 |
| Lake Molveno, Trentino, Italy |
Our family just returned from an unforgettable trip to Italy, where Jaycob competed in the XTERRA off-road triathlon World Championships. Trentino is a mountainous region in northern Italy that is a popular destination for outdoor adventures including hiking, biking, skiing, and hang gliding over the water. We stayed in Molveno, where the triathlon took place. It was the off-season for tourism between the summer lake activities and winter ski season, but it was a spectacular time to be there with the colors changing and lack of crowds. Lake Molveno is stunning and also incredibly clean. There are no motorized boats allowed on the lake, and the area has been awarded a number of distinctions for its cleanliness, environmental sustainability efforts, and eco-friendly accommodations. We stayed at an Airbnb that was within walking distance from the town center. This region is beautiful, with the steep harsh peaks of the Dolomites reflected in the sparkling blue water of the lake, and with many day trips accessible with a short drive. The Dolomites were once a habitat for dinosaurs, and the geological phenomena that led to the formation of this mountain range have always fascinated scientists. You could spend multiple weeks just exploring Trento, Molveno, the Dolomites and the Lakes Region but I'll touch on a few of our highlights in the short few days we had.
 |
| Fall colors in Molveno and the Dolomites |
 |
| Exploring the town of Molveno |
 |
| The harsh peaks of the Dolomites have always fascinated scientists and adventurers |
First, a few general comments about traveling in Italy with kids. In many ways, we found the country to be very family-oriented, from the many playgrounds around town, kid-centered activities in Molveno, designated parking spots for pregnant people or those with babies, and discounted or free tickets to many tourism sites, but it also requires some flexibility and a lot of planning. First off, dinners are generally late in Italy, with many restaurants starting dinner hours at 7:00 p.m., so if your family is used to eating early then you'll have to consider changing your bedtime schedule or settling for a "happy hour" (cicchetti!) and calling it a day. Secondly, there's going to be a lot of walking anywhere you go. Americans are lazy and spoiled with elevators and generally accessible sidewalks - not the case in Europe. So make sure the kids have some good walking shoes or consider a wearable carrier. We opted to skip the stroller on this trip, mainly because we ended the trip in Venice which would not be stroller-friendly (more on Venice later!), so our 2-year-old struggled to keep up at times and it was handy to have our Osprey Poco hiking carrier for her. Finally, just like any trip, there's going to be a lot of waiting in line. If your kids are fidgety and impatient like mine, plan accordingly. We brought fun little cameras for the kids to use, some ribbons for our 5-year-old to practice braiding and tying, and coloring supplies to help pass the time. Overall, though, I love Europe's focus on encouraging kids' independence and incorporating children into all the activities we love.
 |
| One of the many wooden play structures in the town |
 |
| The mountainous town of Molveno has many Austrian and German influences. |
Molveno is a lovely and welcoming town, and very quiet this time of year. It was easy to find a bar for breakfast (in Italy, bars are coffee shops that serve espresso and pastries, although it's also likely that they serve alcohol and gelato as well) and our morning routine usually consisted of croissants and espresso. This region of Italy, with its Alpine climate and proximity to Austria and Germany, has a Teutonic influence in culture, language and food, so while menus had the typical pizza and pasta one would expect in Italy, they also featured creamy foods, cheeses, wurstel, polenta, and strudel. Italians generally sit down to eat or stand at the bar to drink an espresso, so it's less common to take things to go. In Venice the baristas were used to tourists getting "take away" pastries, but when I asked for croissants to bring back to the house with me in Molveno they looked at me like I was nuts. I literally had to put the croissants in my pockets because they didn't have any paper bags. Lesson learned! In Molveno we also enjoyed appetizers of uncured meats and prosciutto, homemade ravioli with rich sauces, polenta with venison and mushrooms, and gnocchi and potatoes. Molveno is a mountainous but walkable town and the photos don't do justice to the beauty of the lake and peaks.
 |
| Gelato is our favorite food group |
 |
| View of Molveno from the Cable Car |
 |
| Prosciutto for days |
Lake Molveno has a beautiful beach but it's too cold to swim this time of year (unless you're a triathlete in a wet suit!), so during the race we spent time walking around the lake area, playing at the playground, and eating gelato. Gelato was probably my kids' favorite part of the entire trip, especially because it's perfectly acceptable to eat gelato any time of day, not just for dessert. The first Italian words the kids learned were "cono o coppetta" (cone or cup), and we had fun experimenting with different flavor combinations. When there's not a triathlon going on, there are a lot of activities around the lake for families including mini golf and go karts. The day of the race was overcast but thankfully dry. Jaycob had a really good race and one of the best swims of his triathlon career in the crystal clear water of Lake Molveno, although the bike course was brutal and muddy! Just finishing the race was a huge accomplishment as many racers didn't make it through the second lap of the bike ride. Athletes from all over the world came to compete in the World Championships and we heard a number of different languages being spoken. Ady and Meredith made friends on the playground, using gestures to communicate with each other if they didn't speak the same language, and it was so heartwarming to witness kids discovering their shared humanity and relating to each other without words. This in itself is a reason to immerse kids in other cultures through travel.
