Lavis (Trentino, Italy)

Lavis is a small town in Trentino in the northern Italy, about 9 km north of Trento. It has the population of about 9,000 people and an area of 12.4 square kilometres.

It has two train stations: one is on the main Trenitalia Verona-Bolzano/Bozen train line, the other is a local Trentino Trasporti Trento-Malé line. Although the town has two train stations, it is anything but easy to reach. The Trenitalia station is located quite far from the town and seems to be not accessible for pedestrians: there are no pedestrian walks on the main road leading to the town. But one might walk for about 10 minutes to the Trento-Malé stop of Zambana, and take the train to Lavis centre. An easier way is simply to get off in Trento and then either take a bus or take the aforementioned Trento-Malé train and get off at Lavis station. A bit cumbersome for a town with its own two train stations but that's how it is.

Lavis station on the Trento-Malé line

When I decided to visit the town, I went for a not so easy route: having arrived at Trenitalia station and realised that I could not walk to the town, I walked to Zambana and took the Trento-Malé train to Lavis. The timing of the train was unfortunate, as just when I arrived at Zambana station, the train had already closed and locked its doors and was about to leave. So I had to wait for another 30 minutes for the next train. The weather was not the best that day - rainy and cold, at least first half of the day - so it was not the nicest experience sitting in the cold station in the middle of nowhere.

Zambana station on the Trento-Malé line

I was already rethinking my choices of visiting the town at all but I decided to do it after all, since the next connection was to Lavis anyway. I am glad I did so.

The town turned out to be really lovely. Its colourful buildings brightened up an otherwise grey day and gave the place a lively feel. Everyone seemed to know each other and was chatting away at the only open bar, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere. I even found some postcards at the tabaccheria - they weren’t the newest or most impressive, but just seeing them there made me happy.

The town has two major attractions: the Varner house (Casa Varner) and the Gardens of Tommaso Bartolotti.

The Varner house, named after its former owner, is a building located across from the church of San Udalrico (Chiesa di San Udalrico) in the centre of Lavis. For many years, it served as a cultural hub for the town: the ground floor housed a pastry shop, while the upper floor became a meeting place for artists, poets, and intellectuals. It was here that Paola de Manincor, together with her husband Italo Varner and his brother Giuseppe Varner, carried out much of her artistic work. It was Paola de Manincor and Guiseppe Varner who created the murals on the house. Today, on the ground floor of the building, there is a bookshop “La Pulce d'Acqua”, opened in 2008.

The bookshop is a cosy and inviting place, with a wide selection of literature for both adults and children. Unfortunately for me, all the books are in Italian - a reminder that I really need to improve my language skills. I have come across so many charming bookshops during my travels, but not being able to fully enjoy them because of the language barrier has been a recurring theme. For anyone who speaks and/or reads in Italian comfortably though, this bookshop is definitely worth a visit.

Varner House in Lavis

The Giardino Bortolotti, also known as the Giardino dei Ciucioi, is a unique 19th-century hanging garden, built between the 1830s and 1870s by entrepreneur Tommaso Bortolotti. The garden climbs up the rocky slopes of Doss Paion with a series of terraces, loggias, stairways, and romantic architectural elements. It blends nature and fantasy, creating the illusion of a ruined castle and dream-like landscape.

Colourful buildings of Lavis and Giardino Bortolotti in the background

Over time, the garden fell into decline due to war, drought, and neglect, losing much of its vegetation and structural integrity. However, after being acquired by the Municipality of Lavis in 1998, it has undergone significant restoration.

Today, the garden is open to the public through guided and individual visits and is recognized as a cultural, botanical, and symbolic treasure. Be aware though that guided tours are only available through prior booking, and only the lower part of the garden is open to individual visits.

The garden has their own unique mascot - a cute red cat Tommasino -”little Tommaso” - named after the former owner of the garden. He is very friendly and allows visitors to pet him. If there are not many visitors, he may accompany you through your visit - as he did so when I was there. I felt very privileged to have had such a cute guide.

Tommasino making sure the visitors follow the correct path

All in all, my visit to Lavis was really nice, despite initial troubles of reaching the town. If you are in the Trento area and have a few hours to spare, I would definitely recommend to drop by.

Tommasino is making the most of the sunshine while it lasts