Overview
Not as "messy" as other iconic Italian sites, Trento is a small, cozy city in the heart of the Alps of Northern Italy. As such, the lifestyle and local cultural heritage have been influenced by the surrounding natural landmarks, and are closer to a Central European (rather than strictly Mediterranean) taste - still, Italian stereotypes apply... (i.e., food & wine).
The University of Trento is rather young (about 60 years or so), but quickly ranked among the best academic poles in the country in a variety of disciplines. Besides, with the growth of the university (both in quality and quantity), Trento has decisively freshened up, and it's not unlikely that you'll come across cultural events throughout the city in the days of the workshop - stay tuned!
The workshop will take place in Palazzo Consolati, Via S. Maria Maddalena 1, a beautiful XVIII-century building located right in the centre of Trento (a 10-minute walk from the main station) that hosts the Interdepartmental Centre for Medical Sciences of the University of Trento.
Finally, as much as we should be advising you on what to do during your stay in Trentino (you have the faculty to ask), we came to the conclusion that an excellent website can do a better job : )
How to reach Trento
TRAIN
The city of Trento lies along the route between Munich and Bologna; as such, it is connected via direct train lines from both the north (Munich, Innsbruck, Bozen) and the south (Verona, Bologna).
Tickets and timetables are available on the websites of the major train operators:
- Trenitalia, Italo - all Italian routes
- Deutsche Bahn - routes from Munich/Innsbruck
Needless to say, local trains (label: R or RV) are somewhat slower - and cheaper - than high-speed trains (Frecciarossa), despite occasional discounts might apply in the latter case.
PLANE
Trento (alas...) doesn't come with an airport - still, several options are available for those who travel by plane.
The closest airport is Verona (Valerio Catullo - VRN), which is connected to the city train station (Verona Porta Nuova) via the Verona Airlink service.
Further - and farther - options are:
- Bologna (Guglielmo Marconi - BLQ)
- Venezia (Marco Polo - VCE)
- Bergamo-Orio al Serio (Il Caravaggio - BGY)
all of which are served with dedicated shuttle/bus/train services to and from the airport.
Lastly, we note that one of the major Italian hubs, i.e., Milano (often the most desirable option to fly), features occasional direct high-speed trains and/or frequent connections to Trento via Verona.
CAR
Access to the city of Trento by car is straightforward via the A22 highway - yet:
- most of the historical city center is closed to the circulation of vehicles (authorization might be allowed upon request to the municipality)
- traffic limitations might apply that inhibit the circulation of older vehicles (i.e., belonging to the lower categories according to the European Emission Standard) through the whole city
Either way, several (mostly free-of-charge) parking lots are located about the city and close to highway exits, often connected by bus lines to and from the city center.
A word of advice: despite the local transport network covering the whole of the Trentino territory quite efficiently, a car (either one's own or via rental services) might be the best option to reach most of the natural attractions Trentino has to offer - e.g., the Dolomites and the Garda lake.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
The city of Trento is served by an efficient network of bus lines. Single tickets might be acquired on board in cash (the lazy and expensive way), at tobacco shops, and at railway and bus stations. Yet, a better alternative - often associated with small discounts on fares - is offered by mobile ticketing APPs, e.g., OpenMove (check out the website for info and fares).
Another word of advice: Get Directions utilities on map services (e.g., Google Maps) might be extremely helpful to move within and to/from the city.