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It is a place loved and appreciated all over the world, for its unique views and its ‘dolce vita’ atmosphere: but have you ever thought of trekking on Lake Garda?
Its hinterland is full of paths and tracks immersed in nature, often dotted with viewpoints and elevated fortresses - not to mention Monte Baldo, which offers a spectacular view of the lake.
Here, then, is a list of 5 of the best points of interest around Lake Garda, which can be reached on easy hikes suitable for everyone.
Rocca di Garda
Overlooking the town of the same name, the Rocca di Garda is perhaps the most beautiful vantage point from which to admire the lake, at a height of about 300 metres.
It is a southward branch of Monte Baldo, inhabited and used by man for strategic purposes since prehistoric times: in fact, it shows traces of human settlements dating back to the Bronze Age, and finds from Roman and medieval times have been discovered. Traces of a Longobard fortress have also been discovered on the summit, so important that it is to this that the lake owes its current name (‘Garda’ in fact derives from ‘Warda’ or ‘Warte’, a Longobard term for ‘guard’, ‘fortress’ - a name that replaced the more ancient name ‘Benaco’).
The Rocca di Garda is easily accessible via a series of paths starting from the towns at its foot (Garda, Bardolino, Torri del Benaco, etc.), with half-day excursions.
Click here to find out more about the paths to the Rocca di Garda →
Senter de Mes
The ‘Senter de Mes’ (dialect term for ‘middle path’) is a short stretch connecting the two villages of Crero and Pai di Sopra, via a dirt road and a suspended Tibetan bridge, so called because it connects two places that would otherwise be impossible to join.
The best known feature is certainly the recently built Tibetan bridge, which opens up a wonderful view of Lake Garda.
Also definitely worth a visit is the small village of Crero, the starting point of the trail, with its panoramic views of the lake and above all the characteristic stone houses, streets and squares - which create an atmosphere suspended in time and immersed in peace and tranquillity.
Extending the route a little further, nearby you can also admire the Roccia Grande, a site of enormous historical and cultural interest for the rock engravings that can be freely admired there, dating back to various eras (starting from the prehistoric era).
Click here to find out more about the trails around the ‘Senter de Mes’ →
Eremo dei Camaldolesi di S. Giorgio
Surrounded by peace and greenery, the Hermitage San Giorgio is a place of worship that has been inhabited and respected for centuries.
Built between 1663 and 1704, it owes its name to the saint to whom the small church that stood on the site before the construction of the hermitage was dedicated, and presents an extremely sober and bare architecture (except for the ornaments of the votive chapels and tabernacles inside the church), typical of Coronese hermitic complexes; it is accessed via a steep slope, which runs alongside a small cemetery for the monks and a tabernacle dedicated to St. Romuald, to arrive in front of the entrance to the church, the only building (together with the service building) accessible to the public.
In keeping with the enclosure and the Benedictine monks who live in the hermitage, the area where the community lives and works is completely hidden from outside eyes, frontally from the church and at the back from dense vegetation, which makes this place even more mystical and contemplative.
Within the perimeter of the hermitage there is also a small promontory, on top of which the monks have installed a cross, symbolising a kind of Way of the Cross.
Click here to find out more about the paths to the Camaldolese Hermitage of S. Giorgio →
Archeoparco “La Bastìa”
Situated on Monte San Michele, 336 metres above sea level, the archaeological park houses the remains of a cult building dating from around the 9th century (with potentially even earlier origins) and a stronghold of great strategic and military importance.
Over the centuries, these buildings passed from hand to hand between the militia and the Church, being used in some periods as a hermitage and in others as a stronghold, and were destroyed and damaged several times by enemy soldiers.
Today, the park is completely open to the public and can be visited, with a path suitable for everyone.
Click here to find out more about the trails around the ‘La Bastìa’ Archaeopark →
Monte Baldo
One of the best-loved and best-known excursion destinations in the world, it features both easy paths suitable for everyone and more complex and challenging trails, and its ridge offers breathtaking views of both Lake Garda and Vallagarina.
Monte Baldo is best known for its wealth of biodiversity (not for nothing is it called the ‘Garden of Europe’), with animal and plant species that are very varied and some even unique in the world: they can be admired in the dedicated Botanical Garden, which is easily accessible.
Click here to see the best trails and points of interest on Monte Baldo →
And if you are looking for the perfect trekking shoe for your day out, just come and visit us in our Factory Store in the historic centre of Verona, in via Ponte Nuovo!
