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All the castles in Val di Non: how to choose and which can be visited

Val di Non has one of the highest concentrations of castles in Europe: some are still inhabited, others have fallen into disuse and yet others are in ruins. There are more than twenty in total, including castles that have belonged to noble families since the Middle Ages. Let's discover together how to visit them!

Castles open to the public in Val di Non

Let's see which castles are open to the public, which are private residences that can only be visited from the outside, and which are ruins that you can visit on your own. We start with the five castles that are open to the public: Castel Valer, Castel Nanno, Castel Coredo, Castel Belasi, and Castel Thun.

Castel Valer


Castel Valer is one of the few castles in Trentino Alto Adige that was inhabited until recently. It was in fact the home of Count Ulrich Spaur, whose family has lived in the castle and looked after this fairytale home for 26 generations. It is amazing how Valer Castle has been maintained all this time, since 1346. There are 12 rooms to visit, including the Gothic kitchen, the Madruzzi rooms, the coat of arms room, the loggia and the gardens. The rooms are perfectly furnished and lived in, and make you dream of everyday life in a castle.

The great octagonal tower, which at 41 metres is the tallest in Trentino, and the wonderful Chapel of San Valerio are two things that remain in the memory of visitors to Castel Valer. This chapel was entirely frescoed by Giovanni and Battista Baschenis in 1473. The prestigious patronage of Rolando Spaur allowed them to use valuable materials, especially gilding and intense pigments such as azurite and malachite. Another very important aspect is the fact that Castel Valer has always remained in the hands of the Spaur family: this has allowed it to be kept alive, and the feeling visitors get is that of stepping into the real life of an aristocratic family.

Visits
Castel Valer is open every Saturday, Sunday and Monday. You can only visit the castle with a guided tour, which must be booked online or by calling the Val di Non Tourist Office on +39 0463 830133 or writing to info@visitvaldinon.it.
The visit takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

How to get there
Castel Valer is located just above the village of Tassullo. Cars should be parked in the main Carlo Antonio Pilati square. From the square, take the dirt road through the apple orchards which will bring you to the castle in about fifteen minutes. The castle is also easily accessible by public transport. In fact, the local train from Trento and from Val di Sole stops at Tassullo. The castle is 1.4 km from the station, with a slight difference in altitude of 70 metres.

Tickets
You can buy your ticket online or, after booking by phone, you can buy it directly from the guide who will accompany you on your visit. You will meet your guide 10 minutes before the start of the tour at the entrance to the castle. Full-price tickets cost € 15.00, concession tickets for Trentino Guest Card holders and groups of more than 15 cost €12.00. The price for children aged 4-14 with the Trentino Guest Card is €10.00. If you would also like to visit nearby Castel Nanno, you can buy a combined ticket (always remember to check when Castel Nanno is open). All the latest information can be found here.

Book your visit to Castel Valer online!

Castel Nanno


Castel Nanno is not far from Castel Valer. Immediately striking is its peculiar shape, which distinguishes it from the other castles in the valley as its architecture is in fact reminiscent of 15th century Italian villas. Its hilltop position means it can be seen from anywhere in the valley, and it has a sober elegant shape, with a central turret that faces the peaks of the Brenta Dolomites. The gardens are surrounded by a very low wall with a watchtower at each of the four corners: their shape suggests they were built for ornamental purposes and certainly not for defence! The interiors of the castle are unfurnished and visitors can admire the architecture of the rooms, their wooden ceilings and painted walls and the splendid views from their stained glass windows.

Castel Nanno is also the setting for many of the stories and legends in Val di Non: from the witch trials, when three women from the village were interrogated and then burned at the stake, to the tragic love story between Melisenda and Ludovico. Their love was opposed by the Count of Castel Nanno, who ordered them to be walled up in the castle's dungeon. The event took place "when the May moon rose for the second time" and it is said that even today, on May nights, the lovers' cries echo within the castle walls. Read the full legend here.

Visits
Castel Nanno is open every Sunday from spring 2024 for unaccompanied tours. Check the calendar here for opening times.
Booking is not obligatory, but if you wish, you can book your visit on a selected day and then decide when to visit the castle between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.Alternatively, you can just turn up at the entrance, buy your ticket and you will be given all the information about the castle before you visit the interiors.

The visit takes approximately 45 minutes.

