Snowshoeing in the Italian Alps: Best Trips in Val di Non

snowshoeing in the Italian Alps
 

There are plenty of opportunities for snowshoeing in the Italian Alps, and one of the best places to do so is no doubt the Val di Non, where snowshoeing as a leisure activity was invented. Snowshoeing as a means of transportation goes back thousands of years, used by populations who needed to move through deep snow.

Nowadays, snowshoeing is one of the fastest-growing winter sports; after all, what’s not to love about it? It’s easy, healthy, lets you enjoy the mountains blanketed in snow at a slow pace, far from crowded ski slopes, and it’s fun.

At Pineta Hotels, snowshoeing excursions in Val di Non are organized every day in the winter season. Here are five of our favorites.

Tret Lake Snowshoeing

Tret Lake is located in the north-eastern part of Val di Non; it is often frozen in the winter, which means, once you arrive at the lake, after a lovely hike on a forest road surrounded by pine and fir trees, you can snowshoe on the frozen surface of the lake, which is quite a thrill.

If you see a hole in the frozen patch by the shore, that’s because it is said that a group of Val di Non residents, every morning at 6:30, no matter the weather, runs up to Tret Lake and dives into the icy waters.

Maddalene Snowshoeing

This excursion could be labeled as ‘snowshoeing in the Italian Alps’ for foodies! The spectacular Maddalene mountains, which are 140 million years old, lie at the end of the upper Val di Non, at the border with South Tyrol.

snowshoeing in the Italian Alps

The most popular trail here is the so-called ‘Loop of the malghe’ (Alpine huts): hiking in the snow among pastures and woods, you pass several Alpine huts, where you can stop for apple juice or canederli (bread dumplings), cured meats and cheeses platters, and strudel cake.

Predaia Snowshoeing

The Altopiano della Predaia is a vast plateau, with many opportunities for snowshoeing. One itinerary follows a forest road to Malga Rodeza, then continues among meadows dotted with larch trees and fir forests to reach a panoramic viewpoint, where you can see the Valley of the Adige below and many Dolomites mountain groups in the distance. It’s a beautiful view, worth the uphill effort to reach it. When you do this snowshoeing trip with Pineta, there’s usually a lunch stop at the family-owned hut, for a rich feast that includes polenta with grilled meats and cheese, followed by homemade salame al cioccolato dessert.

Tovel Lake Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing in the Italian Alps should include a trip to one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes, Lago di Tovel. Surrounded by the rugged peaks of the Brenta Dolomites, in the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park, home to the brown bear, the lake is usually frozen in winter so you can snowshoe on its surface, while admiring the spectacular mountains. You can also snowshoe along the trail that goes around the perimeter of the lake, for great, ever-changing views.

snowshoeing Italian Alps

Monte Roen Snowshoeing

It’s an uphill tour through forested trails, which gradually open up to meadows, until you reach the top of Monte Roen, where you’ll enjoy beautiful views over the Val di Non, with its picturesque villages and apple orchards, and see an impressive 2000-meter wall drop to the bottom of the Adige Valley. On the way up, you may stop at Malga Romeno for a shot of espresso to give you some energy (only open on weekends).

Have you been snowshoeing in the Italian Alps before? Check out our Trentino vacation packages 2018 – 2019 below for the best travel deals to this wonderful Italian region.

-Silvia Donati


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  1. […] addition, Pineta organizes several daily activities: hiking trips with Uncle Livio (snowshoeing in the winter), early morning walks (what we call ‘7000 passi di benessere’, 7000 steps of […]

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