Itinerary
Individual arrival in Riva del Garda, a palette of colours on Lake Garda. The blue of the water and the sky, the green of the Mediterranean plants and the white beaches are living works of art. Visit the Rocca, the old castle that can only be reached via a bridge, which now houses the City Museum and an art cabinet. The beautiful three-city gates, the baroque church Chiessa dell' Inviolata and the 34-meter-high tower Torre Apponale are not to be missed and provide a romantic atmosphere in the old town.
Hotel example: Mirage
Your walk through the vineyards of the Sarca Valley begins in Ceniga. Soon you will be greeted by a huge rocky area, reminiscent of a stone desert, the Marocche Nature Reserve. An imposing mass of boulders of enormous dimensions gives you the feeling that you have walked into a lunar landscape. The Marocche were formed by landslides during the Ice Age.
Overlooking Lago di Cavedine, you will pass fruit and vegetable fields in the small town of Pietramurata, surrounded by the highest rock faces of the Garda mountains in the Sarca river valley.
Hotel example: Ciclamino
A bus transfer will take you past the famous Castello di Toblino to the "Valley of the Lakes". You walk to Lake Terlago where the high-altitude trail of Saint Vigil begins. Abandoned forests and karst plateaus take you to ancient fortresses and strongholds. Enjoy the fantastic distant views of the Adige Valley and the Dolomites below before starting the descent to Trento.
Nestled between the imposing mountains of the Dolomites, this city of brightly painted houses and an impressive cultural and architectural heritage. Visit the old town centre with its winding streets, Piazza Duomo, a medieval square surrounded by frescoed palaces and a special church, the Cathedral Di San Viglio, and the Baroque Neptune fountain from 1768, the symbol of the city, the castle of Buonconsiglio.
Hotel example: NH Trento
A short train ride will take you to the romantic centre of Pergine, a typical traditional town from the Renaissance period. You can take a nice walk here, and be sure to walk through Via Maier, one of the most beautiful residential areas from the Renaissance, with various works of art.
You leave the town and walk through the hills with orchards and forest fruit growing via the historic Roman road Via Claudia Augusta. This path leads you up to two huge lakes, Lago di Caldonazzo and Lago di Levico, both of which are beautifully situated in the middle of the green mountain landscape of the Dolomites. Lake Caldonazzo and Lake Levico are among the warmest lakes in the Alps and are connected by underground caves. This is where the river Brenta rises. The idyllic path along the shore invites you to take a refreshing dip in the warmest mountain lake in Italy before arriving at the beautiful spa town of Levico Terme, wellness and elegance in enchanting scenery. The baths, a rare eighteenth-century Ville d'eau.
Hotel example: Liberty
Today makes a beautiful high-altitude walk across the alpine meadows framed by high rock walls. Via the Sentiero Don Cesare hiking trail, you will be guided through waterfalls, rapids and rushing mountain streams. The trail winds through a wild and scenic environment and runs almost entirely on rock-cut slopes along the canyon. Via wooden bridges, you cross repeatedly from the right to the left bank of the Moggio stream. At the end of the Don Cesare trail, the "Arte e Sella" trail begins. An enchanting forest trail that takes in works by artists created using stones, leaves, branches, trunks and other materials found on site, an impressive open-air natural art exhibit.
At the Cipriani refuge, you can relax under the steep mountain peaks before you start the spectacular climb to Borgo Valsugana. This water town is located at the foot of Telvana Castle. The Brenta River runs right through the picturesque town and you will find the first Venetian bridges and arcades. Don't miss the shopping street Corso Ausugum with its baroque doors and various gourmet shops.
Hotel example: Locanda in Borgo
Today you will start with a climb to the Alta Via del Tabacco, a fantastic high-altitude path above the Brenta valley and ancient communication routes between the terraces where tobacco was grown from 1630 to 1960. The dry "masiere", built walls from the terraces are up to 8 meters high. Via the hermitage of San Bovo, you reach the valley again and you walk leisurely along the green river Brenta.
Cross the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge to Bassano del Grappa, a town with a rich cultural and artistic heritage. This ancient city located at the foot of the Venetian Alps is known for its grappa, the oldest distilled drink, and the bridge Ponte degli Alpini, or Ponte Vecchio. You will find many handicrafts here, such as weavers, goldsmiths, potters and woodworkers.
Hotel example: Bonotto Palladio
Via wooden bridges and footbridges, you walk through the unique and impressive river landscape of the Sile nature park, the famous Munich-Venice cycle route eventually leads you to the destination Quarto d'Altino. You reach the lagoon area of the UNESCO World Heritage Venice by train, you travel to your final destination Mestre, an urban district of Venice on the mainland, with excellent bus connections to the centre of the lagoon city. At the end of the trip, you can expect a small grappa tasting not far from St. Mark's Square!
Hotel example: Villa Constanza
Departure from Venice or spend extra nights in the city or surrounding region.
Route map and overview
You walk on varied hiking trails, partly on gravel roads and forest trails. The trails are easy and walkable, only some parts are rocky and narrow. There are also shorter and simpler variants to choose from almost everywhere. The routes lead on good riverside paths along rivers, lakes and through forests, often walking high above the valley and enjoying the unique views.
Prices and dates
Accommodation in guesthouses, 2** 3*** and 4**** hotels
Hotel lists are available on request for all holidays
Services & Information
Further information about this walking holiday
Included
- 7 nights as described, including breakfast
- Grappa Tasting in Bassano or Venice
- Train ride Trento-Pergine
- Transfers according to program
- Personal welcome meeting (German, English)
- Luggage transfer(s)
- Travel folder 1 x per room (German, English with route and overview maps, detailed route description, places of interest, important telephone numbers, luggage labels)
- GPS data available on request
- Service Hotline
Not included
- Tourist tax, if applicable, to be paid locally
- Bus rides Pietramurata-Toblin and Levico-Barco, approx. €7 per person
- Train journey Quarto d´Altino-Mestre/Venice, approx. €4 per person
- (Optional) Return transfer Mestre/Venice-Riva/Torbole with shuttle service "Via Claudia Shuttle Service", information and booking at www.viaclaudia.org
- Distance: 979km from Arnhem
- Train: Riva station (www.ttesercizio.it)
- Parking: Limited number of hotel parking spaces. Public parking or underground parking "Terme Romane" approx. €70 per week
- Departure: Train ride Mestre-Rovereto, duration approx. 2 hours (1 change), then by bus to Riva
- Tunnel construction sites on the Tauernautobahn: Several tunnels are currently being renovated along the main traffic route via the Tauernautobahn, which can cause serious delays of up to three hours during peak travel times. Please take this into account when planning your return journey. Booked return transfers may also be affected by this. It is also possible to travel by public transport from Villach. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Tourist tax is not included in the price of the holiday and will be payable locally.