Experience the “Musical Wood” in the heart of the Val di Fiemme

The spruces in the “musical wood” in Paneveggio public forest remain the material of choice for their sonorous qualities. In a centuries-old tradition, foresters patiently seek out the trees to obtain wood for musical instruments.

Sadly, on 29 October 2018, the woods in the Val di Fiemme and many other parts of Trentino were devastated by Storm Vaia. 4 million cubic metres of trees were destroyed. Restoring this much-loved mountain landscape to its former glory is an urgent yet challenging task. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Trentino forestry authorities to launch the Trentino Tree Agreement – a pact with the forest to promote responsible, sustainable use for the collective good.

This open-air temple of music deserves to be cherished and protected, so these great trees can live on. A celebration of our precious collective heritage, the Musical Wood is home to a music festival like no other. The Sounds of the Dolomites has introduced audiences to the fairy-tale magnificence of the forest for many a year.

The internationally renowned musicians who venture up here – including late great maestro Ezio Bosso – are invited to choose a spruce, their spruce. It’s a generous gift from the Val di Fiemme to the artists who enrich the world with their skill, their feeling and their fine wooden instruments. This rite is called “baptising the trees”. It’s celebrated by the Magnificent Community of Fiemme, a historic community-heritage association, in the person of its president, the Scario.

To reach the Musical Wood, take the (mostly tarmacked) forest road from Predazzo to Valmaggiore. As you move through the trees, you’ll see each one is numbered. To learn more, tap on it in the official app (called Bosco che Suona) on your tablet or phone.