We chose to visit Trento last week mostly because it is just two hours’ drive from Innsbruck. For this week between packout and flying out, we were not interested in a marathon road trip! Relaxation was the goal, and for the most part, relaxation was achieved.

Trento is not on the beaten tourist track, but it is as nice as most small Italian cities. If the name rings a bell, it may be because of reading about the Council of Trent in history class. This was a series of events at which the Catholic Church more or less declared war on Protestantism and officially launched the Counter-Reformation in Europe.

The city is an Italian island in the largely German-speaking province of Trentino. So, it looks like a typical Italian city that a bunch of Austrians have cleaned up 🙂

The main tourist attraction is the impressive Castello di Buonconsiglio (more on that in my next post). There are also some interesting Roman excavations in three underground museums. Otherwise, there is very little about the city that is designed to accommodate visitors. No souvenir shops, and I didn’t see even one tour group–which was a relief after Innsbruck! Just a nice town in which to stroll around.

We stayed outside the city in the suburb of Villazzanno. Halfway up one of the mountains overlooking the city, it was quiet and a bit cooler. The restaurant at the B&B was so good that we ate there all three nights! In another sign that we were off the beaten track, the owner spoke only Italian, refusing to speak even German (which I am pretty sure was a bit of a political statement). So, much sign language ensued.

The day we spent in town was also market day. So, that was both crowded and colorful. Here are a few photos from around town.