Rovereto was one of Mozart's favorite places. It was here that, aged just thirteen, he astounded the audiences who attended concerts which he held in the Palazzo Todeschi and the Church of San Marco. Centuries later, Rovereto, whilst still retaining its traditions and historic buildings, is modern in outlook. Within a few square metres of each other you find elegant 18th century town houses and the ultra modern MART, Trento and Rovereto's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Close to the MART, the recently opened, 20th Century Archives house an incredible number of documents relating to Italian art and architecture of the 1900's. Across the Piazza Battisti, in the heart of the historic centre, is the River leno and Rovereto's 14th century castle which is home to the Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra, one of the most important war museum's in Italy.
Beyond the small Lake Loppio, you come to Torbole, on the shore of Lake Garda, and to Nago, on the slopes of Monte Altissimo. These two districts, which form a single comune, are two of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. Goethe was one of the most internationally renowned visitors to the area. He frequently wrote of the extraordinary mildness of the town's climate in his diaries. Today, Torbole has become a windsurfing and hang-gliding paradise due to the steady winds along the lake's shore. The nearby mountains make the area equally popular with trekkers and provide the perfect terrain for free-climbing and mountain biking.
Traveling along the Gardesana Road, you reach one of the pearls of Trentino, Riva del Garda. The town centers around the arcaded Piazza III Novembre, which opens out onto the harbor. Here, in the heart of the town are the Torre Apponale watch tower, the Palazzo Pretorio, and the Casa del Comune. Behind the piazza is Riva del Garda's beautifully preserved historic center, a maze of narrow medieval streets and pretty little squares.
Arco is town of numerous parks, gardens and elegant Liberty style villas and was once a favorite haunt of the noble classes of Mitteleuropa. Toady, Arco is frequented, not by aristocrats, but by free climbers and hang gliders, heading off to the spectacular group of rocks which soar skyward above the town. There are commanding views over the Sarca Valley from Arco Castle which is built upon the summit of one of these spurs of rock.
The Monte Bondone Tre Cime Nature Reserve is known as the Alps of Trento. Here there are numerous paths to be followed on foot or on horseback. There is also an Alpine Ecological Center and a Botanical Garden where, in an area of just 1200 square meters, a habitat has been created for over 2000 species of plants and flowers originating in the world's most important mountain ranges.
Lying in the Lower Adige Valley, the prosperous university town of Trento is historically famous, amongst other things, as the venue for the Council of Trent, which gave rise to the Counter Reformation, and for the executions of Italian Nationalists which took place in the Castello del Buonconsiglio during World War II. The old town is dominated by the Cathedral, the Duomo of San Vigilio. Here, also, in the Piazza Duomo, is the imposing San Giorgio Belltower and, in front of the cathedral, the spectacular neoclassical Neptune Fountain. The historic center echoes the past, but Trento also embraces new design and technology. The modern architecture of this town is exemplified in the New Science Museum, which has been designed by world famous architects, including Italy's Renzo Piano.
