The precinct
Lake Idro lies to the west of Lake Garda, at an altitude of 368 metres in the lonely "inner Judicaria". As early as the Italian Wars of Independence under the hero Garibaldi before the First World War and right up to the end of it, impressively massive bunkers were built here in the valleys or at the southern end of the lake, as well as a large number of paths that supplied them and led to the militarily interesting crossings and peaks. The lack of strategic importance of the sparsely populated region, the impassability of the barriers in the middle of these mountains and - if you believe the people here - a certain stubbornness on the part of the local population meant that there was not much movement here in times of war. But the paths from back then are still there today. They form the basis for this fascinatingly unspoilt biking area. There are no gravel trails here, like the ones we love to hate on Lake Garda.
You can find these three tours in the area guide:
- Bocca Cocca: 28.5 km | 1345 m elevation gain | 3:15 h | Difficulty: medium
- Manos-Stino puzzle: 40.5 km | 1860 m elevation gain | 5:30 h | Difficulty: difficult
- Monte Censo: 11.1 km | 648 m elevation gain | 1:45 h | Difficulty: medium
The GPS data for the 3 tours in the BIKE tour portal:
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Info Lake Idro
Arrival
Leave the Brenner motorway at Trento. Follow the SS45 as far as Sarche, but continue to Ponte Arche. In Tione di Trento, turn left into Valle del Chiese and follow the state road to Lake Idro. The best starting points for a variety of tours are Anfo in the west, Idro in the south and Storo in the north of the lake. Unfortunately, travelling by public transport is inconvenient and time-consuming.
Overnight stay
Lake Idro has been developed for tourism, but there are no large or glamorous hotels here. In many simple but good hotels, time seems to have stood still decades ago - but the hospitality that was cultivated back then is held in high regard. The many camping and, more recently, glamping sites with stylish huts and cottages are striking. The Lago Idro Glamping Boutique in Anfo deserves special mention here, lagoidroglampingboutique.com and Azur Sportcamping and Glamping Resort Rio Vantone, azur-camping.com/idro. A large number of holiday homes and flats can also be found around the lake.
Tips: Bed and Breakfast Fiore Idro, very charming, simple rooms, historic building, nice Nonna. Bookable via Tripadvisor or by phone 0039/0365/823348 (Italian only). Hotel Alpino, hotel in the centre of Idro with simple rooms, info: hotelalpino.net; Residence Vico, upscale apartment complex with pool in Idro, info: residencevicoidro.it
Bike shop Davide's Bike3Lands bike shop in Idro offers high-quality bikes, a good workshop and the odd stylish item of clothing from local labels.
Guided tours/camps
Day tours, bike shuttles and boat shuttles can be booked on site with Guide and Ride, info: guideandride.at, dhe one-week trail camp with Florian and Stefan Meiseleder can be booked at Trailxperience, trailxperience.com
Eat well
Trattoria Cerreto near Bagolino - our favourite osteria in Idro. Info: trattoriacerreto.it; Ristorante Milano in Idro - the best pizza and fine cuisine, hotelmilano.bs.it; Ristorante Mistica - great restaurant for fish and local dishes. Upscale, great cuisine. Tel. 0039/0365/83208, Via Vittorio Veneto 31 in Idro.
AREA HIGHLIGHTS
Water sports
It would almost be a sacrilege to come here just for the biking. A dip in the rather fresh lake (max. 20 degrees) after the tour, SUPing, surfing or a guided canyoning tour provide a wet change of pace. Booking and organisation via surfpoint.it
Climbing
The Idro is a perfect climbing area. Various via ferratas run through the rock faces around the lake. In Casto, near the southern end of the lake, there is even a park with via ferratas of all levels of difficulty.
Bagolino - Home of the Bago
A slice of saffron-coloured mountain cheese is part of every mountain picnic. It is produced on the mountain pastures around the beautiful mountain town of Bagolino. This is also where you will find the best osterias with the typical extensive polenta dinners.
Maritime shipping
At Easter, Whitsun and during the summer months, a boat runs on the lake according to a regular timetable, and as it also takes bikes, it can be easily incorporated into tours on the other side of the lake. Info and timetable: idrosee-info.de
Weekly market
You can buy local delicacies on the village square in Idro every Wednesday until 12 noon. Perfect for a picnic at the summit!
