Lake Garda by mountain bike

Peschiera - Moniga

We set off from Peschiera del Garda, whose high walls and mighty bastions surrounded by deep moats give it an imposing and austere appearance. We park the car near a harbour, unload the bikes and load our luggage onto them. This luggage, with its 10kg (tent, sleeping bag, clothes, water, bike repair tools...), brings the total mass to be moved up to 23 kg. On paper that's definitely a lot but, as we said to each other before leaving, "once you've reached cruising speed, keeping it up is child's play"... yes, on flat ground and in theory... all it takes is a bit of a climb and you start to feel the bother of sweat dripping from your forehead. We head straight for our first stop: Moniga. Before getting there we have the chance to stop at Sirmione and at Desenzano del Garda and Padenghe.

The Sirmione peninsula juts out about 4 km south into the waters of the lake and is very popular for its thermal treatments and its stunning landscape. Amid lush vegetation of olive trees, cypresses, laurels and magnolias rise three hills: Cortine, Mavino and Grotte di Catullo. The latter is the site of the archaeological area of an ancient Roman villa. After a few kilometres of not-too-demanding road, the town of Sirmione offers us a picturesque little harbour and a quiet lakeside promenade. We pitch our tents at the "Piantelle" campsite, very well equipped, located on the lakeshore.

Moniga - Gargnano

A few kilometres after setting off we are already immersed in an enchanting landscape rich in olive groves, morainic hills and vineyards. Fortunately the spirit with which we have undertaken this trip, purely touristic, allows us to observe the landscape around us, where the island of Garda certainly deserves a few minutes of admiration. The area looks very relaxing (certainly in a different context from this trip) with wide gulfs, large beaches and picturesque promontories. We are approaching Salò, nestled on the slopes of Monte S. Bartolomeo. Just enough time to admire the lakeside promenade and we set off again towards Gargnano. The long stop at Salò forces us to fall behind our schedule, which we drew up with the intention of intensifying our pedalling in the early hours of the morning.

When we reach Gardone, the road starts to take on a more worrying appearance: that of a climb; a slow but steady climb, which should lead us to the next campsite, in a place not too well known to us. After phoning the campsite manager, our doubts are cleared up by a precise and detailed description of the road to follow... we have to leave the lakeshore and climb about a hundred metres. "Four or five hairpin bends and you're there," the manager told us, most kindly, who probably hadn't realised we were on bicycles with about a dozen kilos of ballast. Look at the photos of this route: a few lines are not enough either to describe the harshness of this stretch or to illustrate the magnificent landscape that surrounds and towers over the lake, the undisputed protagonist of this trip of ours.

Tomorrow's destination is clearly visible from the restaurant where we have dinner: Malcesine, which lies on the eastern shore of the lake, opposite us.

Gargnano - Malcesine

Undoubtedly the longest stage, "critical" from the start, because of the brakes we have to use carefully on the descent that made us suffer the day before. We get back on the road that circles the lake, with its gentle but relentless climb, which will accompany us as far as Riva del Garda. These are the most beautiful kilometres from a naturalistic point of view, but the most dangerous, because of a carriageway that is too narrow and too busy, at times made dark by a few tunnels that hide us from the view of motorists. But perhaps these are the characteristics that make the Gardesana Occidentale (that's the name of the road we are travelling) so unique. The village of Limone is just as it is described in books and tourist guides: picturesque and charming, nestling against tall rocky walls.

Once past Riva del Garda with its 12th-century fortress, we plunge ahead, helped by the road becoming favourable to us (that is, downhill) towards Torbole. The village lies on the slopes of the hill of Castel Pende and, thanks to its mild climate, you find palms, oleanders and olive trees there. A brief stop is a must, when the lake is tinged with the fluorescent colours of windsurfing and kite-surfing sails. It's a unique spectacle, favoured by an always strong and steady wind. Here we meet some cyclists who tell us about a few routes in the area, rich in trails for lovers of fat tyres. One of the places most frequented by bikers in the area is Mte Baldo, towards which we head, keeping a watchful and admiring eye on the lake, to our left. The road signs tell us we have arrived at Malcesine. We turn left straight away and enter the campsite that will host us for the next two nights.

Not booking in advance would have cost us dearly: the campsite is literally full. Judging by how we were welcomed by the managers, very friendly and helpful, we were probably the only two Italians among many Germans. We take advantage of being well ahead of schedule to go straight away and admire the lake from a fantastic spot: the summit of M.te Baldo. We have to cover about five kilometres to reach the cable car station. The ascent is very fast. Behind us the 13th-century Scaliger castle grows smaller and smaller. We'll see it again on the way back, wrapped in the colours of sunset. A spectacle that deserves to be captured in a photograph. At the top of M.te Baldo, from where several trails depart that can also be done by MTB, the panorama is unique: on one side Lake Garda, on the other the Adige valley, both enlivened by hang gliders and paragliders.

Relax in Malcesine

A day devoted to pure relaxation: beach from 7.30 am to 5.00 pm. Visit to the village of Malcesine, dinner and goodnight.

Malcesine - Peschiera

After the day of relaxation, with the vivid memory of the splendid landscape admired from M.te Baldo, we take down the tents and set off again towards the starting point: Peschiera where, hopefully, our car awaits us. We take advantage of the coolness of the early hours of the morning to immediately set a good pedalling pace that takes us straight to our destination. Our only stop worth mentioning was at Torri del Benaco, a stunning and enchanting little town connected by a ferry service for people and cars (no bikes?) to Maderno, on the other shore of the lake. Worth admiring are the ancient walls and the castle, rebuilt by the Scaligeri in 1383. Our pedalling is fast, perhaps too fast to linger on the scenic beauties the place offers. Garda is a little town dominated by a Rocca, situated in a wide gulf that ends to the north with the punta S. Vigilio.

This Rocca stands on the summit of the hill that overlooks the town. Towards midday we enter Peschiera, where this trip of ours comes to an end.