Coincidentally, we left Merate Saturday April 25th which is an annual Italian public holiday – Festa della Liberazione. Our first stop was Trento, where we would spend two nights. Then the one we have been especially excited for: Falkensteiner Family Lido Resort.
We drove in a practically new light blue BYD Seal, which was a pleasure to drive (apart from the narrow roads around Merate) and extremely economical, since it was a hybrid.
I had onc mission for this trip – get a giant pretzel for Issy. She wanted to go to Germany to get one, but compromised with visting a German part of Italy for one! Did we succeed in our mission? Read on to find out…
Day One: The Road to Trento
Now that we have had a few trips under our belt, we’re getting better and better with packing and preparing. This made the morning fairly easy. We even had time to pop into Sangiorgio to see Francesco. He wanted to give us a Ring security camera to be installed after we returned.
We left home just after 10:30am, after a relaxed breakfast. The drive to Trento takes about two and a half hours, and roughly halfway we stopped at an Autogrill for lunch. To pass the time in the car, we played “spot the bell tower” out the windows, which Issy absolutely loved. The landscape between Merate and Trento is dotted with villages, each announcing itself with a campanile (or two) poking above the treeline, and the game kept her eyes glued to the window the whole way.
We arrived in Trento by 3pm and checked into our apartment. It was really lovely. Modern, well-appointed, and right in the heart of the city.
After settling in, we walked towards Piazza Duomo, the beating heart of Trento’s old town. On the way we stopped at a playground near the train station, and the girls ran off some of the car journey.
There was also a market in the nearby park, and we walked through it past a small lake where ducks paddled lazily in the afternoon sun. Near the Piazza, we stopped for gelato.
The piazza itself was buzzing. Trento was in the middle of the week-long Trento Film Festival (one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious mountain and adventure film festivals), so the streets were full of an energetic, outdoorsy crowd. It was, I noticed, a noticeably alternative vibe compared to our hometown of Merate. It was fair to say it was a younger, livelier scene.
We went inside the Duomo, Trento’s magnificent Romanesque cathedral, which dates back to the 13th century and looms magnificently over the piazza.
For aperitivo, we stopped at La Vie En Rose. Spritz for Rose, beer for me, aqua frizzante for Issy, and a generous spread of chips, cheese and salami included. Perfect.
On the walk home we discovered a garden maze, and the girls immediately disappeared into it. We also passed the Castello del Buonconsiglio, which unfortunately had closed for visitors for the day.
Back at the apartment, Rose cooked pasta for the girls and I headed down the road to pick up pizza from Pizza Granda. Unsurprisingly, they were delicious. Especially with an ice cold Forst Premium to wash it down.
Day Two: MUSE
I had planned an early morning run, but the morning had other ideas. Ilaria woke up early and I had to settle her back down before I could head out.
Then, walking outside, I spotted a free parking space right in front of our apartment. I couldn’t let that pass. I went back upstairs, grabbed the car keys, and moved the car from its spot 500 metres away. It sounds like a small thing, but securing that space felt like a genuine win: more convenient and saving us a few euros on parking. Satisfied, I headed out for my run.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Trento. I ran mainly along the Adige River, which flows through the city from its origins high in the Alps. The light on the water was lovely and the city was still quiet.
On the way back I hunted for bakeries to find a pretzel and breakfast for the girls, but virtually everything was closed. It was Sunday in Italy, after all.
Back home, we got the girls fed and ready for the day. Our. first stop was to have a snack before Muse. There was a panaficio nearby called Sosi Buona Pausa that was open, with giant pretzels in the window. Winning!
But we did have one problem Issy had her heart set on a chocolate pretzel, and these were strictly traditional. Turns out they don’t do chocolate pretzels anywhere in South Tyrol. But we declared the mission a success regardless. Pretzel found. Promise kept.
After breakfast we walked to the train station to catch the bus to MUSE ,Trento’s remarkable science museum. It was only about a five-minute bus ride, but the girls treated it like a proper adventure.
Walking in, the kids were immediately captivated. The building is extraordinary. Five floors open around a central atrium called “The Great Void”, flooded with natural light. Taxidermied animals from the Alpine ecosystem fill the upper floors, suspended in motion, while interactive exhibits and hands-on labs fill the lower levels. The dedicated kids’ area was a particular hit; they could have spent the whole day there. We toured all five levels and ended up staying nearly two hours.
After the museum we had lunch at Dal Marcante, a wonderful restaurant with a focus on local Trentino cuisine. It was unhurried, delicious, and exactly what we needed.
One thing I noticed throughout our time in Trento: the city takes sustainability seriously. As tourists, we were given a free Trentino Guest Card, which included not just discounts to museums and attractions, but free bus travel across the city. It’s a genuinely smart approach to tourism. Low impact, high value.
