A good 50 kilometres long, Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. Its northern end lies in the high mountainous province of Trento, while in the south its shores run flat into the Po Valley. The water level is only 65 metres above sea level, with Mediterranean plants growing in the lower part of the mountains. Our location in Torbole is in the north-east corner of the lake. All around, the mountains rise steeply to over 2,000 metres. The road bike experience around the lake is extremely divided: While heavily frequented and mostly well-maintained cycle paths avoid car traffic at the bottom, the climbs are almost immediately quiet, sometimes lonely. The road surfaces are consistently good to very good. Longer climbs with double-digit gradients are the exception. Our directional recommendations favour quiet climbs and fast descents - passages on main roads are almost always downhill. There are hardly any relaxed flat stretches on Lake Garda; the theoretically possible circumnavigation of the lake is not recommended, it runs on busy main roads and, especially on the western shore, partly through tunnels.
Four dream road bike tours around Lake Garda
Tour 1 over the Passo Durone into the Sarca Valley
- 87 Kilometres
- 1.700 Altitude metres
- max. 10 % Gradient
Shortly after Riva, the road climbs 500 metres to Lago di Tenno. In summer, the more westerly variant via the SP-37 is shadier. The Passo Durone is pleasant to ride, the descent is fast. This is followed by a fine little road above the Sarca valley and the well-maintained cycle path, which at times avoids the busier SS-237 and its tunnels. The small road through the rocks of the Marocche south of Lago di Cavédine then leads back to the cycle path to Lake Garda.
Resting tip: The Ristorante Passo Durone bar at the top of the pass is open at the weekend. If you can still hold out, there are several well-kept bars with snacks on the main road in Stenico.
Tour 2 up Monte Bondone from behind
- 107 Kilometres
- 2.100 Altitude metres
- max. 18 % Gradient
Monte Bondone is Trento's ski mountain and was last a climb in the Giro in 2020. The long, beautifully even ascent from the north is rarely steeper than ten per cent, with around 30 hairpin bends in between. The upper section offers beautiful views of the Adamello and Brenta massifs. The descent to the east is fast and well developed.
Resting tip: Outside the season, the ski area and hotel settlement on the Bondone are dead as a doornail. Shortly after Sopramonte, at the start of the ascent, directly on the road, the pizzeria 3 Cime del Bondone (tel. 0039/0461/865441) also caters for local craftsmen.
Tour 3 via Arco to the area's after-work classic
- 43 Kilometres
- 1.200 Altitude metres
- max. 14 % Gradient
After the cycle path journey to Arco, an after-work classic of the region begins. With more than 20 hairpin bends, a single-track road climbs through the forest to Santa Barbara with an average gradient of 12 per cent - the first half is steeper, the second flatter. It makes sense to cycle the route in a clockwise direction, as the well-developed descent allows for plenty of speed.
Resting tip: Panoramic stop with terrace on the last few metres before Torbole: The Al Forti- no bike bar on the Via Europa is perfectly located. Phone 0039/0464/571110, www.alfortino.com
Tour 4 with a run-up to Monte Baldo
- 117 Kilometres
- 2.500 Altitude metres
- max. 18 % Gradient
Early risers have an advantage: soon after sunrise, a strong thermal blows in clear skies and pushes cyclists along the riverside road. The road is very busy from around nine o'clock; the cycle path, which is partly available, is not a viable alternative. A rear light is useful in the galleries. From Torre del Benaco, the route climbs uphill. The gradient is mostly moderate, but towards the end the route climbs twice to an altitude of around 1,600 metres. Up there, an 18 per cent ramp punishes all those who have already expended their energy. The descent is a nosedive on wide roads.
Rest tips: In the centre of Caprino Veronese, the Bar Roma beckons, while diagonally opposite, the Pasticceria Zomer sells delicacies and pizza slices. In Spiazzi, halfway up the climb, there are also restaurants open outside the summer season, such as the Trattoria Speranza. Shortly before the final descent, the Rifugio Bocca di Navene on the SP-3 offers a sensational view of Lake Garda.
