The Pale Path

Riva del Garda is a picturesque town on the northern shore of Lake Garda: the hills and mountains around are full of interesting trails, but the first itinerary to do is certainly the ponale road.

You can leave directly on foot from Riva del Garda, walking along the lake towards the cliffs over the south of the country. Here the driveway strips in a gallery, while the path is teared along the rocky mountain.

Given the comfort and beauty, in the high season weekends the ponial road is very waisted by hikers and bikers. Half of the lake side dirt road is reserved for walkers (often separated from a ground rise) while the bikes are side mount. This separation does not remove that you need to pay attention along the itinerary! There are also some deviations on the path (in some cases of the steep cuts, in others of the alternative panoramas to some galleries) where only those who make trekking can pass.

The route is about 20 kilometers long-returned, if you want to go along the whole to Lake Ledro, with a tiring last slope. For this excursion the rental of the-bike (usually on 40 euros a day) can be a good idea for the less I reluctant to make sweats!
a very valuable alternative for walkers and cyclists is to avoid doing all the way Until Lake Ledro (since the climb in the woods is less attractive) and "setting up" of the amazing views of Lake Garda, perhaps perhaps at the point of view of Queen Mundi.

From Riva del Garda to Regina Mundi are 4.4 km for a total of 350 meters of ascent (idem on the return, but downhill!). If you want, with another half-hour walk after the panoramic Madonna of Queen Mundi you can get to the village of Pregasina, where to take one of the (rare) bus to return to Riva del Garda. Downhill, however, you proceed quickly, so it doesn't seem to me.
The larger hikers can otherwise go from Riva del Garda to Pregasina by bus and then walk the 5 km downhill. However, you will enjoy the lake views, without striking!

But let's go with order. After the departure from Riva del Garda the views are immediately amazing. The road is obtained in the rock and in some cases it passes into tunnels, but most of the time walks in the sun, especially in the morning and in the hot hours of the day. Tenetrene account, because Lake Garda is 200 meters away, so, despite the view of the mountains, the summer climate is certainly not particularly fresh.

After about three km of walk you arrive at the valley excavated by the Ponale Torrent. Here is a panoramic bar, passed which you can continue along the road to the Ledro valley or take a bridge that crosses the beautiful throat carved out of the stream. From the bridge you can also admire the pale waterfall.

At this point it rises steeply (following the dirt road, but also by cutting on the paths, for walking hikers) to the Madonna of Regina Mundi, from which you have the umpteenth spectacular view of the trekking path. From here you can rejoin the itinerary for Lake Ledro, or simply go back, or still continue precisely until pregasin and return to Riva del Garda with other means. Or from pregasina you can continue towards The panoramic tip laryls .

In conclusion, the northern part of Lake Garda is really fantastic! And the path of the ponale in my opinion is one of the first excursions to consider, along with the one at the very high mountain, with the advantage that those in Riva del Garda must not even use the car. Good trip !!

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