Caldes
Caldes is a municipality in the Val di Sole, in Trentino, set at the entrance to the valley, where the Noce stream flows out of th...
Updated 18 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Caldes now
The story
The story of Caldes
Caldes at the Gateway to the Val di Sole
Caldes stands at the entrance to the Val di Sole, the Trentino valley that stretches north-west between the Dolomiti di Brenta and Adamello mountain groups to the south and the Maddalene chain and the Ortles-Cevedale group to the north. The village, at 697 metres above sea level, sits at the point where the Noce stream flows out of the valley's upper gorges and the valley floor widens into a broad basin planted with apple orchards. The very name of Caldes, recorded as Villa de Caldesio before the thirteenth century, derives from the hot water of a sulphur-carbon thermal spring once active near the castle, evidence of an ancient bond between the settlement and its waters. This threshold position, at the entrance to the valley served by the state road and by the Trento-Malé-Mezzana railway, has always made Caldes a place of passage toward the more inner municipalities of the Val di Sole and toward the passes leading into the Val di Non and upper western Trentino.
Castel Caldes and the Legend of Olinda
The landmark monument of Caldes is Castel Caldes, built between 1230 and 1235 by Rambaldo and Arnoldo da Cagnò under a concession from Prince-Bishop Gerardo, with the task of overseeing, together with the nearby Rocca di Samoclevo, the traffic of the Val di Sole. In 1464 the castle passed by donation to the Thun family, who enlarged the structure, adding the residential wings, the tower with its spiral staircase and, in the sixteenth century, the chapel frescoed by Elia Naurizio in 1620 and decorated by Giovanni Cinquetti between 1670 and 1675. Among the rooms there survives, to this day, the fully frescoed chamber known as Olinda's prison, tied to the legend of Countess Marianna Elisabetta Thun, tradition holding she was locked away by her father Redemondo to prevent her marrying the court minstrel Arunte, and died there of a broken heart after painting the wall decorations herself. Restored by the Autonomous Province of Trento between 2010 and 2014, the castle is now managed by the Buonconsiglio Castle administration and hosts exhibitions and cultural events.
Apples and Agriculture in Caldes
Caldes describes itself as the village of apples at the gates of the natural parks, and this agricultural vocation is the defining trait of the landscape surrounding the settlement. The apple orchards spread across the terraces and the valley floor at the foot of the castle, forming, in spring between April and May, a white blossom that covers the whole basin, while the harvest is concentrated between September and October, when the rows turn to the reds and yellows of ripe fruit. Most of the production feeds into the Melinda consortium, a brand that brings together apple growers from the Val di Non and the Val di Sole and has made the Trentino apple a product recognised well beyond the region's borders. Walks among the orchard rows, themed trails linked to cultivation and the chance to see the work of local growers up close offer visitors a direct way to experience a rural economy that, together with tourism and the traditional woodworking craft for furniture and furnishings, still sustains the life of the village today.
The Noce River, the Cycling Path and Nature
The Noce stream, which rises from the glaciers of the Ortles-Cevedale group and crosses the entire Val di Sole before flowing into the Adige, runs at the foot of Caldes, having long marked the rhythm of the village's life, from an ancient power source for mills and sawmills to modern water sports: in 1993 the Contre centre, along the river, hosted the world river canoe and kayak championships, establishing the Val di Sole as an international destination for water sports. Today its banks are followed by the Val di Sole cycling path, which links Caldes to the valley's other municipalities along a flat route suited to all ages, running among apple orchards, woods and views of the surrounding mountains. The municipal territory also borders the Alto Noce network of nature reserves, a mosaic of protected river and forest environments that shelters valuable flora and fauna, offering further opportunities for hiking or cycling excursions for those wishing to discover the valley's nature beyond its settled centres.
History, Hamlets and Experiences
The municipal territory of Caldes includes, besides the main town, the hamlets of Bordiana, Bozzana, Cassana, Samoclevo, San Giacomo and Tozzaga, each with its own identity tied to agriculture and, in the case of Samoclevo, to the fortress that once flanked the castle in overseeing the valley. The historic centre of Caldes, recognised among Italy's Most Beautiful Villages, is arranged around Piazza San Bartolomeo, from which the town's four main streets branch out, lined with buildings featuring carved stone portals and mullioned windows that bear witness to the village's old prosperity. Beside the parish church dedicated to the patron saint San Bartolomeo, celebrated on 24 August, stands the San Rocco cemetery chapel, built in 1510-1512 with an altar attributed to the workshop of sculptor Simone Lenner. The life of the village is also marked by the Arcadia festival, which in early June fills the streets of the centre with street performers and local food, among which the traditional torta de patate stands out, a peasant dish that has become a symbol of Caldes's cuisine.
Not to be missed
- Castel Caldes and the frescoed chamber of the Olinda legend
- A walk among the apple orchards in blossom (April-May) or during harvest (September-October)
- The Val di Sole cycling path along the Noce stream
- The historic centre of Caldes, among Italy's Most Beautiful Villages, with Piazza San Bartolomeo
- The San Rocco chapel and the altar from the workshop of Simone Lenner
To see
What to see in Caldes
Routes · Trovido Route
