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Discover the unspoiled valleys of Brescia: Valle Trompia & Valle Sabbia
Nature-Filled Adventure in Lombardy: Valle Trompia & Valle Sabbia
A hidden gem in Northern Italy
When you think of northern Italy, you think of Lake Garda. But if you look a little further, you’ll also discover a surprising region full of tranquility, nature, and culture: the province of Brescia in Lombardy. I visited the two valleys between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda and found a few pleasant surprises. Hospitality, unspoiled nature, and a less touristy gem nestled between the lakes.
Valle Trompia and Valle Sabbia
The stunning Valle Trompia and Valle Sabbia valleys lie between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda. Less well-known, but just as impressive. Ideal if you want to hike, bike, sample cheese, or simply relax by the idyllic Lake Idro. It’s also a few degrees cooler there in the summer than at the lakes themselves.
It takes about 11 hours to drive there from Utrecht. Perfect for a road trip or a week of Slow travel.
Monte Maniva: Gateway to Hiking Adventures
Monte Maniva (1,860 m) lies on the border between the two valleys and is a fantastic starting point for hikes, both in summer and winter. Parking is available at Passo Maniva (1,664 m), near Hotel Bonardi or Dosso Alto.
E-mountain bike rental: through Dosso Alto Bike (same owner as the hotel/restaurant)
Lunch & lodging: Hotel Bonardi or Dosso Alto restaurant. The rooms at Bonardi are beautiful and spacious. They also have a restaurant where you can enjoy a good meal.
In the winter, it’s a small ski resort; in the summer, it’s a paradise for hikers and e-mountain bikers.
Farm Visit at Rebecco Farm: Slow Tourism as a Philosophy
Rebecco Farm, a fine example of slow tourism, is located in the Valle Trompia. Mario and his son Matteo grow fruit here using sustainable methods. The garden is beautifully landscaped as a vegetable garden and orchard featuring heirloom fruit varieties. There’s even a “forest banana tree” with fruit that looks like a mango but tastes like a banana. You can help out in the garden, enjoy lunch made with local produce, and stay the night starting at €40 per night (3 rooms).
The farm is located along the Greenway Valli Resilienti bike path and the Mella River.
Rebecco Farm is the result of a particularly sustainable project. Arianna, our guide, works for the local municipality, the Comunità Montana. On her initiative, the municipality purchased a dilapidated building in 2016 as part of a sustainable development project. The Valli Resilienti cycling and hiking trails that you see in this area are also part of the project. The building was completely renovated in a sustainable manner with the help of the School of Architecture. Management has been taken over by five young farmers from the area. Perfect for families, nature lovers, and anyone who wants to slow down for a while.
Taste Nostrano Valtrompia cheese at Mauro’s
At Mauro Beltrami’s farm in Marmentino, you’ll learn all about the local Nostrano Valtrompia cheese. This raw-milk cheese is made and aged using traditional methods. You can visit the farm, taste the cheese, and go for a walk in the surrounding area.
Mauro makes “Nostrano Valtrompia” on the farm. He has carried on his family’s tradition of livestock farming and cheese production. About 20 cows graze peacefully on fresh grass in the pastures. The raw, unpasteurized milk is of high quality and meets all hygiene standards.
The cheese is served at various restaurants and is available for purchase at the shop next to the parish church in Marmentino.
You can simply stop by Mauro’s house—where he lives with his wife and three children—to experience the scents, flavors, and tranquility of their country.
In Collio, you’ll find a unique iron mine that offers guided tours and an above-ground adventure course. The mine is 1,500 meters long and open from April through October.
Hours: April through October. Price: approx. €22–24. Free parking.
Tip: Bring a sweater or cardigan, since it’s much colder inside than outside.
It is mandatory to wear a helmet equipped with a flashlight.
The tranquil Lake Idro and Rocca d’Anfo
Lake Idro is a beautiful mountain lake about 10 km long. Here you can go boating, hiking, swimming, or visit the historic Rocca d’Anfo (the Anfo Fortress). It’s a perfect alternative to the more crowded Lake Garda.