How to get there
From Tassullo, follow the main road for 1.5 km until you reach the village of Nanno. Leave your car just after the Melinda apple warehouse, near the municipal depot (pink building) in Via Enrico Bergamo 38. From here walk through the apple orchards for 5 minutes following the signs. Turn right at the traffic lights and you will find a small cobbled path that leads directly up to the foot of the castle.

Tickets
Tickets can be purchased at the castle, and must be paid for in cash. Full-price tickets cost €6.00, concession tickets for children aged 4 to 14 cost €5.00. Trentino Guest Card holders, children under the age of 4 and disabled persons with an adult companion are admitted free of charge. The price for groups (more than 15) using our guide is €5.00, with their own guide €4.00. For all the latest information, click here.

Castel Coredo


Castel Coredo is a little known castle, perhaps because it is hidden and sheltered by trees on a hill at the edge of the village of Coredo. The castle is still inhabited, but the owners only spend short periods of time here. Since 2019, visits have been possible in the company of a guide who will take you not only to Castel Coredo but also to Palazzo Nero in the centre of the village. Castel Coredo has impressive private rooms, great hall and a large picture gallery. There are plenty of furnishings and period objects, some of which are very interesting.

Visits
Castel Coredo will reopen in the spring of 2024.
The castle can only be visited with a guided tour, which is easy to book online or by calling the Val di Non Tourist Office on +39 0463 830133 or writing to info@visitvaldinon.it.
The visit also includes Palazzo Nero, a well-preserved historical building dating back to the 15th century. It was the seat of the courts and in the 17th century was the site of a witchcraft trial in which 150 people were accused and several women were executed in the square in front of the building.
A visit to both Castel Coredo and Palazzo Nero takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

How to get there
Castel Coredo is located just beyond the centre of Coredo. We recommend parking in one of the village car parks near the main square.

TicketsYou can buy your ticket online or, after booking by phone, you can buy it at the APT Tourist Office in the centre of Coredo, in Piazza Cigni 2.
This is also where you will meet the guide who will take you first to Palazzo Nero and then to Castel Coredo. Full-price tickets cost € 10.00 , concession tickets for children aged 5 to 14 and groups of more than 20 cost €8.00. The ticket is free for Trentino Guest Card holders, children under the age of 4 years and disabled persons with an adult companion.
Click here for all the latest information.

Book your visit to Palazzo Nero and Castel Coredo online!

Castel Belasi


Castel Belasi is the true guardian of Val di Non: nobody passes by unnoticed! Belasi Castle is in fact located at the southern entrance to Val di Non, called Rocchetta. This is a narrow gap between rocks that acts as a watershed between the Val d’Adige and Val di Non. It is strategic because it is an obligatory passage, guarded from above by Castel Belasi. It is mentioned as far back as the 13th century and still today looks like a massive, well-fortified castle, as the two suspended watch towers testify. After extensive restoration work, it was opened to the public in 2019 and hosts annual exhibitions, especially of contemporary art.

Visits
The castle is currently closed and will reopen in the spring of 2024.

How to get there
Come off the SS 43 state road at Crescino and take the road that goes uphill signposted for Campodenno. Past the hamlet of Dercolo and just before Campodenno, at a hairpin bend, take the SP 55 road to Segonzone. From here follow the signs for the castle and the car park.

Tickets
The ticket office is at the entrance to the castle. Full–price tickets cost €6.00, concession tickets for children under the age of 18 cost €3.00. All the latest information can be found here.
Free admission: every first Sunday of the month.

Castel Thun


This is undoubtedly the most famous castle in Val di Non. In 1992 it was bought by the Province of Trento and carefully restored. It reopened to the public in 2010 and has since become one of the most popular castles in Trentino Alto Adige. This is no coincidence, as the castle has more than 40 fully furnished rooms, with a wealth of paintings, furniture, tiled stoves and ornaments. Magnificent interiors enrich the kitchens on the ground floor, the dining rooms and right up to the famous Bishop's Room. This is a large bedroom, completely panelled in pine wood, with a splendid coffered ceiling decorated with the Thun family coat of arms that dates back to 1670. There is a large four-poster bed in the centre of the room and from the windows you can see the entire valley and the other castles in the surrounding area.

