Dro
Dro è un comune trentino della bassa Valle del Sarca, adagiato lungo il fiume tra Arco e la Valle dei Laghi, nel tratto in cui il...
Actualizado el 17 julio 2026
Esta temporada · Julio · Verano
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La historia de Dro
Dro in the Lower Sarca Valley
Dro occupies a stretch of the lower Sarca Valley, the valley carved by the river that rises in the Brenta Dolomites and flows down to Lake Garda, in an area that marks the transition between Alto Garda and the Valle dei Laghi. The municipality, part of the Alto Garda e Ledro Community, includes the main town and several hamlets, among them Ceniga, set on the bank of the Sarca and linked to the rest of the town by a bridge of ancient origin, rebuilt several times over the centuries. The valley floor, squeezed between the ridges separating the valley from the Cavedine basin and the Arco plain, alternates farmland, orchards and settlements with a rougher landscape as the slopes rise, where limestone rock emerges sharply. It is precisely this combination of river, mountain and mild microclimate, favoured by the closeness of Lake Garda, that gives Dro the character of a hinge between different environments, from the Mediterranean-like valley floor to the cooler heights of the first Alpine slopes.
The Marocche di Dro: the Largest Landslide in the Alps
The Marocche di Dro are the feature that most defines the municipality's landscape: an enormous accumulation of limestone blocks, covering roughly 247 hectares, produced by a series of major landslides that broke away from the valley slopes after the retreat of the glaciers that once filled it. Dating places the earliest events far back in time, as much as one to two hundred thousand years ago and occurring in several phases, some even during interglacial periods, while the most recent collapses appear to have taken place within historical times. The result is the largest landslide in the entire Alpine arc, protected since 1989 as a nature reserve of the Province of Trento. Among the boulders, a small pool of water formed over time through natural damming of the ground, while the sparse vegetation, adapted to the aridity of the rocky, humus-poor soil, supports xerophytic meadows, Mediterranean shrubs and a characteristic reptile fauna, including wall lizards and whip snakes, in an almost steppe-like environment that is a rarity in the Alps.
Centrale Fies and Contemporary Performing Arts
Along the Sarca river, inside a hydroelectric power plant built in the early twentieth century and still partly in operation, stands Centrale Fies, one of the internationally recognised reference points for research into contemporary performing arts. The project was founded in 1999 by Barbara Boninsegna and Dino Sommadossi with the Cooperativa il Gaviale, continuing the experience of the Drodesera festival, born in 1980 and lending its name to the event that fills the plant's industrial spaces every summer. Here, dance, theatre and performance artists from around the world develop residencies and original productions, in a model combining public and private support that made the site the first example in Italy of industrial archaeology repurposed for cultural ends. Partnerships with European networks such as apap and FIT Festivals in Transition have, over the years, strengthened the centre's international reach, which now counts more than one hundred and fifty productions and co-productions to its name, placing the small town of Dro at the heart of the contemporary art scene.
Rock, Trails and the Sarca Valley for Climbing
The Sarca Valley, of which Dro is part, is one of Europe's best-known destinations for sport climbing, thanks to the many limestone crags overlooking the river that draw climbers from every country, in an area stretching from Dro's territory as far as Arco. Within the municipality, equipped routes such as the Scaloni via ferrata wind through the rock, alongside trails and climbs suited to different levels of experience, adding to the hiking options in the nearby Drena valley and on the surrounding heights. The municipality also borders a stretch of the western shore of Lake Cavedine, whose main basin lies in the neighbouring municipality of Cavedine, adding a further watery element to the local landscape mosaic. Between sheer rock faces, woodland and stretches of water, Dro's territory thus encompasses a range of environments, from the bare rock of its crags to the gentler slopes planted with vines and orchards, making it an ideal base for anyone seeking outdoor sport in a varied natural setting.
History, Agriculture and Experiences
The history of Dro has for centuries been tied to its role as a crossroads along the Sarca Valley: the hamlet of Ceniga, where roads from Arco and Laghel once met before continuing north, still preserves the so-called Ponte Romano, or Roman Bridge, which despite its name has nothing to do with an actual Roman origin. The current structure dates from the 1868 reconstruction, ordered by the Austro-Hungarian authorities after the previous bridge, itself rebuilt in 1719 after a flood, was blown up to slow the advance of Garibaldi's troops during the Third Italian War of Independence. Alongside this border history, the territory retains a strong agricultural vocation, tied above all to the cultivation of the Susina di Dro, the Protected Designation of Origin black plum with its characteristic blue-violet colour and sweet-sour taste, hand-picked between July and September in the orchards of the valley floor. Today Dro forms a single municipality with neighbouring Drena, reflecting the long-standing integration between the two territories along the valley.
Not to be missed
- The Marocche di Dro, the largest landslide in the Alpine arc, with trails winding among the limestone boulders
- Centrale Fies, an international centre for residencies and productions in contemporary performing arts
- The Ponte Romano (Roman Bridge) at Ceniga, over the Sarca river
- Climbing and via ferratas in the Sarca Valley, including the Scaloni via ferrata
- Tasting the Susina di Dro DOP, Trentino's black plum
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