Something magical happens when nature and human activity meet and develop in harmony: it is as if the landscape welcomes within itself the traces of human presence, in a natural, perfectly balanced evolution, one that occurs without interruption.

UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme: Alpi Ledrensi e Judicaria

This is why UNESCO has chosen to protect the areas that have helped create this enchanting balance, which can be seen in the “Riserva di Biosfera Alpi Ledrensi e Judicaria UNESCO”, an incredible treasure trove of cultural and natural biodiversity that lies between the Alpine and Mediterranean worlds and includes the Ledro Valley, Tenno and Comano.

This part of Garda Trentino has succeeded in obtaining recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere under the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). This is an intergovernmental scientific programme established in 1971 with the aim of globally promoting forms of economic development that are in balance with the environment, favouring growth strategies that will preserve elements of biological and cultural diversity.

One region, many landscapes

This area, nestling between Lake Garda and the Brenta Dolomites and just 30 km long as the crow flies, encompasses enormously different environments.

Traversing this region is like a journey between the Alps and the Mediterranean: from Dolomite peaks and high-altitude pastures to the banks of the River Sarca; from the terraces and olive groves around Tenno to the narrow Alpine gorges of the Ledro Valley; not to mention the lush natural amphitheatre of the Giudicarie Esteriori.

Humans in the landscape: protection and value

But there is not just the environmental factor: UNESCO recognition also acknowledges the value of human activities and their ability to integrate harmoniously into the landscape.

And it is here, as the historical and archaeological evidence confirms, that the relationship between humans and nature has left and still leaves clear traces. From the pile-dwellings of Ledro and Fiavé, which are themselves UNESCO World Heritage Sites, to the terracing around Tenno; from the little rural villages to the castles; from the neat fields to the well-tended woods, there can be seen a profound respect and an indissoluble link between daily life and the local environment.

Today, this incredible historical and natural heritage is managed by an efficient network of individuals who, each with their own individual skills and specialities, ensure its protection and development - not least thanks to the involvement of the numerous local associations that are constantly active in the area.

This article was published in the third issue of BLU, the Garda Trentino magazine. It is dedicated to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Alpi Ledrensi e Judicaria - an area where nature and human activity coexist in harmony, telling the story of a conscious way of living in the landscape. Learn more on our page dedicated to sustainability.