 2020 - PASSO DI LAVAZE' Today we visit a place near us: the Lavazè pass.

We park in front of the charming little lake surrounded by green meadows and set off along the dirt path that runs around the perimeter of the lake itself. We then walk the full circle of the small body of water used for sport fishing, admiring the beautiful surrounding scenery. In a magnificent position overlooking the lake, we notice an old abandoned mountain hotel: SPORT HOTEL LAVAZE'. What a waste! How can you close a building like this, with such great potential? Properly renovated it would be a dream! Continuing along the road you reach the Oclini pass. It is a ski resort from which ski lifts depart and, for this reason, crowded with hikers. We don't even find a parking space, or rather, we don't even want to park. We don't like it and we leave. Oclini pass: NOT RECOMMENDED.

FRIDAY 21 AUGUST 2020: MOLINA DI FIEMME

Last day, last breakfast and last day trip. Tomorrow we go home. Today we have decided to make an outing to Val di Fiemme, and precisely to Molina di Fiemme. We set off towards Cavalese and after about 40 minutes we spot the covered bridge of Molina di Fiemme. Shortly after this point, you can see the artificial lake of Stramentizzo, which, however, is very disappointing, poorly maintained and with mud-green water. Better to forget it and park on the riverside at Molina di Ledro. Here a lovely walk in the greenery begins, skirting the riverbank. There are meadows, flowered benches and even modern exercise equipment. Val di Fiemme is famous for timber production and, indeed, right there we find an enormous stack of cut trunks, all neatly aligned almost as if to form a large installation.

Each single trunk has a diameter of at least 50 cm, with many dense rings bearing witness to the years of life of the log. We try to count the rings of any trunk and see that there are really many; it's a bit sad for all those ancient trees cut down, but perhaps there was a need to do some logging. We walk along the river until we reach the covered bridge; it is a little longer than the others and has a wooden roof covered with sheet metal. Obviously we cross it, because covered bridges are too beautiful and must obligatorily be crossed to be fully experienced. We always cross every one of them, otherwise we are not satisfied. On the bridge you can still breathe in, with full lungs, the scent of the wood that forms its structure. Crossing the bridge you reach the other bank, where the centre of Molina di Ledro unfolds.

It is a small, quiet and idyllic centre with its little central stream, the beautiful houses with geraniums and petunias, as well as the classic square fountain. In the centre stands the Hotel Ancora, a distinctive 4-star all in dark wood, with an entrance footbridge to cross the river that flows in front of the hotel. We then return to our car and go back to the hotel, passing as usual in front of the nearby Hotel Pfoesl and still struck by the unusualness of the building. It is a futuristic and luxurious hotel in dark wood, with a visible heated outdoor pool from which we see steam rising. Here the intention to combine tradition and modernity is evident, although at first glance it is the latter that prevails. Last dinner and then we settle the bill for our stay, since the next day we have to leave VERY EARLY to avoid the return traffic.

SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2020: RETURNING HOME

We have reached the epilogue of our 2020 summer holidays and, before 6 o'clock, stealthily, we go down to the garage and set off. Things go according to plan, we encounter no traffic and, indeed, by 9.40 we are already home, already making plans for next year. Who knows, maybe we'll come back to this area... DANI AND MAX