Molveno

Updated October 2026 · Sources: ApT Dolomiti Paganella, Visit Trentino, trentino.com, Paganella Ski, Province of Trento

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Molveno is a village in Trentino, in the province of Trento, on the north shore of Lake Molveno. The village sits at 864 metres, the lake at 845 metres. Behind you rise the Brenta Dolomites; across the water is the Paganella. Trento is about 40 km away, Verona and its airport about 130 km. From the Brenner motorway (A22) you drive up through Mezzolombardo, Fai della Paganella and Andalo.

About 1,100 people live here. The village holds the Touring Club Italiano’s Orange Flag, a quality label for small towns, and the lake has been awarded several times by Legambiente and the Touring Club for water quality and environment. Tourism has a long history: the first summer visitors came to the lake in 1864, and the first cable car to the Pradel opened in 1953.

In summer you come for the lake: a free grassy beach, swimming, boats, a walk all the way round, and trails that start in the village and head into the Brenta. In winter Molveno is quieter than Andalo: there’s a small family ski area on the Pradel, two sledge runs, and the Paganella slopes a few minutes away.

The centre is small and takes about an hour on foot. The rest is the lake, its paths, and the Pradel plateau, 500 metres higher, reached by gondola straight from the village.

Lake Molveno

The lake is about 5 km long, 1.5 km wide and more than 110 metres deep. It formed a few thousand years ago when a huge rockslide blocked the valley; the trunks of a drowned forest still lie on the bottom. The water comes from the snow of the Brenta and the Paganella and stays a deep blue even on grey days.

The lake is also a hydroelectric reservoir: since 1957 its outflow has fed the Santa Massenza power station, so the water level changes through the year. Roughly every ten years it is drained to clean the tunnels. Despite what you often read, it is not the largest lake in Trentino: among lakes lying entirely within the region, it comes second to Caldonazzo.

The Lido and beaches

The Lido di Molveno is the village beach: about 12 hectares of lawn shaded by trees, walkable from the centre and free to use. There are playgrounds, sandpits, a large wooden pirate galleon, beach volleyball and mini golf. You can hire canoes, boards and bikes.

Next to the Lido is a pool complex with an outdoor Olympic-size pool and a children’s pool with slides: handy when the lake is too cold for small kids. Along the lake path there are also free stretches of shore without facilities. In summer a wooden info hut opens on the lakefront.

The walk around the lake

The full loop is 10–11 km and takes 2–3 hours on foot. It’s easy, with only short ups and downs, and works in either direction. Start at the Lido and follow the west shore below the Brenta, mostly through woodland. The return along the east shore, at the foot of the Paganella, is the most scenic stretch.

On the way you cross the Ponte Romano, a stone bridge on the old Via Marocchi, and pass the Doss Corno headland. You’ll also see water from a hydroelectric pipe pouring into the lake: this is the “Lake Molveno waterfall” people search for. The first section past the Bior bridge, at the north end, is flat and suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. By bike there’s a longer loop linking Lake Molveno with little Lake Nembia.

The “Napoleon forts”

On the heights above the west shore stand the so-called Fortini di Napoleone, including the Doss Corno fort and the Forte Alto. The name is misleading: Napoleon didn’t build them. They are Austrian fortifications from 1796–1805, put up to stop French troops advancing into Trentino. A short detour from the lake loop takes you there.

San Vigilio church

Molveno’s oldest building is a 13th-century Romanesque church, now the cemetery church, a few minutes’ walk from the centre. Thirteenth-century frescoes survive. The Province of Trento protects it as a listed cultural asset.

The centre, San Carlo and Palazzo Saracini

In the old centre of lanes and small squares, the bell tower of San Carlo Borromeo dominates the village. The present church dates from 1940, built on a 17th-century church, and inside are wooden altars from 1642. San Carlo is also the patron saint, celebrated on 4 November. Nearby is Palazzo Saracini, a 17th-century Baroque palace.

