Trento

An expensive city for housing relative to its size, with quotations close to those of the big northern capitals, and service and restaurant prices above the national average. In return transport, nurseries, health and provincial public services are affordable and good. Savings in Gardolo, Mattarello and the valley municipalities.

Scarce and expensive supply: the historic centre and the hills (Povo, Villazzano, Cognola) are the most sought after; Bolghera, Clarina and San Bartolameo the student areas; Gardolo and Mattarello cheaper and well connected. Public housing through ITEA and the municipality; university residences run by the Opera Universitaria.

Efficient municipal offices with online appointment booking; identity card through the national CIE agenda. Dolomiti Ambiente door-to-door collection with pay-as-you-throw on residual waste. Mountain tap water. Municipal library and the university's BUC; the Province's Cinformi for those arriving from abroad.

To enter with a dog, cat or ferret you need a microchip, an EU pet passport or health certificate and a valid rabies vaccination. Mandatory registration in the regional pet register, lead at all times and a muzzle to hand. Pets allowed on trains under Trenitalia rules and in apartment buildings by law.

Rules depend on who is arriving: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (no visa, registration with the Comune after three months), non-EU citizens for stays up to 90 days (Schengen rule, type C visa where required) and for long stays (national type D visa and a residence permit within eight working days of arrival).

Trentino Trasporti urban buses, the Trento–Malé–Mezzana railway to the Non and Sole valleys, the cable car to Sardagna and the e.motion bike sharing. Station on the Brenner line (Verona–Bolzano) and terminus of the Valsugana line to Venice. No airport: Verona is the nearest. ZTL centre with park-and-walk car parks.

Euro, cards accepted almost everywhere, a legal cash limit. Anyone living in Italy for most of the year is tax resident and taxed on worldwide income under three IRPEF brackets; specific regimes exist for the self-employed (forfettario), inbound workers, foreign pensioners and new residents. Contributions go to INPS; annual return with the 730 or Redditi form.

Since 1 January 2026 the Trentino integrated university health authority (Asuit), based in Trento, has replaced the Apss. The city hospital is the Santa Chiara in largo Medaglie d'Oro; the out-of-hours doctor answers on 116117 from the Trento sud community health house; with TreC+ you book, change doctor and read reports.

Non-EU pensioners enter with the elective residence visa, EU pensioners through free movement; public healthcare is accessible by compulsory or voluntary registration. Optional 7% regime on foreign income for those moving to small southern municipalities. Cheap houses in villages, services concentrated in cities.

The economy of a wealthy autonomous province: public sector (Province, health, schools, university), research and ICT (FBK, University, firms in Trentino Sviluppo's technology hubs), cooperatives and credit, agri-food and tourism. Employment rates among the highest in Italy and low unemployment. Innovation hubs and coworking at Le Albere and Povo.

A VAT number (partita IVA) from the Agenzia delle Entrate for freelancers; for businesses the Comunicazione Unica to the Registro delle Imprese, which also notifies the Agenzia, INPS, INAIL and SUAP. Main forms: sole proprietorship, SNC/SAS, SRL and SRLS, SPA. Compulsory PEC, annual chamber fee, e-invoicing. Invitalia incentives; non-EU citizens need a self-employment permit or the investor visa.

The University of Trento, a mid-sized state university at the top of national rankings, with departments in the centre (law, economics, humanities, sociology), in Povo and Mesiano (sciences, ICT, engineering) and in Rovereto (psychology, neuroscience); many master's degrees in English. The Province's Opera Universitaria runs grants, residences and canteens.

A municipality divided into twelve circoscrizioni partly matching the old villages; capital of the autonomous Province of Trento and alternating seat of the regional council. Italian and Trentino dialect are spoken; no linguistic minority lives in the city. Patron saint Vigilius, holiday on 26 June with the Feste Vigiliane.

Alpine valley-floor climate with Mediterranean influences from Lake Garda: cold winters with temperature inversions and some snow, hot summers cooled by the Ora del Garda breeze, rain spread across the year. Good air quality for a city of the Po-Alpine valley, with few days above the PM10 limit; APPA publishes a daily bulletin.

The Castello del Buonconsiglio with the Cycle of the Months, Piazza Duomo and the frescoed streets, Renzo Piano's MUSE, the Piedicastello Galleries and the cable car to Sardagna. A day for the city, then the Dolomites, Lake Garda and Rovereto. Christmas markets in December, Festival of Economics and Trento Film Festival in spring.

Alpine cuisine (canederli, strangolapreti, polenta, carne salada, speck, Trentingrana) and wines (Trentodoc, Teroldego, Marzemino, Nosiola). Mountains and lake half an hour away: Bondone, Paganella, Garda, Caldonazzo. Parks along the Adige and on the hills, top-league volleyball and basketball clubs, evening life gathered between Piazza Duomo and Via San Pietro.