Discover Centa San Nicolò: Vigolana and chestnuts

Centa San Nicolò lies on the western side of the Vigolana at an altitude of 833 m and combines mountain scenery with an unusually rich history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Centa San Nicolò, you will find opportunities here for a variety of holiday activities: hikes and cycling routes, stream landscapes, historical traces and the chestnut culture of the Valle del Centa.

Hiking between the Vigolana and the Torrente Centa

Rifugio Paludei can be reached via the paved SS della Fricca road, slightly above the town centre. Alternatively, an approximately 3 km-long forest road leads there from Malga Doss del Bue at 1,027 m; this forest road is closed to cars. Rifugio Paludei serves as a starting point and rest stop for hikes at lower elevations, walks and cycling routes. More demanding tours lead to Rifugio Casarota, Monte Spilech, Becco di Filadonna and the Bivacco “alla Madonnina”, with its distinctive rock spire.

The SAT Trail 442 also offers a clearly structured route: It starts at the S.P. 349 della Fricca near Bar Ristorante Sindech and leads along a wooded, steeply ascending path to Rifugio Casarota. From there, it continues to the ridge between Bècco di Filadonna and Terza Cima. From Frisanchi, the highest-altitude hamlet of the former municipality of Centa San Nicolò, a forest road leads to the SAT Trail 444. Trekking del Gusto complements the mountain trails with a 4 km-long, partly unpaved hike through chestnut groves, including tastings of products from the Vigolana.

Stream landscapes, historical traces and mountain architecture

The Parco fluviale del Torrente Centa preserves and opens up access to structural remains where the power of the Centa stream once drove mill and sawmill wheels. Developed paths along the Centa stream are suitable for hiking, mountain biking and horse riding. The Torrente Centa forms small white pebble beaches; the spectacular waterfall of Valimpach is also located along it. In the village of Campregheri, there are small fortifications from the First World War.

A distinctive destination in the mountain landscape is the Bivacco Vigolana, which was rebuilt in 2016 with an innovative design in the shape of an inverted truncated pyramid. When choosing your accommodation, it is therefore worth deciding what you want to focus on during your days: The routes described open up various hiking and cycling routes, while the Torrente Centa combines nature observation with discoveries of cultural and historical significance.

Centa San Nicolò: Settlement history and chestnut culture

A document from 1216 provides evidence of the early development of the settlement of Centa San Nicolò. The Prince-Bishop of Trento, Federico Vanga, assigned the mountain between Folgaria and Centa to Urico and Enrico from Bolzano, so that farmsteads could be built there and the area made fertile and settled. The historic community of Centa comprised numerous settlements known as masi or frazioni: Tonezzeri, Strada, Conci, Wolfi, Paldaofi, Chiesa, Lambri, Martinelli, Rossi, Uezi, Valle, Doss, Fontani, Sàdleri, Cioli, Pàcheri, Macani, Menegòi, Tiecheri, Frisanchi, Campregheri, Girardi, Gremesi, Pradi, Rauteri and Stauderi. The community of Centa is said to have already been equipped with a carta di regola in 1315.

Chestnut cultivation is also part of the local character. In the Valle del Centa, it was a valuable and profitable activity for many years; one kilogram of chestnuts was exchanged for one kilogram of flour. To this day, 800 fruit trees are recorded there. The Festa della Castagna della Valle del Centa is scheduled to take place on 24 and 25 October 2026 in Centa San Nicolò and is organised by the Pro Loco Centa San Nicolò.

More destinations for your planning

Alba, Valle San Felice, Tremalzo, Piscine, Calceranica Al Lago, Tiarno Di Sopra, Grauno, Soraga

To the higher-level travel overview: Trentino.