Dolomiti di Brenta

Updated October 2026 · Sources: Dolomites UNESCO Foundation, Adamello Brenta Nature Park, trentino.com, Campiglio and Val di Non tourist boards, Paganella Ski

Find a place to stay in the Brenta Dolomites

The Brenta Dolomites are a mountain group in western Trentino, northern Italy, between Val di Sole to the north, Val di Non and Molveno to the east, the Giudicarie valleys to the south and Val Rendena to the west. The highest peak is Cima Tosa, 3,173 metres. It is the only Dolomite group west of the Adige river, and it lies entirely inside the Adamello Brenta Nature Park. Since 2009 it has been part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is not a resort but a whole range, with four main gateways: Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo on the west side, Andalo and Molveno on the east side. From Trento it is about 40 km to Andalo and 73 km to Campiglio. The handiest airports are Verona, Bolzano and Brescia, with Bergamo and Milan as alternatives.

In summer you come for the mountain huts, the Via delle Bocchette, Lake Molveno and Lake Tovel, and the long hut-to-hut loops. In winter the group is ringed by two big ski areas: Skiarea Campiglio and Paganella. This page gives you the overview and helps you choose a base; each village has its own guide.

The group has three sectors: in the north the Sfulmini chain and the Grostè, in the centre the most famous towers, in the south Cima Tosa and the Ambiez chain. The Bocca di Brenta, the pass between Val Brenta and Molveno, divides north from south.

Cima Tosa and the main peaks

Cima Tosa (3,173 m) is the highest summit of the group. It was first climbed on 20 July 1865 by Giuseppe Loss of Primiero and his companions. Just behind it comes Cima Brenta, about 3,150 metres. Eight peaks top 3,000 metres. Other well-known summits are Crozzon di Brenta, Torre di Brenta, Campanile Alto and Cima d’Ambiez.

From the valley floor you see little of the peaks: you need to go up. The easiest viewpoints, all reachable by lift, are Passo del Grostè (about 2,500 m) and Monte Spinale above Campiglio, Doss del Sabion above Pinzolo and Cima Paganella above Andalo.

Campanile Basso

Campanile Basso is the signature spire of the Brenta, a free-standing tower in the central sector. It was first climbed on 18 August 1899 by two Innsbruck students, Otto Ampferer and Karl Berger, after several failed attempts. You get a close view of it from the Bocchette Centrali, which pass right beside it.

Lake Molveno

Lake Molveno sits at 845 metres at the foot of the Brenta’s eastern side. It is 5.1 km long and 1.5 km wide, covers 3.27 km² and is more than 110 metres deep. It formed about 4,000 years ago after a huge landslide. Since 1957 its water has fed the Santa Massenza hydroelectric plant, so the level varies a little through the year.

On the north shore, a short walk from the village, the Lido di Molveno is a large grassy beach. People swim in summer, but the water is cold. Despite what you often read, it is not the largest lake in Trentino: among lakes lying entirely within the region it ranks second, after Caldonazzo.

Lake Tovel

Lake Tovel lies at 1,178 metres in Val di Non, on the north-east side of the group, inside the park. Until the early 1960s its water turned red in summer because of a microscopic alga, which made it famous. Today the water is green and blue, and the loop around the lake is an easy walk.

In 2026 you had to book parking or the shuttle online by 6 am on the day of your visit; the road was open daily until 20 September and then only at weekends until 1 November. The 2027 rules are not out yet: check the Adamello Brenta Nature Park website before you go.

Vallesinella and its waterfalls

Vallesinella is the side valley that climbs from Madonna di Campiglio into the heart of the group. It has three falls, the Cascate Alte, di Mezzo and di Sotto, with wooden walkways through the forest. It is the starting point for the Tuckett, Casinei and Brentei huts, below the walls of Crozzon di Brenta. In summer access is regulated: there is a shuttle from Campiglio and the car park must be booked.

Castel Stenico

On the south side, at the entrance to the Giudicarie valleys, Castel Stenico stands above the village of the same name. Today it is a branch of Trento’s Castello del Buonconsiglio and is open as a museum. A good choice for a rainy day, and right on the Andalo–Stenico stage of the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike.

The Dolomites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 26 June 2009. The site is split into nine systems: the Brenta Dolomites are system number 9, covering 11,135 hectares. They are an “island” of dolomite rock, separate from the rest of the Dolomites. The rocks record about 185 million years of history, from the Triassic to the Cretaceous. The towers are bulkier than in the eastern Dolomites, and glaciers have left clear cirques, hanging valleys and moraines. More on the Dolomites UNESCO Foundation website.

