Paganella Plateau
The Paganella Plateau, in the heart of Trentino, brings together the villages of Andalo, Molveno, Fai della Paganella, Cavedago an...
Updated 20 July 2026
Paganella Plateau
This season · July · Summer
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The story
The story of Paganella Plateau
Geography and territory
The Paganella Plateau lies in Trentino, in the western part of the Trentino-Alto Adige region, between Val di Non and Valle dei Laghi, not far from the regional capital Trento. The territory includes the municipalities of Andalo, Molveno, Fai della Paganella, Cavedago and Spormaggiore, spread across a plateau that slopes down from the dolomitic walls of the Brenta group towards the Adige valley. Monte Paganella, rising to 2,125 metres, dominates the landscape and serves as the visual and skiing landmark of the whole area, while to the west the wilder scenery of the Brenta group opens up along the border of the Adamello Brenta Nature Park.
History and identity
Historically a land of shepherds, woodcutters and small-scale mountain farming, the Paganella Plateau maintained for centuries an economy tied to mountain farmsteads, high-altitude pastures and the timber of its spruce forests. Andalo and Fai della Paganella were once part of the ancient Anaunia district, while Molveno, set on the shore of its namesake lake, already developed a summer tourism vocation in the nineteenth century. From the 1960s onward, the construction of ski lifts on the Paganella turned the area into one of Trentino's leading ski destinations, without erasing the rural identity still felt in the farmsteads and alpine huts scattered across the plateau.
Landscape and nature
The landscape of the Paganella Plateau alternates gentle grassy slopes, coniferous woods and the towering vertical walls of the Brenta Dolomites, the only dolomite group west of the Adige river and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009. Much of the territory falls within the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, which protects chamois, roe deer and a population of brown bears reintroduced starting in the 1990s. Lake Molveno, of glacial origin, is often ranked among the most beautiful lakes in Italy for the clarity of its waters and the backdrop of the Brenta peaks; a dense network of hiking trails and cycling routes spreads around the plateau.
Villages and what to see
Andalo is the most developed tourist centre of the plateau, with the cable cars to the Paganella, an ice-skating arena and a bike park popular with mountain-biking enthusiasts. Molveno stretches along the shore of its namesake lake, with a pedestrian lakefront promenade and a beach offering views of the Brenta walls. Fai della Paganella keeps a more intimate layout, with views over the Adige valley and Val di Non, while Spormaggiore is home to the Adamello Brenta Wildlife Park, dedicated to the Alpine brown bear. Cavedago completes the picture with the quiet of its farmsteads and high-altitude pastures.
Food, wine and traditions
The plateau's cuisine is rooted in Trentino's peasant tradition: canederli dumplings, strangolapreti and polenta are served alongside mountain-dairy cheeses such as Trentingrana and Spressa delle Giudicarie DOP, together with cured meats, mountain honey and blueberries gathered in the woods. Farmsteads still produce butter and cheese from the milk of cows grazing on high summer pastures. Among the wines are Trentino labels such as Teroldego, often paired with local grappa. Village festivals and celebrations tied to the farming calendar still mark the rhythm of life in the plateau's communities.
Not to be missed
- Lake Molveno
- Brenta Dolomites and Adamello Brenta Nature Park
- Monte Paganella cable cars and ski lifts
- Adamello Brenta Wildlife Park in Spormaggiore
- Paganella Bike Park and the plateau's hiking trails
To see
What to see in Paganella Plateau
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Paganella Plateau
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