What is Molveno known for?

Trentino's deepest lake, 124 metres, and the most decorated. Cinque Vele rated it Italy's most beautiful lake for ten consecutive years. The pale limestone group of Cima Tosa, Campanile Basso and Crozzon di Brenta rising straight from the western shore, inside the Adamello-Brenta park. Touring Club Italiano recognition for the management of the lake, the historic centre and the relationship between village and surrounding park.

Molveno is a comune in the province of Trento, Trentino-South Tyrol region of Italy, about 44 kilometers from Trento.

Trentino-South Tyrol · Trento

Molveno

The village at the north end of a deep blue alpine lake, with the Brenta Dolomites rising straight out of the water.

864m

Elevation

44 km / 27 mi

Nearest hub (Trento)

1,108

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Bandiera Arancione

Why come

Molveno sits at 864 metres on the northern shore of Lago di Molveno, a four-kilometre lake formed by a landslide about 4,000 years ago and held in by the Brenta Dolomites on one side and Monte Paganella on the other. It is the deepest lake in Trentino, 124 metres at maximum, and second-largest in the region by surface. The Touring Club Italiano awarded Molveno the Bandiera Arancione for the management of its lake and historic centre, and the Guida Blu Cinque Vele rating has named it Italy's most beautiful lake for ten consecutive years. The Adamello-Brenta Nature Park begins at the western shore, with the rifugi and via ferrate of the Brenta group reachable from the village. The Gothic Chiesa di San Vigilio, inside the cemetery wall above the centre, dates to the 13th century.

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Known for

Lago di Molveno
Four-kilometre alpine lake at 864 metres, formed by a landslide around 4,000 years ago, 124 metres deep, ringed by the Brenta Dolomites and Monte Paganella.
Chiesa di San Vigilio
Gothic 13th-century church inside the village cemetery above the historic centre, with stone walls and a separate bell tower.
Parco Naturale Adamello-Brenta
Largest protected area in Trentino, beginning at Molveno's western shore, with the Brenta Dolomites, brown bears, glaciers and a network of rifugi.
Pradel altopiano
Plateau above the village reached by cable car, with hiking trails, a wildlife area and views across the lake toward the Brenta group.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through October is the running season for the lake. The water stays cold but is swimmable from late June through August; the perimeter path is 11 kilometres of mostly flat shoreline. July and August bring Italian-family crowds and full hotels around the small village core. May, June, September and the first half of October are the quietest of the warm months, with cooler air, hiking weather on the Pradel plateau and the rifugi of the Brenta group still open. November through March is mostly closed. The lake level drops in autumn as the hydroelectric system draws water; the village empties.