 |
| XTERRA World Championships |
 |
| Spectacular setting for a race |
 |
| The mountains and the lake create a perfect backdrop for racing |
 |
| Jaycob finishing strong on the bike portion of the race |
 |
| Heading out on the trail run |
 |
| Finishing strong! |
One of our favorite Molveno activities was riding the Cable Car (funivia) up the mountain to the Forest Adventure Park. Being that this was the offseason, the petting zoo and kids' ropes course were closed for the season, but we enjoyed the playgrounds and climbing inside the scoiattolo (squirrel). From here you can take a chairlift higher up the mountain, or enjoy beer and pizza at Ristorante del Brenta while the kids play. There is so much more to do in this region if you have more time (or older kids). The Dolomites are known for some of the best downhill skiing in Europe if you go in the winter, or go hiking in the summer and stay overnight at a rifugio. There's also the Grande Strada delle Dolomiti (Great Dolomites Road) to take a scenic drive, there are waterfalls and ziplines for adventurous families, or consider a day trip to the spa town of Merano.
 |
| Italy has lots of playgrounds! |
 |
| Climbing up the giant scoiattolo in Molveno |
 |
| Fun on the Molveno cable car |
We took a day trip to Trento, a 45 minute drive through the mountains from Molveno. Trento (as in the Council of Trent involving the Catholic Counter-Reformation that brought half of Europe back to Catholicism, in case your European history knowledge is now ancient history!), has over 2000 years of rich history and is now is a busy university town with a plethora of restaurants and shops. One thing that has always amazed me about Europe is the expansive scope of history and the juxtaposition of ancient monuments with modern amenities. I remember being in Rome almost 20 years ago and just trying to wrap my mind around seeing the Colosseum and a McDonald's on the same block. Trento is no different, with a cosmopolitan city of trendy stores and businesses constructed around medieval castles and duomos. Furthermore, the ancient Roman city of Tridentum, which experienced rapid growth and development under Emperor Claudius in the first century, lies beneath much of Trento's city center.
 |
| Trento, Italy |
 |
| Cathedral of San Vigilio |
The highlight of our day in Trento was the Buonconsiglio Castle, a military fortress that also served as residence for the bishop-princes. One unique aspect of this particular castle is the range of architectural styles because it was built and expanded for many centuries. The castle was recently restored and now houses impressive collections of art, relics, coins, stoves, and artifacts from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The interior of the castle walls, including the Eagle's Tower, feature famous frescoes from the early 15th century. I showed pictures of these to the kids before we left for our trip so they would be excited to see them in real life. We made reservations for the castle in advance, and kids are free. Touring the many rooms got boring for the kids after a while, but we brought along their little (and durable) digital cameras to keep them occupied and help direct them to look at the art and the details of the rooms.
 |
| Buonconsiglio Castle |
 |
| Beautiful and recently restored frescoes |
 |
| Little cameras help keep the kids focused on the details of the paintings in the museum |
After our castle tour we walked through the city and had lunch on the patio at Ristorante Pizzeria Rosa d'Oro, where we dined on prosciutto, gnocchi, vino della casa, and pizzas from the woodfire oven. After lunch we strolled through the Piazza and took a few photos of the Cathedral of San Vigilio (the Duomo di Trento) dedicated to the city's Patron Saint. I was planning to get tickets to the MUSE, an interactive science museum with six floors that is designed to resemble the Earth with the top floors dedicated to the study of the mountains and avalanches and the bottom floors exploring dinosaurs, fossils, and DNA. Unfortunately tickets only go on sale 10 days in advance and they sold out immediately for the day we were in Trento. Instead we went to the Caproni Aviation Museum (Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni), which features a collection of historic aircraft from the early years of flight. Founded in 1927 by aeronautics pioneer Gianni Caproni, it is the oldest aviation museum in the world. My kids found the museum to be kind of boring because there was nothing to touch or play with, but older kids might appreciate it more. If you have more free time in Trento, you could consider the Cable Car to Sardagna or a trip to the Gorge of Ponte Alto.
 |
| Aviation Museum |
We loved this first leg of our Italian journey and the opportunity to explore historical monuments while also immersing ourselves in the outdoors and in the northern Italian culture. The kids were such good sports with all the walking and driving and we learned a lot about ourselves as a family as we navigated this unfamiliar territory together. In addition to our time in Molveno and Trento, we took a day trip to Lake Garda, an overnight of wine tasting in Alba, and ended the trip with a few days in Venice. Stay tuned for more about our experiences with kids in Italy!
 |
| Family photo in Buonconsiglio Castle |
 |
| Fun in Molveno before our last dinner |
Most helpful guide books for this leg of the journey:
Venice, Verona, Lake Garda & the Dolomites with Kids 2022, by Ariela Bankier. Published February 24, 2022. Buy here.
Fodor's Venice & the Best of Northern Italy: Full-color Travel Guide, by Fodor's. Published April 19, 2011. Buy here.
Blue Guide Trentino & the South Tyrol, by Paul Blanchard. Published June 17, 2014. Buy here.
Comments
Post a Comment