Borgo Valsugana: The Green Amphitheater That the Valsugana Kept to Itself

The Valsugana is the middle route between Trento and Venice: the railway runs through it, the highway flanks it, and trucks use it as an alternative to the Brenner Pass. Yet the valley's edges — the slopes, the side villages, the lakes — remain nearly untouched. Borgo Valsugana is the center of this territory: a town of 7,000 inhabitants with a medieval castle, a historic center with Venetian arcades, and a relationship with the Brenta River that is part of the local identity.

The historic center and the castle

The Borgo has an urban fabric that naturally blends Trentino and Venetian influences: the arcades of Corso Vicenza recall Bassano, while the colorful-façaded houses along the Brenta echo the minor Venetian palaces. Telvana Castle, now partially open to visitors, stands on a hill above the town and offers a view of the Maso's confluence with the Brenta that's worth the 15-minute climb. The interior hosts temporary exhibitions and summer events.

Lake Caldonazzo and the Brenta by canoe

Eight kilometers from Borgo Valsugana, Lake Caldonazzo is Trentino's warmest natural lake — its waters reach 26°C in July — and offers equipped beaches without the crush of Lake Garda. The Brenta upstream of Borgo is navigable by canoe and kayak from March to October: some local guides organize half-day descents with equipment transport included, at about 35 euros per person. The stretch between Castelnuovo and Borgo is the most scenic, with rocky walls and riverside woods.

The Valsugana as a cultural corridor

The Trento-Bassano del Grappa railway — a secondary line surviving thanks to local tourism — allows you to reach Borgo from Trento in 40 minutes without a car, with stops in the intermediate villages. Levico Terme, 5 kilometers away, has a Liberty-style spa park with nineteenth-century structures and a swimmable lake. The combination of Borgo Valsugana, Levico, and Caldonazzo forms a two-day itinerary that never requires touching the Dolomites yet still offers mountain landscapes of great quality.