Among the beautiful places that North Italy has to offer, the quaint yet touristy Garda Lake (lago di Garda) peacefully sits among them. Due to its strategic location, just a little off the main highway A4, it is often the first “stop” for Germans, Austrians and Dutch to enjoy their summer holidays.
Nevertheless, setting up camp around the Garda Lake doesn’t just give you the chance to enjoy rocky beaches and biking through stunning old borgos. In fact, the lake also happen to be mostly surrounded by the Italian Alps thus featuring a vast intricate network of mountains paths for all outdoor lovers!
Hiking Trails for everyone
There are several options to spend a great day out hiking in the wilderness of Monte Baldo. Nonetheless, in order to access the walking paths, most people often used the following locations where you can find free parking and sometimes even basic amenities.
- From Malcesine – A beautiful comune of the Garda Lake, is also a great place to get to the top of the Monte Baldo without much effort. Even though paths from the town itself are available, the majority of the people like to take the cableway to the top to enjoy the views. Prices for the cablecar are 22€ return (here the prices) and you also have the option to stop halfway through.
- From Prada/Prada Alta – The small mountain village, which sits at 1’060m above sea level, is another great option for those wishing to hike up. There are several trails heading up yet the most notable ones start just behind the Hotel Ristorante Camping Edelweiss.
- From Due Pozze – Possibly the most sought after, famous and best starting point of the whole area, is the small parking lot located in Due Pozze (located halfway through the villages of San Zeno di Montagna and Prada). Here you can find a small bar/shop (more like a shack) selling some basic stuff but opening times can be a bit tricky. The trails from Due Pozze are questionably the most beautiful in terms of landscapes as you get to walk along the ridge of the mountain.
- From Malga Ime & Valfredda – On the other side of the mountain, getting away from the Garda Lake, you can find a a couple of Malghe (italian word for alpine huts) that offer simple foods and beverages to people starting/returning from hikes. Since you can drive to both alpine huts, the trails to get the top are not too long but instead can be pretty steep.
- From Novezza – Still on the same side, here’s the place for all those looking to some serious trekking. This part of the Monte Baldo is the steepest and all the trails leading up to the top are a pretty tough adventure for all those wishing to endure them.
Check this link to see a more complete trail map
Timings, Weather and Seasons
Mountain hiking, like many other outdoor activities, can be a rewarding or awful experience solely depending on the weather and the seasons.
Generally speaking, the hiking trails are open all year round but during certain winter months (often Dec-Feb) are inaccessible due to snow. In fact, it is also possible to ski on Monte Baldo, as there’s a small ski facility, but not every year opens as it strictly depends on the amount of snowfall. During summer is when the trails are the most crowded but its also the best season to visit in terms of temperatures and nice weather.
Most of the trails takes around 2hours one-way, at an average pace, to reach at least a refugee where its possible to buy provisions and have a bite. For that reason, hikers often start their day early in the morning, enjoy a lunch at the top and then descend in the early afternoon.
Refuges, Lodges and Alpine Huts
In the area of the Monte Baldo there are several refuges/lodges/alpine huts often found either at the beginning or end of certain trails. Usually, these places are not very well-connected to towns so the services they can provide vary a lot and can be limited at times.
Most alpine huts (Malga or Rifugio in italian) offer hikers simple dishes from the area (e.g. Polenta with cheese and/or mushrooms) as well as other small snacks and beverages. In some, it’s also possible to buy cheese which is produced on-site and hence one-of-a-kind. Rarely, it is also possible to overnight on the mountain as certain huts also act as lodges and have basic dormitory accommodation (like the Rifugio Chierego) (http://www.rifugiochierego.com).
Whenever planning for hike, its for the best not to assume the alpine huts are going to be open and also have some back-up plan for provisions yourself. Even though on week-ends you’re almost 100% sure to find most of them open, it’s always better to check beforehand by calling the place or visiting the place website.
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