The Ledro Lake Pile Dwelling Museum

Val di Ledro has a history spanning millennia, whose traces and testimonies are still visible today. The earliest human presence in Val di Ledro dates back to the Neolithic period: as long as 4,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age, the shores of Lake Ledro were home to a pile-dwelling village that is still partly preserved. Alongside the pile dwellings, thousands of wooden posts and just as many finds and artefacts have been unearthed at the archaeological site on the lakeshore, now held in the Ledro Lake Pile Dwelling Museum.

Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the archaeological site, the reconstructed village and the museum recreate the atmosphere of the ancient pile-dwelling settlement and bring the daily life of our ancestors back to life. Visiting Val di Ledro therefore means taking a fascinating journey back in time, to the very origins of human history.

The pile-dwelling village was first discovered in 1929, when the lake's water level was lowered for the construction of the Ponale hydroelectric power station in Riva del Garda. More than 10,000 posts emerged, revealing that in Neolithic times Lake Ledro was home to one of the largest prehistoric settlements in Italy and Europe. In the following years further finds came to light, including a wooden canoe, evidence that the life of our ancestors was closely bound to the lake's ecosystem.

Both the pile dwellings and the museum can be visited all year round, and during the warmer months numerous activities and educational workshops let visitors, and children in particular, experience history in a fun and engaging way.

The Pile Dwelling Museum is part of the Val di Ledro museum network and falls under MUSE, the Trento Museum of Science. Fully renovated in 2019 and with doubled exhibition space, it guides visitors through everyday Bronze Age life through reconstructions and original remains of the pile-dwelling village (2,200-1350 BC), offering a vivid picture of prehistoric life. The summer activity programme is packed: the season opens with the Palafittiadi, the 'Olympics of prehistory', followed by shows, concerts, archaeology workshops, games and prehistoric-style snacks as part of the Palafittando programme.