Monte Bondone Roadbiking
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
From the lake up into the hills, heading north. A climb to one of the oldest ski resorts of its kind. From Lake Garda at just 65 meters above sea level to a mountain pass 1,600 meters higher.
04/ 2026
From the Lake Through Vineyards
Lake Garda is the largest and most famous lake in Italy. Sitting right at the foothills of the Dolomites, it’s a playground for just about every outdoor sport imaginable. The list of possible gear is endless—but today, we’re on road bikes.
To do it properly, we start right by the water in the resort town of Riva del Garda. We weave through the narrow streets of the old town and head north toward Arco. Above us rises a medieval castle, beneath it the rock walls of Monte Colodri.
We continue on a mix of bike paths and open roads. Traffic in the valley can be quite heavy, but as soon as the road tilts upward, it thins out. Luckily—though not entirely to my liking—we set off late enough to catch the afternoon wind blowing from the lake. A tailwind.
In Dro, we leave the main road of the Valle dei Laghi and turn toward Drena and Lago di Cavedine. The lake was formed by a massive prehistoric landslide from Monte Brento, which blocked part of the valley and created a chain of water bodies. The narrow road winds between glacial moraines, offering a completely different landscape than just moments ago. This section feels like another world.
A gentle descent toward the lake and a flat stretch to Pergolese mark the last bit of rest before the real climbing begins.
Into the Climb
After the junction at Sarche, the first proper switchbacks appear. A short flat near Lasino—and then it’s just climbing. And climbing. All the way up.
The lower part runs through forest with occasional views, but those gradually open wider and wider. Especially toward the northwest, where the snowy walls of the Presanella and the Brenta Dolomites dominate the skyline. Among the rugged three-thousanders, you can even spot Cima Tosa.
Soon, the snow-covered summit of Palon (2,098 m) comes into view, with ski lifts rising from the Valico di Monte Bondone (1,651 m). That pass is our highest point today. It’s still early spring—Easter time—so there’s plenty of snow lining the road. The asphalt is dry, and while climbing, the temperature feels just right for short sleeves. I’m trying not to think about the descent just yet.
Monte Bondone itself (2,180 m) lies a few kilometers further south, off to our right as we climb. This iconic mountain towers directly above Trento and forms part of the ridge separating Valle dei Laghi from the Adige Valley.
Near the top, we pass beneath one of the ski lifts and soon roll into the small village of Vason, right at the pass. Skiers are still out, enjoying the soft afternoon snow under a warm sun.
The resort boasts historic slopes, including Europe’s first bobsleigh track, and the Viote plateau with the Alpine Botanical Garden and the “Terrazza delle Stelle,” an astronomical observatory built on a former military training ground. And yes—there’s coffee. After a mandatory stop, we put on everything we’ve got and get ready for the descent.
A Wild Descent into Trento
From the very first turns, the entire city of Trento opens up below us. What follows is one switchback after another.
This is the very side of the mountain where Charly Gaul delivered his legendary ride in the Giro d’Italia 1956—winning in brutal conditions of rain and snow.
After the village of Sardagna, we turn onto a small side road to avoid traffic on the outskirts of Trento. The final section feels more like a toboggan run, ending straight onto a main street. Let’s just hope no car appears at the wrong moment—I’d rather not test my braking limits face-first.
Ahead of us rises the hill of Doss Trento (307 m), a small sentinel above the city with a long and layered history. Today, it hosts the Mausoleum of Cesare Battisti, the Alpini Museum, and a protected natural area with unique flora, accessible via a panoramic road carved into the rock.
The most striking feature is the monumental white stone memorial built in the 1930s. Cesare Battisti was an Italian patriot and politician from Trentino who fought for Italy in World War I. Captured by Austro-Hungarian forces, he was executed as a traitor in 1916.
Just across the road, beneath a rock face, stand two old industrial chimneys. Isolated now, on the edge of a parking lot, they’re all that remains of a former cement factory operated by Italcementi. Once part of a large industrial complex, the site made strategic use of both the river and the nearby railway.
The Long Way Back
We smoothly bypass the bustle of Trento by following a bike path along the river. Eventually, we return to the road—traffic here is light enough to make it worthwhile.
We head toward the town of Mori, where we leave the Adige Valley and return toward Lake Garda through the narrow Valle di Loppio. There’s still one more pass ahead—well, more of a bump—Passo San Giovanni (287 m). Again, we prefer the bike path over the busy main road.
A local curiosity is Lago di Loppio, a former lake between Mori and Nago. Once a shallow body of water, it was drained in the 1950s during the construction of the Adige–Garda tunnel, and the water never returned. Today, it’s a protected wetland with unique flora and fauna. After heavy rains, it occasionally fills again, but most of the year, only moss-covered tree trunks rise from a flat, almost surreal landscape.
From it rises a small wooded hill—Isola di Sant’Andrea—with an archaeological site.
And that’s enough local history for today. We roll into Nago, where the view of Lake Garda opens up once again. For the descent to Torbole, it’s best to take the bike path, as cycling is not allowed on the main road. Alternatively, you can loop back via Arco.
Either way, there’s only one proper way to finish a ride like this: with ice cream on the square.
Route Stats
Total distance: 120 km
Total elevation gain: 2,050 m
Main climb Dro – Vason:
40 km
1,560 m
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