Garda Trentino region – TOP10 attractions for children and adults

The Garda Trentino region is the perfect place for a mountain holiday. What's not to like here! A friendly, mild climate, dozens of charming lakes, hiking and cycling trails, climbing walls, and numerous campsites, which are an excellent base for exploring the surrounding attractions - doesn't that sound like a holiday paradise? Especially since there is no shortage of interesting places to visit in the near and distant surroundings - including those that will delight the youngest participants of holiday trips. Especially for you, we have prepared 10 of the most interesting attractions for families with children in the Garda Trentino region.

Traveling with children requires special planning, including in terms of providing entertainment and experiences for the little ones. That is why it is so important to check what the area has to offer families before choosing a holiday destination – not only in terms of campsite facilities, but also attractions that will interest the youngest.

Fortunately, the Garda Trentino region is excellent in this respect, offering not only a wide range of accommodation and leisure facilities (here you can check the best campsites in the Garda Trentino region ), but also plenty of places worth visiting, where no one will be bored - regardless of age! So what is worth visiting when planning a holiday with children on Garda or the surrounding lakes?

1. Busatte Adventure Park

A trip to the Busatte Adventure adventure park, a stone's throw from Garda and Torbole, is an incredible adventure in the treetops that combines outdoor activities, adrenaline and fantastic views of the lake and mountains. Over 50 routes of varying difficulty and age, providing fun at heights of two to ten metres. Ropes, ladders, hanging bridges and platforms in the treetops will provide you with delicious entertainment for many hours. Of course, the safety of participants is a priority for the staff, who provide training and instructions for all attractions and ensure compliance with the rules in force in the park.

And if your little ones aren't having enough fun at heights, the Busatte Adventure park also has a professional BMX bike track with a mountain bike school, as well as volleyball and basketball courts and boccia tracks. After a day full of adventures and excitement in the park, you can also take a walk along the charming scenic paths, have lunch at the restaurant or have a picnic in a specially designated area.

2. Marocche di Dro – a trip in the footsteps of dinosaurs

The largest glacial landslide in the entire Alps, a true paradise for all lovers of archaeology and... dinosaurs. Traces of these long-extinct reptiles were found in the landslide - a large herbivore and a carnivore - dating back, a trifle, 190 million years! The path that leads us in the footsteps of dinosaurs winds through lunar landscapes formed from sedimentary rocks, sparsely covered with vegetation, providing an incredible experience.

The path is located near the Lago di Cavedine lake and we start it on the road from Dro to Drena, heading towards the lake. During the walk we can learn about the history of the area and the geological structure of the Marocche di Dro biotope, reading the information on the numerous information boards, on the way to the lake we can also see the picturesque building of the old hydroelectric power station.

3. The Medieval Castle of Arco

The picturesque spa town of Arco itself offers plenty of ways to spend quality family time, but if you’re looking for something special, it’s definitely worth visiting the medieval castle Castello di Arco, which was built in the 12th century and then gradually expanded, towering over the town. If you’re camping at one of the campsites on Lake Garda , you can easily get to Arco by taking the picturesque bike path along the Sarca River – the distance from the lake to the town is just 7 km. From Arco itself, the castle is accessed via the well-marked Via Stranforia, which can be found in the northern part of the town. It’s worth knowing that entry to the castle is free with the Garda Guest Card.

The ruins of the castle, destroyed by the French army in the early 18th century, have been partially restored and are open to the public. The hill offers fantastic views of the surrounding area, and if you get tired of exploring the rest of the castle, there is plenty of space to rest and a nice café with ice cream. Since the castle is often chosen for important events and celebrations, you may even be able to catch a wedding taking place in this picturesque setting!

4.Arboretum in Arco

While visiting the ruins of the castle in Arco, it is also worth visiting the Arboretum, a picturesque botanical garden founded in 1872 by the Austrian Archduke Albert VII. The impressive park stretches around his winter residence, Villa Arciducale, at Viale delle Palme 1, and is open every day, and entry to the garden is free. If you have travelled to Arco by bike, you can leave your bikes on the rack in front of the entrance to the park.

A walk through the Arboretum is a fantastic relaxation amidst the calming greenery and a real paradise for those interested in botany. The park is home to many exotic and Mediterranean plants, including around 150 trees from Africa, Asia and America. Each of them is marked, so the trip can have educational value, especially since you will find several rare and interesting specimens there. There are benches and tables in the park where you can have a family picnic.

5. Grotto with waterfall Parco Grotta cascata Varone

An unforgettable adventure for both young and old! A short, half-hour-long, but full of delight and fun, this trip allows you to admire the untamed power of nature, which, with the force of flowing water over thousands of years, carved the Grotta Inferiore and Grotta Superiore caves and the gorge that connects them. The waterfall can be admired while walking along a winding metal footbridge that winds along the gorge walls and two viewing platforms located in the upper and lower parts of the waterfall. The water mist floating in the air, illuminated by colorful lights and sun rays, makes a special impression.

