Flowers of Monte Baldo

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Monte Baldo from the south: Away from crowds of bikers at busy trails in the north of Lago di Garda. Use the coolness of the morning to climb up through small villages on the eastern slope above the lake. You'll climb fast on asphalt roads down from the town of Garda (80m) up to the beginning gravel at 1.275m. The rough road to the mountain hut "Fiori del Baldo" (Flowers of Baldo) and further to the top will take a bit more power...The Lake and the peninsula of Sirmeone will be fixed by your front wheel, when starting the long downhill from "Fiori del Baldo" at a nice ridge. You'll be able to choose from many possibilities - I suggest one of them.

Starting in the town of Garda (80m), take the small road up to Albisano (310m) - you shouldn't miss the nice viewpoint behind the church. Following the road up towards San Zeno, join the road from Castione Veronese to San Zeno (580m). Staying straight ahead (you can also climb up at your right to Lumini, but there you'll loose 50m elevation)- from the terrace of the restaurant "Il Giardinetto" you'll have an impressive view.

Follow the road towards Prada, leaving the lake to the east into a valley. In Corrubio (750m), join the road from Lumini to Prada and turn left. Reaching the meadows and first houses of Prada, at elev. 900m, you have to turn right on a small paved road ("Strada per Naole"). The public road ends at a small parking lot ("Cima Mandra", elev.1.295m) and is continued by a rough gravel road (Forte Naole: The old military road), leading up through a forest of old beeches to alpine pasture and meadows. Straight ahead, following the dirt road (connector) is the alpine hut "Fiori del Baldo" (1.900m), just below the summit of Cima Costabella (2.053m).

Passing the last hut, the trail changes to an rideable old mule trail (Passo del Camino: The old military trail) with a steeper climb and some technical spots. The trail leads clockwise around the summit of Cima Costabella at least a little bit down to the pass Bocchetta del Coal Santo (1.978m). If the weather is fine, you can continue the mule trail (from here: Sentiero #658) for about 20 min to its end at Passo del Camino (2.121m).

The first part of your downhill is mandatory: Passo del Camino: The old military trail to "Fiori del Baldo" (1.900m). Then you should take the line of Cresta di Naole. It ends at Forte Naole: The old military road. On the other side of the ridge a rocky shortcut leads down from the dirt road into a little valley to Naole Trail, part of Sentiero #662 (elev.1.560m). There are some rocky steps at this trail, which crosses forest road (#64) at elev.1.310m.

It is forbidden to bike the lower part of #662, so take Forest Road #64 (Malga Valfredda - Cima Mandra) to the west to "Malga Zocchi" (1.275m). Branch off to the left and take the barely visible meadow-trail Malga Zocchi - Malga Zilone, part of Sentiero #51 down to "Malga Zilone" (1.050m).

Here you'll have a choice: #51 branches off to the left (to "Lumini":#51, later #53). I took Malga Zilone - Corrubio, part of Sentiero #51 to the right down to Corrubio (elev.750m).

Join the road from Prada towards Lumini and speed up for a few minutes. In Lumini (elev.690m), stay right and crank up the road towards San Zeno to some houses, called "Sperane" (730m). On your left is the pine forest of Sperane. A lot of singletracks are in this area, some of them built with drops. The trail I chose, Pineta Singletrack, was not too hard. Passing a ruin, "Sa Giava," (560m) Pineta Doubletrack will speed you up to the plain of Castion Veronese (elev.300m). Turn right at the road towards this village and cross the creek "Valle Tesina". Directly at the western end of the small bridge, branch off to the left and take a doubetrack between forest and orchard southwards around the village.

Look for the signs to Valle dei Molini, follow dirt and small paved roads to the rim of the canyon "Valle dei Molini" (elev.240m). A footpath with some steps leads down into the canyon (elev.200m). Follow the dirt road down to the outskirts of Garda (elev.140m) and back to your car or housing.