Ferrata di Preore

Overview

The Preore Via Ferrata, also known as the Artpinistic Tour of the Niere, is a remarkably interesting equipped route that unfolds at accessible elevations near Preore, above Tione di Trento. The route stands out for its variety, alternating easy and moderate via ferrata sections with hiking on trail. Its defining feature is the integration of numerous and original works of art and wooden sculptures along the route, from which the name "artpinistic" derives. The itinerary offers a complete experience, balancing moderate technical challenge with a strong aesthetic and environmental component, suitable for a wide audience.

Approach

The access point to the route is the village of Preore, overlooking Tione di Trento. Coming from Trento or Riva del Garda, a roundabout just before the entrance to Tione marks the right turn for the climb up to Preore. Once in the village, follow the signs on the left for Passo Daone and Larzana. After the first hairpin turn, you can park your car at a picnic area adjacent to the local climbing crag, a well-identified starting point.

Via Ferrata

From the parking area, head toward the climbing crag, where two trails branch off. Take the right-hand one (the left-hand trail will be used for the return), climb some steep wooden steps, and in about five minutes you reach the start of the route, marked by a white plaque.

The itinerary begins with a diagonal traverse to the left that easily skirts a rocky spur. Past this, you ascend a stepped section that leads to the most challenging passage: a vertical wall to be tackled toward the right. The rock, compact and smooth, offers good natural holds, though slightly spaced apart, requiring an active search for footholds. Beyond this section, you find yourself below a shallow dihedral; after climbing it, a vertical wall is equipped with some metal stirrups that aid progression. This first part, more vertical and technical, ends on rocky ledges, giving an immediate sense of the effort required.

The route then continues along trails and ledges with no difficulty, protected by cables only in exposed spots. This sector, developed on a wooded slope and broad ledges, hosts most of the characteristic works of art, integrating them perfectly into the natural environment. Climbing through the woods, you encounter a wooden ladder wedged between two narrow walls, which leads to a panoramic viewpoint. Beyond this point, the trail drops slightly and the second equipped section begins, marked by a long and spectacular horizontal traverse on the rock. The passage, exposed but not difficult, unfolds along a natural ledge offering an excellent foothold and steps in the rock, allowing smooth and continuous progression. After rounding a spur, the traverse ends and you overcome a short vertical stretch.

You resume the trail through the woods until you reach a bell; here an optional variant has been added with a short suspension bridge. After a few meters, the two paths rejoin. Then a new, easy traverse to the right begins, beyond which you find the summit register. The trail continues with a well-equipped vertical wall, a short and easy traverse to the left, and finally a couple of slightly descending sections, also without difficulty. The pace becomes more walkable, with gentle ups and downs. You then descend along the forest trail, still accompanied by wooden sculptures, but the equipment of the Preore Via Ferrata is now finished. The via ferrata takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Descent

The descent is simply a matter of continuing along the trail, which in about 10 minutes leads back to the climbing crag and then to the starting parking area. The entire circuit, including approach and descent, takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Useful Notes

This pleasant low-altitude via ferrata is suitable to be done in almost any season. It concentrates its modest technical difficulties mainly in the first section, which is more vertical, while the rest of the route is more walkable and enriched by the artistic element, making it a mixed-character itinerary that is more scenic and environmental than purely athletic. For navigation, it is advisable to use detailed maps of the Giudicarie area, the Adamello-Presanella range, or the Brenta Group. The Preore Via Ferrata pairs well with other equipped routes in the Val del Chiese and the Giudicarie, such as the Rio Sallagoni Via Ferrata, the Colodri Via Ferrata, or the Signora delle Acque Via Ferrata toward Riva del Garda, or the more challenging Pisetta Via Ferrata and Segata Via Ferrata in the direction of Trento.