The Varone Waterfall is located about 3 km from Lake Garda and Riva del Garda, in the area of a picturesque geological park on the slope of a mountain. When going there for a trip, remember to take raincoats, because the water falling from a height and bouncing off the rocks will certainly give you a good shower. Comfortable shoes with non-slip soles are also a good idea, because it is easy to fall on the wet metal platforms winding along the gorge and viewing platforms.

6. Boat trip on Lake Garda

Another interesting idea for spending time with your family in the Garda Trentino region is a boat trip on Lake Garda. You can start such a trip, for example, in the picturesque town of Castelletto di Brenzone, located on the eastern shore of the lake and surrounded by olive groves, where there is a charming historic port. You can also rent a boat in Sirmione, for example, which is located on a narrow peninsula in the southern part of the lake. There are many options - it all depends on which part of the lake your campsite is located.

Visiting interesting places on the shores of Lake Garda by boat is also a great idea because on the roads around the lake you have to reckon with traffic jams, which happen quite often. So if you plan to visit several places in one day, it may turn out that you will spend more time in the car than you planned. By choosing a boat trip, you will avoid this problem, and the large number of possible stops will allow you to plan the optimal route and visit the places you want to visit on a given day.

7. Cycling tour along the Sarca River

A great idea for an active way to spend time. Along the picturesque Sarca River, there is a gentle, asphalt pedestrian and cycle path that can take you from Riva del Garda to the aforementioned Arco, where it is worth seeing the ruins of a medieval castle on a hill and the Arboretum. This route is about 7 km long, and the path is mostly flat and without any major inclines, so even younger children can easily handle it.

The path is separated from the road where cars travel, and along the entire length of the route there are benches and places to rest, which can be combined with contemplating the surrounding nature. An alternative to the bike trip is a walk to Arco, from where you can return to the campsite on Garda by bus.

8. Via ferrata "Rio Sallagoni Ferrata"

A moderately difficult climbing route that you can easily complete with older children (in the case of younger children, the handrail may be installed too high in some parts of the route). It does not require great skills or advanced equipment – basic via ferrata equipment is enough, i.e. a helmet, lanyard, harness, gloves and appropriate shoes. It is perfect as a destination for trips on hot days, offering pleasant shade from the rocks and the coolness of the Sallagoni River flowing at the bottom of the canyon. You can start the via ferrata at the top of the hill where the Castello di Drena castle is located or at the mouth of the river below and head down the canyon towards the castle. It will take you about three hours to complete the entire route, including the ascent and descent.

Via ferrata along the Sallagoni River will provide you with not only a healthy dose of exercise and adrenaline, but also wonderful views. A picturesquely winding, shaded canyon full of greenery, the sound of the river flowing below create a wild, fascinating scenery. Two rope bridges over waterfalls and the need to walk on metal clamps stretched along the wall of the gorge above the water will certainly be an attraction and a challenge, thanks to which you will remember this trip for a long time!

9. Stargazing in Tremalzo

A night adventure that only sounds boring and banal at first glance. The “Stargazing experience” is organized by astronomy enthusiasts on the top of Tremalzo Hill on selected Fridays of the month, and participation in the event must be booked on the website www.gardatrentino.it. You can go to the shelter on the top at the designated time, which is the meeting place before observing the night sky, or go there earlier – you will find plenty of walking and cycling paths there.

In the clearing designated for observation, you will find a tarpaulin spread on the grass (but it is also worth taking a blanket with you) and telescopes for observing the sky. Observation is combined with talks about astronomy and individual celestial bodies that we will see in telescopes, and the leaders have a great deal of knowledge on the subject, which they share willingly and enthusiastically. You can admire the stars and the moon from 9:30 p.m. until about midnight, so remember to take warmer clothes so as not to freeze during the night journey down to the campsite.

10. A walk through Ledro Land Art

A fascinating artistic route on Lake Ledro, combining art and nature. A charming path among greenery leads from the Pur pine forest along the Assat River to the Malga Cita shelter, and during the walk we can admire the works of local artists, designed with the natural environment in mind and made of ecological materials. There are about 20 sculptures located in the park, made of wood, stone, metal and their combinations.

The entire route is very short (approx. 2.5 km long) so you can easily complete it with a stroller or with small children. Entry to the park is free, and a walk among the trees provides pleasant coolness and rest even on very warm days. It is worth knowing that many events are organized on the premises of Ledro Land Art - workshops, exhibitions, cultural events and festivals, focused on discovering the history, culture and nature of the region.

Attractions for families with children in Garda Trentino

These are of course just a few of the many family attractions you will find in the Garda Trentino region. Depending on the location of your campsite and the age of your children, you can choose from a wide range of different activities, even in the immediate vicinity: walks, climbing, cycling, kayaking, SUPs, discovering local flavours and visiting local attractions - the choice is really huge. One thing is for sure - in Garda Trentino you will not be bored and everyone will find something for themselves! If you are planning a holiday in the area of Lake Garda, you will find an interesting offer on the ITAKA website .