7 things to do in Trentino with kids

Last updated on July 19, 2024

One of the best European family vacations we’ve ever been on was our trip to Trentino in Northern Italy. It’s exceptionally family-friendly and the perfect place to absorb yourself in nature, whatever your level of adventure. From easy bike rides to epic hikes, there are options for all ages and abilities – and simply being amid such gorgeous scenery is a tonic for the soul (and perfect for bringing out the best in a bunch of unruly children!). 

Here are seven of the best things to do in Trentino with kids. 

Things to do in Trentino with kids

Do a kid-friendly hike

The stars of the show in Trentino are the mountains, lakes and forest, and there’s no end of beautiful trails to explore. Avid hikers can take multi-day trips, but if you’re travelling with kids, chances are you’re looking for something a bit simpler (unless you’re one of those impressive hiking families that I’m in awe of!). 

We did a lovely walk in the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Nature Park through the violin forest near the deer park. The Marciò trail has markers for the kids where they can guess the animal track. And we all loved the suspension bridge over the Travignolo gorge. It felt totally safe, but was still a little thrill. 

We also loved that it’s a violin forest, a place where the luthiers of old used to source their resonant wood. Nowadays, you can still see all the logs sorted into different levels of quality, and hear the sound of the resonance wood as you tap on it.  

Visit a local farm

One of the things I loved most about Trentino was meeting its people and learning about their way of life. A great way to do this is by visiting a local farm. Many places have put together family-friendly activities like animal interactions and scavenger hunts. 

We loved visiting Fattoria Antico Melo where the daughter of the farm, Giada, guides kids around the animals, learning about their habits and collecting stamps for each one they see. Giada is also a professional educator and has a lovely, gentle way with kids. Our boys started the experience in a bit of a grouchy mood, but by the end declared it one of the best things ever – they particularly loved holding the guinea pigs and feeding the sheep and pig.

The view across the vineyards is also fabulous. And at the end, you get to try bread, jams and fruit, fresh from the farm.

Another lovely farm to visit is Athabaska Farm where you can go for a walk with the llamas in summer or go dog sledding in winter.

Enjoy all the adventures at Lake Molveno

Lake Molveno is a stunning sight to behold and a bounty of family adventures. Take a pedalo out on the lake itself, hike or cycle the perimeter, or play a round of mini golf. 

You can also take the cable car up to Pradel Plateau where there are more hiking and cycling trails, including the Squirrel Trail (Il Mondo di Sciury) for kids, which includes play areas and nature lessons.

There’s also a cool treetop trail you can do in the summer at the Forest Park up on the plateau.

Explore all the amazing playgrounds

Italy confirms its family-friendly credentials with plentiful playgrounds wherever you go. We stumbled across many during out time in Trentino with our favourite being Parco Avventura in Ziano di Fiemme. It had great play equipment, an elevated adventure course (open seasonally) and a stunning mountainous backdrop. We also loved the playground at Cavalese, which is just a little further along the cycle path from Ziano di Fiemme.

Cycle the Dolomites cycle path

My favourite day in Trentino was the one we spent cycling along the Trentino Dolomites cycle path, which connects the valleys of Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa. You can pick up bikes from Local Motion in Predazzo, grab a map and choose which direction to head in. They have both electric and mountain bikes, as well as kids bikes or trailers. 

We cycled west from Predazzo to Cavalese, which took around 45 minutes each way. We stopped for lunch and at playgrounds along the way, making a full day of it.

It’s one of the most gorgeous cycle paths I’ve ever been on, passing alongside meadows, streams, villages, farms, and those epic mountain views. It’s also nice and easy with a paved cycle path and gentle hills.

There are plenty of picnic areas, restaurants and playgrounds along the way.

Stay in family-friendly accommodation

One of the things that makes a family trip to Trentino so easy is the amount of kid-friendly accommodation. From family hotels to agriturismos, there are some beautiful places to stay. 

We stayed at Maso Corradini, a family-run agriturismo in Castello di Fiemme. It’s really family friendly with kids’ play areas both inside and out, including a trampoline and climbing frame in the garden. And the views are picture-perfect, looking out onto the mountains and the village church. 

My best memories from here are al fresco dinners on the patio, soaking in the views while the kids spent hours playing on the trampoline. It’s run by the Corradini family who are wonderfully friendly and make everyone feel at home. Cheese, eggs and jams are fresh from the family farm, and you can even visit the cows in the barn next door. 

We also stayed at Hotel Miravalle, a family-run hotel that looks out over the village of San Lorenzo Dorsino at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites. It’s a stunning setting with epic views from every side of the hotel. We especially loved lounging in the small natural pool (nicely heated!) while looking out to the mountains.

It’s a family-orientated hotel with an indoor playroom, outdoor playground and kids’ club during the high season. Plus there are farm animals you can visit too.

Best of all, it has reasonable prices, making it more realistic than some of the other luxury family hotels you’ll find in the Dolomites. 

Visit the Muse Museum

A good rainy day activity in Trentino is to visit Trento and go to the Muse natural history and science museum. It has six floors of exhibits exploring nature, mountains, technology and sustainability. It’s more suited to slightly older kids, but our boys (age 4 and 6) did enjoy the interactive elements, especially in the science area. It’s in a beautiful Renzo Piano building and in one of the newest neighbourhoods of Trento, which has some good restaurants to try. We enjoyed pizza at Pizzikotto Trento.

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