The Taialacqua Venetian sawmill

In the 16th century the people of Molveno built a water-powered “Venetian-style” sawmill together, as a cooperative. It still stands and still runs on water: a small wooden building of about 11 by 5 metres, with a visitor centre explaining how timber was worked in Trentino. It’s on Via Marocchi, close to the lake. Book visits at the Molveno information office.

The Pradel plateau

From the village the eight-seater “La Panoramica” gondola climbs from about 900 to about 1,360 metres. The Pradel is a plateau of meadows and forest with the best view of the lake, which you see whole from up here. Easy trails head towards the Brenta, and there’s the bike park and the Forest Park, an adventure park with six courses and a zip line. A chairlift continues up to Palon di Tovre. Check lift dates and times before you go: they change every year.

Fishing and sailing

The local anglers’ association protects the Arctic char and lake trout, and the fish hatchery runs guided visits. The Molveno sailing club holds courses and regattas from May to September.

Molveno isn’t a big ski resort and doesn’t pretend to be. You have two options: the small Pradel area above the village, for children and beginners, and the Paganella ski area between Andalo and Fai for proper ski days.

Ski Area Pradel

The Pradel area lies between 1,367 and 1,530 metres. It has two short runs, one blue and one red, four lifts (the gondola from the village, a chairlift and two magic carpets) and a nursery area of about 5,000 m² with a kids’ fun park. There’s a ski school and rental, and the runs have snowmaking. The new area opened in January 2023; Trentino’s tourism portal says it reopens for the 2026/27 season, usually from December to March.

Above all, the Pradel is for sledging. The “Scoiattolo” run is 1.5 km long. The “Bambi” run is 2.5 km and goes all the way down to Andalo, with a shuttle back to Molveno.

Paganella Ski

For full ski days, head to the Paganella: about 50 km of slopes and 20 lifts between Andalo and Fai della Paganella, from about 1,030 to 2,125 metres. For the 2026/27 season an adult day pass at the ticket office costs €69–76 depending on the period, and children born in 2019 or later ski free with a paying adult. Buy online early: prices are dynamic and cheaper in advance. Paganella multi-day passes also cover the Pradel. Prices and calendar on the Paganella Ski website. Full details of slopes and lifts are in our Andalo guide.

Cross-country, snowshoeing and winter without skis

For cross-country skiing, go to the Andalo Nordic centre: 12 km of trails groomed daily between Lake Andalo and the woods, with a loop lit in the evening. On snowshoes you can walk on the Pradel and in the forests of the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, ideally with a guide. If you don’t ski, the lake loop in winter is a lovely walk: with snow on the shore and the white Brenta behind, the landscape changes completely.

Outings fall into three levels: the lake and the low paths, the Pradel with its lifts, and the Brenta huts for full-day hikers.

From the Pradel to the Croz dell’Altissimo hut

This is Molveno’s classic walk. Take the gondola to the Pradel and follow trail SAT 340 to the Rifugio Croz dell’Altissimo, at 1,430 metres, below the huge rock face of the same name. The round trip is 7.6 km, about 2 hours 10 minutes of walking, with 183 metres of ascent. You reach the hut in just over an hour. The path is easy but runs close to the cliffs for a stretch, with a short tunnel: watch for rockfall and keep children close. The Rifugio La Montanara, at around 1,500 metres, is also on the way.

Valle delle Seghe, Selvata and the Pedrotti hut

The Valle delle Seghe (“valley of the saws”) starts from Molveno’s sports area and takes its name from the old water-powered sawmills. Trail 319 climbs it to the Rifugio Selvata at 1,630 metres and on to the Rifugio Pedrotti at 2,491 metres, near the Bocca di Brenta. From the village that’s about 1,600 metres of ascent: a full day for fit hikers. You can shorten it by taking the gondola to the Pradel and going via the Croz dell’Altissimo. The approach from Andalo and the Via delle Bocchette are covered in our Brenta Dolomites guide.

Mountain biking

The Dolomiti Paganella Bike park has a Molveno zone with a gondola, a chairlift and 6 trails covering about 14 km: the easiest flow trails in the whole bike park, ideal for learning. The “Big Hero” trail is on the Pradel. For a ride without lifts there’s the two-lakes loop, Molveno and Nembia. Stronger riders will find the Andalo–Stenico stage of the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike passing through Molveno.

