The Facts

Ride time: 2 hours

Fitness level: low

Technical level: low 

Background

The towns of Riva del Garda, Acro and Dro are located in the Sarca valley in northern Italy. From this valley flows the Sarca River, the main contributory of Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake. The flat bottomed valley floor is perfect leisurely bike rides to and from the lake. There are many bike paths for families with optional off road excursions for those willing to test themselves! This ride takes in many of the 'must see' attractions when visiting Lake Garda, namely the Castle and its surrounding fort perched on the giant rock face above Arco.

The Trail

Starting out in the old port at Riva del Garda we head northwards up the Sarca Valley on a leisurely bike path towards Grotto. This small village with its narrow winding streets is has been built entirely into the rock face of Mt Brione. Mt Brione is the disc shaped mountain which separated the town popular towns of Riva del Garda and Torbole on the northern shores of Lake Garda. After the photo stops in Grotto we move on through the apple groves to join the main trail to Arco which follows the Sarca River.

As we progress along the trail, we get ever closer to the accent castle above Arco. The cliff on which the castle is built are now famous for rock climbing and trail walking. Arco has well and truly put itself on the world climbing map with frequent Rock Masters events being hosted in recent years. In 2010 the World Climbing Championships is coming to Arco, a must see! Our bike trail passes directly beneath the cliff faces, winding its way through vineyards which bring us to our next stop, the hidden Roman bridge in Dro. There is a lovely quite river bank beneath the bridge where we often stop off for a paddle to cool down on a hot day.

Shoes and socks back on and we now ride off road to our most northerly point in the trail ride. This section is really mellow and rolling, short little climbs with followed by genlte descents. From here we ride to the central square in Dro and head south towards Torbole. Following the Sarca River once again, this time on the eastern side as we roll down hill. When riding back to the Lake in the afternoon one notices the cooling breeze which comes from the lake. Every day at lunch time a stiff wind picks up on the lake, creating perfect conditions for wind and kite surfing which Lake Garda is famous for.

We arrive into Torbole and cross under the main road to join the lake path. Cruising along the water's edge back to Riva to enjoy an Italian coffee, in the sun, is the way every bike ride should finish. Happy trails.