Onwards and upwards, we continued our exploration of northern Italy, mountains and vineyards alongside us. The terrain becomes more alpine and the skies greyer, but it makes for a breathtaking drive. When presented with a signpost advertising the scenic route I convinced by brother to follow it, we then discovered the road runs right alongside the motorway (resulting in the same scenery), and is frequented mainly by tractors and slow movers, but it allowed plenty of opportunities to stop and photograph the vines and breathe in the fresh mountain air!
The breathtaking scenery of Trentino
The impending Austrian border becomes all the more obvious as signs suddenly appear in German as well as Italian, and Trento is the city that bridges a gentle gap between where these two worlds collide; it offers a soft introduction to Germanic Italy before you head further north where the language changes completely, leaving you to wonder if you have entered another country.
Cafe life overlooking the cathedral
Whilst still undeniably Italian in style and architecture with atmospheric cafes on the main square centred on a view of the beautiful cathedral, and small streets fanning out from this focal point of the city, you will also notice far more beer houses than wine bars populating the streets despite this being an area rich with wonderful wines.
Beautifully impressive cathedral
Great place to stop for wine or food
And of course that’s why we were there, to try the wines of Trentino-Alto Adige and what better place to introduce ourselves to the region than a gorgeous bar on the main square itself. A perfect example of a wine bar, ‘Scrigno del Duomo’ has a fantastic range of wines available by the glass and during the early evening you will be given some absolutely scrumptious nibbles with your wine, or you can sit down for a delicious dinner.
Fantastic wine list by the glass
We opted to loiter at the wonderfully communal bar area and I decided to partake of a glass of Pinot Bianco, a white wine ubiquitous to this region with a quality much higher than the price tag would suggest. Full bodied with apple flavours and subtle tropical fruits, it has a beautiful crisp minerality and floral aromas making it an easily drinkable wine but not without its own complexity.
Trento is a small city with a pedestrianised centre making it an easy city to negotiate and explore; the centre is old and quaint with an affluent air and you can find some interesting independent boutiques in which to shop. The food definitely differs in this region with some strong germanic influences, resulting in heavier food suitable for the weather as well as lots of strudel!
Great atmosphere
We discovered this local port style digestif, absolutely delcious, do not come here without trying it!
We ate in a spectacular restaurant called ‘Le due spade’, with decor, ambience and food all equally impressive. A tiny cavern like space with perhaps only ten tables, I could imagine a few wartime parties taking place here! Intimate, romantic and cozy it attracted both couples and families alike creating an upmarket but casual atmosphere.
I would also recommend the chocolate mousse trilogy for dessert!
The staff were attentive without being presumptuous and the food was incredible. I opted for the duck lasagna and my brother took the lamb with foie gras, both delicious and with all that meat what option did we really have but to splash out on a 1996 Barolo and the meaty, earthy qualities of the wine paired incredibly with the tender and succulent meat dishes.
We stayed in the ‘Grand Hotel Trento’, perfectly situated near the train station but only a two minute walk to the centre. Whilst unimpressive from the outside, the inside is old fashioned and charming and has been well maintained. The bar area could be incredible if renovated, but it made for a pleasant nightcap and when we retreated to the restaurant one rainy afternoon we found the food to be delicious. Extremely good value for money, offering high quality for low prices and there is also on-site massage. Rooms start from €83
I should really have photographed the gnocchi!
We also ate at ‘Ristorante Patelli‘, a more casual choice but with quality food and a good wine list. The reataurant itself is in a basement making it cozy and there is a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. The menu has some local specialites with their germanic twist on Italian cuisine, my brother experimented and tried giant gnocchi which basically resembled two giant meatballs, but made from potato; apparently they were satisfying but a little on the heavy side!
Other attractions worth visiting include the cable car up to the pretty village of sardagna, the science museum housed in some great modern architecture, and the modern art museum.
