Wild Brenta Dolomites & Lake Tovel Hut-to-Hut Trek

Over the next several days, you’ll cross two entirely different mountain ranges, climb above 2,400m through some of the wildest terrain in the Alps, and stand at the edge of Lake Tovel, once known as the “Red Lake” for waters that turned crimson every summer until 1964.

That journey starts here, in Val di Sole, a quiet valley wedged between the Ortler-Cevedale range and the Brenta Dolomites. Check into your hotel, get your gear sorted, and rest up.

Tomorrow, the wild begins!

Accommodation: 3-star hotel or B&B in Val di Sole

A morning lift carries you from the valley up to around 2,050m, dropping you straight into the heart of the Presanella group. These mountains are a different world from the Dolomites: crystalline rock, abundant water sources, and rich biodiversity in place of limestone and dramatic peaks.

The trail winds through pine forest before opening onto high-altitude meadows and alpine lakes, some tucked deep in the trees, others sitting wide open with sweeping panoramas. Along the way, you’ll get unobstructed views across to the Brenta Dolomites massif standing opposite. Keep an eye on the rocky slopes above the treeline, too; chamois are most active in these morning hours.

The Presanella is fed by the Mandrone Glacier, the largest in Trentino, which feeds the numerous lakes and streams scattered through the range.
The day ends at Lake Nambino, a quiet lake tucked into the forest, loved for its reflections and its calm.

Hiking: 13 km | ↑620m ↓880m | 5 hrs
Accommodation: Mountain hut at Lake Nambino (1,770m)

Your hike continues along the Presanella slopes, climbing higher into terrain that runs mostly above the treeline. The Five Lakes route is one of the most celebrated hikes in the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park: crystal-clear lakes reflecting the surrounding peaks, and meadows thick with rhododendrons and gentians.

You’ll reach these lakes well before the day-trippers arriving by lift from Madonna di Campiglio, giving you the trail to yourself in the early hours, often the best time to spot chamois grazing or bounding across the rocky slopes. The park is also home to a successful brown bear reintroduction program, launched in 1999.

The day ends with a descent into Madonna di Campiglio, an elegant Alpine resort that’s welcomed mountain enthusiasts since the late 1800s. It’s a good spot to slow down for an aperitivo, a gelato, or both, and take in the town before heading deeper into the wilderness tomorrow.

Hiking: 14 km | ↑670m ↓920m | 6 hrs
Accommodation: Mountain hut in Madonna di Campiglio (1,460m)

Leaving Madonna di Campiglio, the route heads straight for the dramatic heart of the Brenta Dolomites. The first landmark is the Vallesinella Waterfalls, one of the park’s most iconic and photographed sights.

The trail climbs gently through pine forest, crossing the stream several times over wooden bridges, close enough to feel the spray off the falls. Above the waterfalls, the forest gradually thins as the massive walls of the central Brenta rise ahead.

Tonight’s hut sits at around 2,200m, with west-facing views across to the glacial Adamello group, a fitting reward after a day of climbing, especially at sunset, when the glaciers still crowning its peaks catch the last light.

Hiking: 11 km | ↑860m ↓200m | 5 hrs
Accommodation: Mountain hut (2,190m)

Today’s shorter trek puts you right in the middle of the rocky, high-altitude landscape that defines the Brenta. The trail follows the base of Cima Grostè, the range’s most striking peak, walking above 2,300m on distinctive Dolomite limestone: sharp pinnacles, deep gullies, and rock faces on every side.

The route to Passo Grostè takes just a few hours, with views west toward the Presanella and Adamello ranges. From here, you have options: settle in for a leisurely afternoon at the pass, or take the optional two-hour detour to Orti della Regina, where thousands of fossilized mollusks sit embedded in the rock, remnants of the prehistoric ocean that formed these mountains some 230 million years ago.

The Brenta Dolomites carry a distinctive reddish coloring, uncommon among Dolomite peaks. Tonight’s hut sits beneath Pietra Grande, arguably the most striking red-colored formation in the range. Don’t miss sunset: the alpenglow on these walls is one of the trek’s signature moments, and Passo Grostè offers a front-row seat.

Hiking: 8 km | ↑570m ↓310m | 4 hrs
Accommodation: Mountain hut at Passo Grostè (2,440m)

Today is mostly downhill: a long descent from Passo Grostè through the wide meadows of Val Flavona, a broad basin deep in the inner Brenta. Early on, watch for the Turrion Tower, a striking, layered rock pillar rising over 200m straight out of the open landscape, one of the Brenta’s most recognizable natural landmarks.

The trail is gentle and well-maintained despite the elevation loss, so there’s no need to rush. Lake Tovel is the highlight: turquoise-blue water throwing near-perfect reflections of the surrounding peaks, in a setting that still feels largely untouched. This is the famous “Red Lake,” known for turning crimson each summer until 1964 due to the alga Tovellia sanguinea, a phenomenon that ended as mysteriously as it began and left behind local legends, including the story of Queen Tresenga.

Take your time here. Lake Tovel rewards those who linger, with its ever-changing light and quiet atmosphere.

Hiking: 15 km | ↑70m ↓1,310m | 5 hrs
Accommodation: Mountain hut at Lake Tovel (1,170m)

If you are up to it, start the day early with a short walk to Lake Tovel’s northern shore before breakfast. Morning light hits the peaks while the lake surface stays in shadow, creating some of the best reflections of the whole trek.

From here, the route heads into the northern Brenta, the least-visited and most ecologically diverse part of the range. Red dolomite rock, green pastures, and pine forest all blend together, and hikers thin out fast: expect real solitude, and quite possibly more marmots than people today. Their whistling calls often echo across the slopes as you approach, so keep an ear out.

The destination is Monte Peller, an outlying peak at the Brenta’s northern edge. About an hour before reaching the hut, the route passes a traditional alpine farm known for its dairy, a good spot to stop and try the Casolet cheese made using techniques that go back generations.

Hiking: 13 km | ↑1,190m ↓390m | 6 hrs
Accommodation: Mountain hut near Monte Peller (2,090m)

The final hiking day offers a choice. The more ambitious option is an early ascent of Monte Peller itself, a demanding, exposed trail with secured sections leading to an isolated 2,320m summit. The reward is a 360-degree panorama taking in the northern and central Brenta, with views stretching to the Ortler-Cevedale group.

The gentler alternative heads to Lake Salare, a small, calm tarn set in green meadows about two hours from the hut. It’s long been a favorite subject for landscape artists, and makes for a quiet, fitting close to the wilderness stretch of the trip. Listen for marmots along either route; their sharp whistling calls carry across the slopes as they warn the colony of approaching danger.

Whichever option you choose, the afternoon brings a descent through mixed forest back toward the valley, followed by a transfer back to base camp in Val di Sole.

Hiking: 15 km | ↑520m ↓640m | 5 hrs
Accommodation: 3-star hotel or B&B in Val di Sole

The trek draws to a close this morning. After breakfast at your hotel, you’re free to depart Val di Sole at your own pace. The Adamello-Brenta Nature Park stands as one of the best-preserved regions in the Alps, a blend of monumental Dolomite peaks, dense forest, and rich alpine wildlife you’ve now walked through firsthand.

The memories worth taking home: sunset glow on Pietra Grande, Lake Tovel’s mirror-still surface at dawn, the whistle of marmots at Pian della Nana, the cool spray off the Vallesinella waterfalls. These are the moments that make the Brenta Dolomites special.
This is hiking at its finest: challenging enough to feel earned, beautiful enough to stay with you long after you’ve returned home.