Cross country bike route at Lake Ledro on trail 729

Medium MTB or E-MTB route in the woods of Ledro Valley

Text

Giorgia Consolini

Trekking, bike and ski touring

Photo

Angela Trawoeger

Creator, photographer and content manager

Route closed due to landslide in Mezzolago.

Follow trail no. 729 for an alternative tour of Lake Ledro that, in less than 3 hours, with the right amount of effort, gives you ever-changing perspectives on this beautiful alpine lake. 

Riding your front, muscular or electric, depending on your tastes and training, you will go from beach to forest, from asphalt to easy dirt road, ending with a nice dip in one of the cleanest lakes in Trentino. 

Sixteen kilometers of track await you over 500 meters of altitude difference, with some challenging uphill climbs. 

Map and GPS Track

Details

• Technical characteristics

  • Starting point
    Pieve di Ledro
  • Endpoint
    Pieve di Ledro
  • Route
    Pieve di Ledro, Locca, Coste di Bariolo, Mezzolago, Molina, Pur, Pieve di Ledro
  • Starting height
    661m
  • Highest point
    1028m
  • Altitude – ascent/descent
    536m/536m
  • Distance
    15,8 km
  • Duration
    2,5 hrs

• Difficulty

  • Difficulty
    medium
  • Technical difficulty (1 to 5)
    2
  • Physical training (1 to 5)
    3

• Scenic appeal

  • Experience (1 to 5)
    5
  • Landscape (1 to 5)
    4

• Type of route

  • Round tour
  • Panoramic route
  • Insider tip

• Best time of year

  • From april to november
    without snow

Partner

Points of interest along this bike route

The ascent through the woods towards “Coste di Bariolo” allows you to immerse yourself in the relaxing atmosphere of Val di Ledro, the genuine one made up of flowering meadows and scattered houses, far from the usual crowded tourist spots. 

We like to enjoy the view of the lake and the surrounding mountains in the peace of lush nature.

Route description

From the car park in Pieve di Ledro, turn left and follow the signs for route no. 729 “Giro del Lago di Ledro”. The route is well marked. 

Keep to the fountain on the right and take via Sant Antonio. A slight climb takes you towards the village of Locca on the road used as a cycle path, then join the main road for a short stretch to Via del Castel, which you take to the right just before reaching the village. 

Turn right again onto Via San Marco and keep to it even when it turns from asphalt to dirt road. Be careful not to deviate and enter private property. 

The climb continues mainly in the forest with a few hairpins bends as far as “Coste di Bariolo,” where a bench with a view of the lake and the shade of a large tree invite you to take a break before the fun and easy descent, which alternates between dirt and cemented sections with a considerable gradient. 

Return to the asphalt road towards Mezzolago, keeping to the right, and turn left at the church. A very scenic stretch with beautiful views of the lake awaits you here.

Before reaching the main road, keep to the right for the pedestrian crossing and follow the footpath along the lake with your bike in hand to avoid cycling on the busy main road. At Molina, after the piles, turn right to skirt the lake’s southern shore. Once past Pur, keep right to take the unpaved cycle/pedestrian path to Pieve di Ledro and go straight on to the car park at the roundabout.

Variant

• If you want to warm up your legs well before the climb, you can start the tour from Molina di Ledro.
• If you have time and leg energy in Pur, make a diversion to visit Ledro Land Art: a route of about one kilometer with sculptures built into the forest using natural materials. Getting there is easy: just follow the road to Malga Cita. Admission is free.

Our tips

• There are several fountains along the route; taste the good water of Val di Ledro!
• Don’t forget the lights on your bike: you will need them for the stretches of state road.
• If you leave early in the morning, you can enjoy the climb in the cooler weather and the afternoon on the beach.
• The tour can be done almost all year round, if it doesn’t snow; in late May, we found meadows in bloom, wild orchids, and the new colors of spring.

The route in winter

From April to November, without snow

Refreshment points along this walk

At Lake Ledro

Partner

How to get to the start of this route

By car

Pieve di Ledro can be reached in about 25 minutes from Riva del Garda, following the signs for Val di Ledro (S.S. 240). At the end of the long tunnel, go straight on until you reach Lake Ledro.

By Bus

Bus number 214 (Riva del Garda – Pieve di Ledro)
The stop is near the car park in Pieve di Ledro.

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