Boat ride or hike to Rocca d’Anfo (sturdy hiking shoes recommended)
Visit the village of Anfo to experience the local atmosphere
Rocca d’Anfo is an impressive fortress that was used for hundreds of years to guard the border with the Principality of Trento. It remained in use until the 1960s. The fortress is open to the public thanks to volunteers, and you can book a guided tour or wander through it on your own. It’s quite a climb up, but you’ll be rewarded with a stunning view of Lake Idro. On a clear day, you can see all the way across Trentino and spot the Brenta Dolomites in the distance.
Medieval Bagolino & Bagoss Cheese
Bagolino is a charming village with winding streets, fountains, and a rich carnival tradition featuring masked dancers. In the workshops, artisans are busy all year round crafting handmade costumes.
Bagolino is located at the junction of the Val Trompia and the Valle Sabbia. It was an important trading hub. In the Middle Ages, iron from the Val Trompia was traded for cheese from Bagolino. Later, Bagolino became an important trading town under the Republic of Venice. A massive fire destroyed most of the wooden houses in Bagolino. The imposing church was spared by the fire. The church contains no works by local painters, but rather pieces from the studios of Venetian masters such as Titian and Tintoretto.
Bagolino is also known for its famous Bagoss cheese, enriched with saffron, which gives it its characteristic golden-yellow color. The Doge of Venice came up with the idea of adding saffron to the cheese, making it exclusive (saffron is still more expensive than gold) and giving it a golden-yellow color. And so, a cheese from a remote mountain town, made with a highly exclusive, exotic ingredient, came to be sold as far away as the Middle East.
Twenty-eight small local farms produce this cheese—sought after all over the world—using traditional methods. The name refers to the “Bagossi” people and is considered the symbol of Bagolino.
Bagolino is definitely worth a visit for lovers of culture and fine dining.
Parco delle Fucine in Casto
For a combination of nature, sports, and history, head to the “Parco delle Fucine” adventure park in Casto. It’s perfect for families, hikers, climbers, and adventurers.
The park is popular with both locals and tourists. It is a beautiful, green, and hilly park with 200 km of hiking and biking trails. For adventurers and climbers, there are climbing routes, suspension bridges, climbing walls, and zip lines. These span lakes and ravines. There are two zip lines that reach speeds of up to 80 km per hour.
There are also hiking trails (marked in different colors) for hikers. You can take a 2.5-km hike past small waterfalls, caves, and bridges. Experienced hikers can opt for a 9-km hike, which takes about 6 hours.
There are child-friendly areas, small lakes where you can wade, along with picnic areas and campsites.
In 2006, there was absolutely nothing to be seen in this area. In 2010, the first cottage was built. From there, it has grown—with a variety of activities—into one of Italy’s largest adventure parks (made possible by European subsidies).
There is no admission fee, and the proceeds go to charity every year
The park is run by volunteers and retirees with professional expertise who love working here. You do have to pay for any equipment you need.
Highly recommended: Agriturismo Le Cole – local, organic, and welcoming.A cozy, local, and excellent restaurant. They use regional ingredients and homemade products. Relaxed atmosphere and a beautiful, large garden. The owner and staff are very friendly and welcoming. Pets allowed.
Accommodation tip:
Glamping Rio Vantone on Lake Idro: luxury tents, cottages, campsites, and its own little bakery. Clean, charming, and ideal for active families.
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Hiking across smoking volcanoes: an organized hiking tour of the Aeolian Islands On Vulcano, you know you’ve arrived before you even set foot on shore. The sulfur already hangs over the harbor. A smell that hovers somewhere between a match and a boiled egg—and one you...
Lübeck & Travemünde: a green city break along the Baltic Sea Sleeping in an old Kellogg’s grain silo, having breakfast without cornflakes the next morning, and a day later searching for kingfishers on a river that once ran right through the Iron Curtain. Our short...
Peloponnese Hiking Tour
A really beautiful six-day hike from Bologna to Florence. Communication with NatureTravelLab and the local agent was excellent. The information packet was waiting for us at the hotel in Bologna, and the app with the route worked great. Luggage transport was well organized every day, and our bags were waiting for us each time we arrived at our new room! We covered more than 1,400 meters of elevation gain, but unfortunately didn’t always get the views we’d hoped for due to cloud cover and some drizzle. Most days had great hiking weather. It was wonderful to walk into Florence on foot and stay there an extra day.
