Outside, it’s 20°C and rising, but I’m in the heart of a mountain and shivering in my shorts. I’m on a newly launched experience in the northern Italian region of Trentino, learning how the apple harvest, cheese, and even a data centre is kept chilled in a vast cave complex.
“In here we have a steady temperature of 10°C all year.” The voice of Eva, my guide, echoes off the tunnels’ high ceilings.
The offbeat, hour-and-a-half in the Heart of the Dolomites tour (£19pp; visitvaldinon.it) was launched in April by Melinda – the consortium that oversees apple production in Trentino’s Val di Non.
Shorts
The tour has already attracted thousands of visitors from Italy and Europe, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. However, I can’t help glancing over my shoulder at the glowing circle of sunlight at the tunnel’s entrance, yearning for the surface.
