The Adige Valley is one of the great Alpine transit valleys, stretching from Merano to Rovereto along the Adige River. It's a natural corridor linking northern and southern Europe, framed by dramatic mountains and dotted with vineyards, castles and lively towns.

The valley was shaped primarily by the river, though traces of glacial and gravity-driven processes are also visible. To the west rise the Southern Rhaetian Alps, to the east the Dolomites, while further south the Brescia and Garda Prealps face the Venetian Prealps across the valley floor. The scenery shifts with the seasons — lush green vineyards in spring, a near-Mediterranean warmth in summer, and golden harvest colours in autumn.

How to get there

• Trento or Bolzano — accessible by road and rail, easy
• Merano — starting point for the upper valley, easy access

Practical information

• The valley is crossed by the SS12 state road, the A22 motorway and the Brenner railway line
• The Bolzano-Merano stretch is served by a regional railway and the MeBo expressway

For centuries this corridor carried trade routes between Italy and Central Europe, a legacy still visible in the towns of Trento and Bolzano along the way.