We experienced the Walk of the Gods as a great adventure. Our start in Bologna didn’t go quite as planned because our app wasn’t working yet and we couldn’t find a single sign for Via degli Dei in the square. Fortunately, we were quickly able to join two young hikers from Florence who were also doing the hike. After a wonderful night’s stay at the beautiful Rio Verde agritourism farm, Day 2 went much better with the help of the hiking app. Along the way, we enjoyed stunning views, met some great fellow hikers, and sampled delicious local dishes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t always on our side, and we had a day of heavy rain, which made the trail very slippery and required us to be careful. It’s a real treat when, on the last day, you can already see Florence in the distance and walk into this beautiful city a few hours later. Thank you so much for your quick and friendly responses to all our questions.
We enjoyed the trip. We also made some changes to our itinerary, and the email correspondence went very smoothly. We started in Mantera; the next day, our first and only hike was a really beautiful one. The taxi picked us up right on time. Unfortunately, the second day’s route was almost the same when we cycled to Ostuni. The bikes were well-maintained, including panniers and helmets (these were simply included). You could even bring your own water bottle!!! We found the route very scenic and varied. There were charming little villages where we could stop for lunch or coffee. The app worked great. All the hotels ranged from good to excellent, though we didn’t think the hotel in Leuca was worthy of 4 stars. We followed your advice for the two nights we stayed there. We found Leuca a bit underwhelming for a two-day stay. We would have preferred to stay in Gallipoli or Lecce for two days. We took this trip in April and were very lucky with the weather. It’s still a quiet time of year, but we didn’t mind that. We definitely recommend it!!!
Thanks to a great tip from Nature Travel Lab, we had a wonderful week in Italy. Fattoria di Maiano, just outside Florence, was a beautiful and peaceful place. And the suggested road trips were a great guide for exploring the region. We’ll definitely check here for tips for our next vacation, too. Highly recommended!
We spent a divine week in Italy: we walked the Path of the Gods, from Bologna to Florence—about 135 km spread over 6 days of hiking. Challenging distances and climbs, amazing views, nature, and a warm welcome every time we arrived at the agriturismo or albergo/hotel. All of this was perfectly organized by the Italian company Slow Active Tours, entirely in line with Nature Travel Lab’s itinerary proposal: upon arrival in Bologna, an information packet was waiting for us, complete with a hiking map, a booklet, and passports for the stamps. And the hiking app was very practical for along the way! Our luggage was transported every day and was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next location. Communication was smooth and clear. In short, highly recommended, well worth it, and well-organized.
In September, I walked the Cammino Materano. Communicating with Madelon about the booking was a pleasure. To be honest, I was quite nervous because it was my first time doing a multi-day hike—alone and in a region I wasn’t familiar with—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hike to Matera was beautiful, and I was able to complete it without any trouble thanks to the clear on-site signage and the routing and advice provided by the GPS app. The rest of the organization was top-notch as well. My luggage always arrived on time at the right destination, and the hotels and B&Bs were of high quality. In addition, the organizers were easy to reach via WhatsApp if I had any questions. Highly recommended!
Slovenia was absolutely amazing. A beautiful country, friendly people, lovely hiking trails, and truly top-notch hotels. The staff at the local organization were also very easy to reach and helpful. The hiking was manageable. As Dutch people, we’re not used to high altitudes, of course, so it was pretty tough at times. But it was also a lot of fun.
We had a wonderful trip. Everything was well organized. Due to an unfortunate fall, I ended up traveling with my luggage for a day, but that was handled well, too. We really liked all the accommodations. Only the Hotel Hebe in St. Piero a Sieve was a little less impressive, but it was still okay.
Looks fantastic! I'm definitely going to book a trip with this company... they're committed to sustainability and personalized advice. Definitely worth it.
Madelon and her team are true experts. Thanks to their years of experience and passion for travel, they manage to surprise us time and time again.
Beautiful hikes, the most picturesque spots—it’s a real treat.
I highly recommend them!
Nature Travel Lab provided us with very helpful and honest assistance!
If you’re looking for travel itineraries, the most beautiful hikes, and destinations, you can find it all here. You’ll find endless inspiration for your next trip. Beautiful cities are interspersed with nature. You’ll find everything you need to know about practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of tips for sustainable travel. That way, you’ll get the most out of your trip.
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Are you looking for the most beautiful hiking and biking routes? Or do you want information about traveling by train or advice for the most beautiful road trips through nature. Get inspired for your next trip in green; ideas for planning your own trip or opting for an organized trip.
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