Tovel Visitors Centre, Lago di Tovel, Valle di Non, tel. 0463 451033
Province: TRENTO
Area: 61,800 hectares
Information
Direzione del Parco Naturale Adamello-Brenta, Strembo, Val Rendena, Via Nazionale 12
tel. 0465 804637
Getting there
For the Non Valley, take the SS 12 (the Brenner road) or the A 22 motorway from Turin going north, as far as San Michele all’Adige. You then go towards Mezzolombarda on the SS 43 for the Tonale Pass. At Rocchetta you take the SP 73 in the direction of Denna, Flavon and Tuenno, which are points of departure for the Campa mountain subgroup and the northern part of the Brenta group.
Geography
Set in the heart of the Alps, the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park is the largest protected area in Trentino with a total area of 618 sq. km. It is situated in west Trentino amongst the Giudicarie, Non and Sole valleys and it stretches over two distinct geological areas – the Brenta Dolomites in the east and the granite Adamello-Presanella Massif in the west, with numerous glacial areas straddling the borders with Lombardy.
Excursions
Excursions with Alpine guides to the most interesting parts of the park.
Visits
The Visitors Centre (open June to September) is in Tovel, in the middle of the park on the banks of Lake Tovel.
Description
In general the park is typical of the central southern Alps, with splendid woods, mainly coniferous, up to 1900-2000 m. Above that there are Alpine meadows and rock vegetation up to and beyond 2,500 m. More than a third of the park is covered with woods and forests. Amongst the conifers there are spruces, larches, firs and Scotch pines. Lower down there are broadleaf trees such as maples, cornels, service trees, hazel trees, small oaks and alders. Above 2000 m, the woods thin out and adaptation to the severe weather conditions produces the so-called “contorted” shrubs, such as the Swiss mountain pine and the rhododendron, and dwarf shrubs such as azaleas and creeping willows. The Alpine meadows are starry with gentians, gentianellas, Alpine anemones, arnicas, Alpine buttercups, poppies and lilies. Higher up there are edelweiss and Icelandic lichen. There is also a wide variety of wildlife, with many rare species living only in the Alps, which is evidence of the remarkable integrity of the park. The most important are the last remaining brown Alpine bears which are now extinct in the whole of the Alps except for those in a small part of the park in the north-east part of the Brenta, where studies and research are being carried out to ensure their survival. The most common ungulates are the chamois of which there are about 6,000, and there are also deer and roe deer. Other animals include marmots, squirrels, badgers, stoats, weasels, martens, stone-marten and hares. Birdlife is also very interesting with black partridges, wood grouse, gallo forcello, rock ptarmigan, Alpine swifts, woodpeckers, cuckoos, eagle owls, little owls and tawny owls. Predators include the falcon, the kestrel and the eagle in majestic flight above his hunting territory.
Tovel Visitors Centre, Lago di Tovel, Valle di Non, tel. 0463 451033
