Everything you need to know about the most distinctive hermitage in Europe, perched atop the rock.San Romedio Sanctuary is one of the most distinctive hermitages in Europe. It stands atop a 70 metre high rocky outcrop in the Val di Non. According to the legend, San Romedio lived here with only a bear for a friend.
The hermitage is made up of five little churches stacked on top of each other, all built on a rocky spur and connected by a long staircase with 131 steps. The footpath leading to San Romedio Sanctuary is one of the most significant religious walks in Trentino.
San Romedio Sanctuary is much loved by children and families because of the magnificent bear which lives in the hermitage’s nature reserve. The Trentino bear has long been synonymous with San Romedio. The presence of the bear at the sanctuary derives to an ancient Trentino legend connecting San Romedio and bears.
How to get on foot
- along the panoramic walk in the rock starting in front of the Rhaetian Museum (about 5,5 km there and back) where you can also park the car
- From Don village: on path SAT 539
- From Coredo or Tavon: on paths SAT 537 and 535
- From Malgolo: through the path "Lez di Malgolo"
What to do at the Sanctuary of San Romedio
The tour of the sanctuary takes one hour.
Two are the experiences everyone should do: look out from the highest point of the rock and try to see Bruno, the beautiful bear who lives here after being saved from a state of
segregation.
On the ground floor you will find the cafeteria and a small souvenir shop.
The San Romedio Sanctuary is also home to the permanent exhibition “San Romedio: one thousand years of history, art and devotion” which brings together precious restored votive offerings dedicated to the Saint with the bear.
Outside the sanctuary, there is a green area with benches and a few tables: the perfect place to relax observing the features of this building from the outside.
San Romedio is one of the stops on the pilgrimage Il Papa delle Dolomiti, organized for the Jubilee 2025.
The route winds through the sanctuaries visited by Blessed John Paul I; as a child, Pope Luciani often visited the sanctuary with his grandparents and fellow villagers. Later, he even wrote a unique letter to San Romedio’s bear.