As we waited for the bus, Ilaria fell asleep. She slept the whole way back and kept on napping at the apartment, while Rose also went for a rest. Issy and I sat together and did drawings, which was lovely. One of those simple, quiet moments on a trip that stays with you.
After the nap, we all headed back into the centro storico for an evening wander. Rose and Issy browsed the shops while Ilaria and I played in a small playground.
Dinner was at Forst Trento, the local outpost of the famous South Tyrolean brewery. The menu leaned Germanic. Including giant pretzels served with the meals, so Issy’s pretzel goal was well and truly satisfied.
After dinner, Rose took Issy for gelato at a nearby restaurant since all the gelaterias were closed. I headed back to put Ilaria to bed.
With the kids asleep, we packed our bags for the early departure tomorrow. I put on Milan vs Juventus while we packed. I had planned to watch it at a pub somewhere but there was no where showing it! Even the spot recommended by our waiter at dinner turned out to be closed on Sundays. I’ll admit I was a little surprised. In Italy (in the north, no less), for a match like Milan-Juventus, I expected it to be easy to find a place to watch it. But in the end, it did work out better as I could pack and get to bed earlier.
Day Three: Checking Into Paradise
The girls were up early. Whether excitement or habit, hard to say. But the morning unfolded remarkably smoothly, thanks largely to the fact that Rose and I had packed and cleaned the apartment the night before. With just two nights’ worth of belongings and a clear head, checkout was easy.
At 8am Issy and I went downstairs to top up the parking meter. Rose got breakfast going for Ilaria – oats, the reliable option. I fed them to Ilaria and called mum, giving her a video tour of the apartment. She’d texted to say she’d received the postcard we sent from Lucca, which was lovely timing. I was also, coincidentally, wearing the t-shirt Rose had bought me from Lucca.
We were checked out just after 9am and walked to the panaficio from yesterday for breakfast, then into the car and set off.
Our first stop was Lago di Issengo – a small lake about five minutes from Falkensteiner that ChatGPT had flagged as a potential stopover with the kids (the more spectacular lakes in the area require more time and planning, and with two small children, logistics matter.) It was a reasonable theory, but in practice: disappointment. Everything was closed. The lake only really opens for summer season. Also, the lake itself was unremarkable. But we did admire the hotel there, used it for a bathroom break for Issy, and got a taste of the mountain road up to it, including a cyclist making their way up an almost impossibly steep incline with considerable determination.
Earlier, as we were just starting to drive, Rose called Falkensteiner ahead to book a pilates class and ask about early arrival. They told us we could come at noon, have lunch, and use the facilities until our room was ready. That changed our approach entirely: lake visit, then straight to the hotel.
We pulled into Falkensteiner’s car park, walked into reception, and within minutes were being taken to a table beside their private lake for a welcome briefing and a welcome aperitivo in the sunshine. The sun was shining, the mountains were all around us, and we hadn’t even seen our room yet. It was already clear this place was something special.
After lunch, we dropped both girls at the Falky Land kids’ club -separate rooms by age group, both supervised, both immediately adored. Rose and I collected our bags from the car, found that our room was already ready, and settled in.
The room was beautifully designed with families in mind. Two sinks – one full-sized, one at child height. The bunk beds tucked behind a blackout curtain that made the kids’ alcove genuinely pitch-dark, which is pure gold for afternoon naps. The only small hiccup: despite two confirmed requests, a cot hadn’t been placed in the room. I mentioned it to the lady who checked us in, and it appeared within minutes, along with a dedicated nappy bin. It’s the small things.
After Ilaria’s nap, the kids and I headed outside while Rose had a massage. First stop: the Falky Boat – a wooden raft with a pirate flag that crosses the hotel’s lake by pulling on a rope. We made the crossing and back while Ilaria narrated events to nobody in particular. Then we hit the outdoor playground, and then a dedicated toboggan hill with donut rings. I pushed both girls down from halfway up, which produced the kind of squealing laughter that echoes off mountains.
Then it was time for dinner was excellent — a generous spread of local and hearty mountain food, accompanied by a live accordion player. Both girls were enchanted by the music. And to cap the day perfectly, Issy got her photo with Falky, the hotel’s mascot.
Days Four to Six: Living the Falkensteiner Life
If Trento was stimulating and cultural, Falkensteiner was pure, guilt-free indulgence. Three days of pools, saunas, kids’ clubs, mountain air and excellent food.
The pool was the centrepiece of our days. Ilaria started out cautious. She wasn’t sold on her inflatable ring and just wanted to sit on the steps and splash. By the end of the stay she was launching herself into the water playing Crocodile Sitting on the Wall and having the time of her life.