The whole group lies inside the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, 620 km², the largest protected area in Trentino. The park also includes the Adamello and Presanella ranges on the other side of Val Rendena.

The Brenta bears

The Brenta is brown bear country in the Alps. By the 1990s only three or four bears were left. Through the Life Ursus project, the park and the Province of Trento released about ten bears from Slovenia between 1999 and 2002. The population has grown: by the end of 2021 there were an estimated 100 bears in Trentino.

Seeing one is rare: bears avoid people. Stay on marked trails, never leave food behind and follow the park’s guidance.

The Via delle Bocchette is the most famous protected route in the Brenta: a chain of ledges and passages between the towers of the central sector, with fixed cables and ladders. It has two main sections, the Bocchette Alte and the Bocchette Centrali. Around them are other protected paths (Benini, SOSAT, Vidi, dell’Ideale) and the Castiglioni and Brentari via ferratas.

The Bocchette Centrali run at roughly 2,500 to 2,800 metres. The protected section takes about 4 hours, but the approach and return add another 4 to 7 hours, so most people sleep in a hut. You can go from Rifugio Alimonta to the Bocca di Brenta or the other way from Rifugio Pedrotti; the Campiglio tourist board recommends the second direction for better light. You pass Campanile Basso, Torre di Brenta and the Crozzon.

The SOSAT path, opened in 1961, links the Alimonta, Brentei, Tuckett and Sella huts along ledges below the spires above Campiglio. It is often used as part of a multi-day traverse.

This is not a stroll. You need via ferrata experience, full kit (harness, via ferrata lanyard set, helmet), a head for heights and good fitness. Early in the summer there are often snowy sections: the season usually runs from July to September. If you lack experience, hire a mountain guide, and book huts well ahead.

Dolomiti di Brenta Trek

The Dolomiti di Brenta Trek is a loop around and through the group. The Expert version is 96 km long according to the Val di Non tourist board, at an average altitude of about 2,000 metres, and takes at least 6 days for the full circuit. There are no fixed stages: you choose where to start and how far to walk each day. The most technical section, with via ferratas, is optional.

The southern part is busier and uses mountain huts; the northern part is wilder, with summer farms and bivouacs. The Country version is lower and easier and passes through the valley villages, so you can sleep in hotels instead of huts.

Dolomiti di Brenta Bike

The Dolomiti di Brenta Bike is the mountain bike loop around the group. The Expert version is 171 km with about 7,700 metres of climbing, in 5 stages: Dimaro–Cles (over Monte Peller), Cles–Andalo, Andalo–Stenico via Molveno, Stenico–Madonna di Campiglio via Pinzolo, and Campiglio–Dimaro via the Grostè. The Country version skips the hardest sections and cuts the climbing.

These three hikes have official data and start from the main bases. Summer lifts in Campiglio, Pinzolo and Andalo usually run from late June to mid-September.

Vallesinella waterfalls and Rifugio Tuckett (from Madonna di Campiglio)

A 10.6 km loop, about 4 hours 30, 768 metres of ascent, medium difficulty. Start at the Rifugio Vallesinella car park (about 1,520 m), pass the Cascate Alte and Rifugio Casinei and reach the Tuckett and Sella huts, above 2,200 metres, right below the spires. Return on a different path. You need to be sure-footed.

Rifugio Pedrotti (from Andalo)

From the Val Biole car park above Andalo, take SAT trail 340 to Croz dell’Altissimo and Selvata, then trail 319 up to Rifugio Pedrotti at 2,491 metres, near the Bocca di Brenta. It is about 1,200 metres of ascent and 4 to 5 hours up: not technical, but long and uphill all the way. From Molveno you can also reach Croz dell’Altissimo through the Valle delle Seghe.

From Monte Spinale to Passo del Grostè (from Madonna di Campiglio)

Ride the gondola up Spinale, then walk at altitude to the Grostè: 10.9 km, about 3 hours 40, 517 metres of ascent, medium difficulty. It is the easiest way to keep the Brenta peaks in front of you all day without protected sections. Ride the Grostè cable car back down.

There are no pistes on the Brenta rock itself: you ski around it, on the mountains facing it. The two main ski areas sit on either side of the group and both belong to Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta, which links 8 resorts, about 380 km of runs and 150 lifts on a single pass.

Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo

On the west side is Skiarea Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta – Val di Sole Val Rendena: about 150 km of runs linking Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo, Folgarida and Marilleva. The highest runs reach the Grostè at about 2,500 metres, right below the cliffs. The 2026/27 season is due to open on 3 December 2026. An adult day pass costs €75 to €89 depending on the period. Full details in our Madonna di Campiglio guide and on the Madonna di Campiglio Pinzolo Val Rendena tourist board website.

Andalo, Molveno and Paganella

On the east side is Paganella Ski: about 50 km of runs and 20 lifts between Andalo and Fai della Paganella, from about 1,030 to 2,125 metres. From Cima Paganella the Brenta is right in front of you. Molveno has the small Pradel area, good for families and beginners. An adult day pass for 2026/27 costs €69 to €76 depending on the period (prices on the Paganella Ski website).

Cross-country, snowshoeing and ski touring

Cross-country trails are at Campo Carlo Magno above Campiglio (22 km), Andalo (12 km) and Pinzolo-Carisolo (5 km). Snowshoeing works well in the woods around Campiglio and Andalo. Ski touring in the Brenta is for experts only: go with a mountain guide and check the avalanche bulletin first.

• Val Genova and the Nardis waterfalls: across Val Rendena on the Adamello side, a few minutes from Pinzolo. The falls drop more than 130 metres.
• Val di Sole: north of the group, with Dimaro, Folgarida and Marilleva, linked to Campiglio on skis.
• Val di Non: apple orchards, castles and Lake Tovel.
• Terme di Comano: spa town in the Giudicarie, near Stenico, for a rest day.
• Lake Tenno and Lake Garda: heading south through the Giudicarie.
• Trento: the Castello del Buonconsiglio and the old town, about 40 km from Andalo.

There is no village called “Brenta Dolomites”: you need to pick a side. For hikes into the heart of the group and the Via delle Bocchette, stay on the west side (Campiglio or Pinzolo). For the lake, families and slightly lower prices, stay on the east side (Andalo or Molveno). For multi-day treks, sleep in huts and book early.

Madonna di Campiglio: the Brenta on your doorstep

At 1,550 metres it is the base closest to the peaks: Vallesinella, Grostè and Spinale all start from the village. In winter you are on the slopes. It is also the most expensive choice.

Pinzolo: better value

At 774 metres in Val Rendena, linked to Campiglio by the Pinzolo–Campiglio Express gondola. A real village lived in all year, cheaper accommodation and Val Genova close by.

Andalo: for families and Paganella skiers

At about 1,040 metres, on the plateau between the Brenta and Paganella, about 40 km from Trento. Lifts in the village, a swimming pool, playgrounds and plenty of apartments. The easiest base to reach from Trento and Verona.

Molveno: for lake lovers

The village sits at 864 metres right on the lake and holds the Touring Club Italiano’s Bandiera Arancione quality label. It is the starting point for the Valle delle Seghe and Rifugio Pedrotti. A gondola takes you up to Pradel; on foot you reach Andalo in about an hour. Hotels, apartments and a lakeside campsite.

By car

Take the A22 Brenner motorway. For Andalo and Molveno, exit at Trento Nord and climb towards the Paganella plateau (about 40 km from Trento to Andalo); coming from the north, use the San Michele all’Adige exit via Mezzolombardo. For Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo, exit at Trento Nord or Trento Sud and continue via Sarche and Tione: Campiglio is 73 km away. From Milan or Bergamo you can also leave the A4 at Brescia Est and drive via Salò, Lake Idro and Tione (130 km to Campiglio).

By train

The main station is Trento, on the Brenner line, with direct trains from Verona and Bolzano and, since June 2026, a direct Frecciarossa from Milan. For Andalo and Molveno, Mezzocorona station is also handy, 19 km from Andalo. For Val di Sole, in the north, there is the Trento–Malè–Mezzana railway.

By bus

Trentino Trasporti buses link Trento with Tione, Pinzolo and Madonna di Campiglio (line B201), and Trento or Mezzocorona with Andalo and Molveno (line B611). Timetables on the Trentino Trasporti website.

By plane

From Madonna di Campiglio the nearest airports are Bolzano (105 km), Brescia (125 km) and Verona (165 km); Bergamo is 175 km away. For Andalo and Molveno, Verona is the most convenient, about 130 km. From Verona airport take the bus to the station, then the train to Trento. If you fly into Milan or Bergamo, renting a car is the simplest option.

Parking

In summer Vallesinella, Val Genova and Lake Tovel run on car parks and shuttles that must be booked online: check the year’s rules on the park website. In the villages, car parks fill up quickly in high season.

DOLOMITI DI BRENTA Meteo