Castel Thun is open to the public:
Until 7 January open daily from 9.30 am to 5 pm.From 8 to 31 January open Saturday and Sunday from 9.30 am to 5 pm.
CLOSED ALL OF FEBRUARY AND UNTIL 22 MARCH.
From 23 March to 30 April open Tuesday to Sunday 9.30 am to 5 pm. Special opening on Monday 1 April (Easter Monday).From 1 May to 3 November open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Extra opening: every Monday in August.
NB: Last admission to the museum half an hour before closing.

Visits
To visit the castle, you must book your visit directly online at https://ticket.midaticket.it/castellobuonconsiglio/Events.
Booking allows you to reserve access to the castle and museum collections at a specific time. You can enter the castle no later than 30 minutes after your reserved slot.
There is a cafeteria in the castle gardens for a break or quick meal.
The duration of the free visit varies according to individual interests: approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes is recommended.

How to get there
Castel Thun is located above the village of Vigo di Ton. Parking is available at the foot of the castle and further down in the village centre. From the village it is a 20-minute walk uphill to the castle. Alternatively, in summer you can use the shuttle bus that runs between the village and the castle. It runs every Saturday from mid-July to the first Sunday in September and every day in August. The timetable is 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm, runs every 20 minutes and costs €1.50 each way. The castle is difficult to reach by public transport. From the villages of Predaia, however, there are e-bike routes that drop down into the small valley below the castle and then climb up to the castle.

Tickets
It is advisable to book your slot online and purchase your ticket at the castle's ticket office, just inside the walls. You can visit the castle on your own or use the audio guide for €2.50. You can also book a guided tour by contacting the castle in advance. Full-price tickets cost €8.00, concession tickets cost €6.00. Free entry for Trentino Guest Card holders. All the latest information can be found here.

Private castles in Val di Non to admire from the outside

After having reviewed the 5 castles in Val di Non that are open to the public, here are 4 other castles that are just as fascinating, but can only be admired from the outside.

Castel Cles


Many would like to see the inside of Cles Castle, which is reflected in the waters of Lake Santa Giustina. Unfortunately, it is a private residence, but there are many points from which it can be seen: the viewing terrace of Doss de Pez and the path from Cles to Doss de Pez. Or, if you are looking for a completely original perspective, you can hire a canoe and paddle all the way under the castle!

Castel Malgolo


Castel Malgolo is a fortified castle located on the main road up to Passo Mendola and Passo Palade. We locals in Val di Non often pass it and can't help but look up at the castle to see if the lights are on or if there is any movement. This too is a private residence.

Castel Bragher


Castel Bragher is another private castle and its owners are descendants of the Thun family. It's located between Coredo and Taio, and a walk through Bosco Orna takes you to a beautiful panoramic terrace above the castle.

Castel Casez


Castel Casez is located in the historic centre of the small village of Casez and overlooks the main square. It is therefore very easy to see the exterior!

The castle ruins in Val di Non, fascinating little-visited destinations

Last but not least, there are the castles that have survived as ruins. There are three of these, all with their own charm yet rarely visited. Here you will have centuries of history and great views to keep you company!

Castello d’Altaguardia


Castello d'Altaguardia is the highest castle in Trentino, standing 1280 metres above sea level. It is located in the north of the valley, in an extremely panoramic and strategic position, hence its name (literally High Guard). The oldest evidence dates back to 1218 and it was abandoned at the end of the 18th century. Today, all that remains of the castle are its mighty walls and an atmosphere that recalls the lyrics of songs by the Italian singer Branduardi. Castello d'Altaguardia can only be reached on foot from Bresimo, in about 45 minutes on an uphill path, here is a description of the route.

Castel Sporo


The first mentions of Castel Sporo also date back to the 13th century. It is located in the south of the valley, in a completely different position from Castello d'Altaguardia, and dominates the road that historically linked Val di Non to Val d'Adige and Sarca. The few ruins of the castle have been restored thanks to the municipality of Sporminore. It can be reached on foot or by car from the Castel Sporo road, which goes up from the village of Sporminore and then becomes a dirt road.

Castel Corona


Situated above the village of Cunevo, Castel Corona was created out of a cave in the mountain wall. It is a fortress dating back to the 13th century and was built by exploiting a gorge in the wall, which had already been used in the Bronze Age. There are no signs for the castle and we advise you not to go near it as the rock in the area is crumbling. However, if you look down from the village, you can see the building embedded in the rock!

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Val di Non Tourism Office
Via Roma, 21 - 38013 Borgo d'Anaunia TN

If you prefer a direct mail or talk to someone:
info@visitvaldinon.it - +39 0463 830133

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