On the water: swimming, boats, sailing

You can swim at the equipped beaches and along several stretches of shore. The water stays cold even in August: for small children the pools next to the Lido are often easier. At the Lido you can hire canoes and boards; you can learn to sail with the sailing club from May to September.

Molveno with kids

Molveno works well with young children: the Lido and pools within walking distance of the centre, the flat Bior path for buggies, and the Pradel gondola with the Forest Park and the easy bike trails. To the south is little Lake Nembia, shallow and popular with families.

• Andalo: about an hour on foot on a woodland path, or a few minutes by car. Paganella lifts, sports centre, karst lake.
• Lake Nembia: about 1 km south of Lake Molveno, at around 800 metres. Small, green and quiet, reachable on foot or by bike.
• Lake Tovel: in the Val di Non at 1,178 metres, inside the Adamello Brenta park. In summer, parking and shuttle must be booked online. Guide: Lake Tovel.
• Madonna di Campiglio: on the other side of the Brenta, via the Giudicarie and Tione. Guide: Madonna di Campiglio.
• Pinzolo and Val Rendena: the gateway to Val Genova and the Adamello. Guide: Pinzolo.
• Lake Tenno: towards Lake Garda, a turquoise lake in the woods above Riva. Guide: Lake Tenno.
• Trento: about 40 km away, with the Castello del Buonconsiglio, the cathedral and the city’s museums.

Molveno is small, so the choice is mostly between the lakeside and the village. You’ll find hotels, plenty of apartments and a campsite on the lake.

• On the lakefront, near the Lido: for families and summer stays. Beach, pools and lake path are all on foot; the car often stays parked for days.
• In the centre: if you come without a car. You’re close to the bus stops for Andalo and Mezzocorona and to the Pradel gondola.
• In the upper village: quieter and often with a lake view; expect an uphill walk back from the Lido.
• For skiers: if you ski the Paganella every day, Andalo is more convenient; Molveno suits you if you want peace, the Pradel for the kids and a short ski-bus ride.
• On a budget: apartments and camping, especially in June and September, when the lake is still lively and prices are lower.

Many places to stay hand out the Dolomiti Paganella Guest Card, with free buses and discounts on lifts and attractions: ask when you book.

By car

Take the Brenner motorway (A22). From the south (Verona) exit at Trento Nord; from the north (Bolzano, Brenner) exit at San Michele all’Adige. Either way, continue to Mezzolombardo and climb onto the Paganella plateau through Fai della Paganella and Andalo; Molveno is just beyond, down towards the lake. Trento is about 40 km away. From Milan, take the A4 to Verona, then the A22. Italian motorways are tolled.

By train

The useful stations are Trento, on the Brenner line (with a direct Frecciarossa from Milan since June 2026), and Mezzocorona. From Trento you can also take the Trento–Malè railway to Mezzolombardo. From there, continue by bus.

By bus

Trentino Trasporti’s B611 regional line links Trento and Mezzocorona with Andalo and Molveno. With the Guest Card the bus is free. Long-distance coaches stop in Trento. Timetables on the Trentino Trasporti website.

By plane

The most convenient airport is Verona, about 130 km from Andalo and a few km more to Molveno. From the airport, take the shuttle bus to Verona Porta Nuova station, then a train to Trento or Mezzocorona and the bus to Molveno. Bergamo and Milan airports are alternatives, but further away.

Parking

There are car parks at the entrance to the village and near the shore. In summer, parking in the lake area must be booked online on the Molveno parking website: book ahead, not at the last minute. If you’re staying in Molveno, ask your accommodation where to park and get around on foot or by bus.

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: de:user:CTHOE (CC BY-SA 2.0 de), Zairon (CC BY-SA 4.0), Dega180 (CC0), Zairon (CC BY-SA 4.0), Giorgio Galeotti (CC BY 4.0), Giorgio Galeotti (CC BY 4.0), Giorgio Galeotti (CC BY 4.0), Zairon (CC BY-SA 4.0).