Issy, meanwhile, made friends: Claudia and Pablo, a brother and sister whose parents, Fernando and Isabel, turned out to be lovely company. The kids bonded at the trampolines, played interactive video games together, queued for face-painting, and assembled at Falky Land each afternoon like it was a second home.
The trampolines deserved their own mention. Issy practically lived there. I took her several times, and each time Claudia appeared too, and they’d lose themselves for an hour at a time.
While the kids were occupied, Rose and I managed to relax and even check out the saunas.
On the third day, while the girls were at their activities (chocolate-making for Issy, free play for Ilaria), Rose and I went exploring the corners of the resort we hadn’t seen yet: the gym, the outdoor play areas on the upper level, a quiet indoor space with lounges and a self-serve tea station. We made ourselves cups of tea and sat and relaxed without interruption.
We even found an indoor football court, with a basketball ring, and I spent a very satisfying five minutes kicking a ball around (an AC Milan one, naturally) and shooting hoops.
The evenings were memorable in their own way. Face painting and then a family disco that Rose and Issy attended with great enthusiasm on the second-last night.
The final evening, after dinner, Issy went to Lego night at Falky Land with Claudia and Pablo. After this finished, Rose took Issy to a games night with Claudia and her family. I put Ilaria to bed and got ready for our journey home.
The Drive Home
Nobody slept well on the last night. The combination of too much excitement, too much sugar, and the awareness that we were leaving had filtered into the kids overnight. They woke early and were, to put it gently, feeling their emotions.
The positive was that we had plenty of time for a proper breakfast. After that it was brush teeth, final packing, bags to the car and checking out. We gathered in the lobby living area. The kids played with the toys and books while I gave mum a quick video call tour.
We got final family photos outside in the morning air, and then I took Issy for one last ten minutes on the trampolines. It seemed only right.
We were on the road by 11am. Ilaria fell asleep about twenty minutes in, which gave us cover to push our planned stop back to the two-hour mark (roughly halfway home) at a McDonald’s. It worked out perfectly as Ilaria woke up naturally about fifteen minutes before we arrived. Issy had also managed a little nap, and everyone arrived at the golden arches in decent spirits.
The kids were delighted with their Happy Meals – chips, nuggets, sliced apple, and, brilliantly, Uno cards and a Super Mario book as toys. I had a Big Mac meal and finished it with a buon caffe.
We got back on the road, stopped at the Conad for a supermarket shop, and finally pulled into home. Rose cooked schnitzel and vegetables for dinner while we unpacked in stages.
After dinner, we went for a passeggiata around the piazza, which was eerily quiet – barely anyone around, even Qbo closed at 8pm on what would normally be a busy night. Later that evening we googled it and found the answer: May 1st is a public holiday in Italy – Festa del Lavoro, Labour Day. This explained everything perfectly.
A Brief History of Trento & South Tyrol
After we left Trento, I found myself wanting to know more about the region. The food, the language, the architecture, and that particular cultural character that feels neither quite Italian nor quite Austrian, but something uniquely its own.
The area around Trento has been inhabited since antiquity, first by the Raetian peoples before the Romans arrived in 15 BC and brought it into the empire. But Trento’s defining moment came in 1027, when Emperor Conrad II granted rule of the area to the Bishopric of Trent – a political and religious arrangement that would last for nearly eight centuries, giving the city a unique autonomy within first the Holy Roman Empire, then the Austrian Empire.
The most historically significant event to unfold here was the Council of Trent (1545–1563), one of the most consequential gatherings in the history of Western Christianity. Called in response to the Protestant Reformation, the council met in Trento’s cathedral and in the Castello del Buonconsiglio – the great castle that still dominates the city’s skyline – to reshape and redefine the Catholic Church. You can still walk through the very rooms where those sessions were held.
Then comes the story of South Tyrol (Südtirol) which adds another fascinating dimension. For centuries, the broader Tyrol region was firmly part of the Austrian world, predominantly German-speaking, Alpine in character. After World War I, Italy annexed both the Italian-speaking Trentino and the German-speaking South Tyrol, pushing its border to the Alps. German-speaking Tyroleans suddenly found themselves Italian citizens, and the tension that created did not fade easily.
It wasn’t until the Gruber–De Gasperi Agreement of 1946, and a constitutional statute of autonomy in 1948, that the region was granted significant self-governance. Today, South Tyrol is one of the wealthiest, best-governed regions in Europe – officially bilingual (Italian and German), with a distinct cultural identity that blends Alpine Germanic traditions with Mediterranean warmth. You see it everywhere: in the architecture, the speck hanging in butcher windows, the pretzels in the bakeries, the German names on street signs beside their Italian equivalents. In 1996, the Euroregion Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino was formally established to reconnect what borders had divided. A testament to just how resilient regional identity can be.
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