November 26, 2025 Riva del Garda - Ponale Trail - along Lake Garda

The Ponale is the most famous and frequented trail of Garda, spectacular for its development perched above the lake, unmissable, the profile of the old Ponale road stands out on the mountainside and is clearly visible from the beach of Riva and Torbole. We can well say that the Ponale is an icon of Garda, beautiful for the enchanting views it offers at every turn.

The Ponale is famous not only for the incomparable view of the lake, but also for the military apparatus visible along the route; at the second and third tunnels you can find the remains of the Tagliata del Ponale, an imposing fortification built by the Austrians starting from 1860, consisting of tunnels dug into the rock and trenches that extend from the lake level up to the positions dominating the current trail from above. Today, unfortunately, the complex of the Tagliata is closed to the public for safety reasons.

From the center of Riva del Garda, you reach the Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant and walk south; before the tunnel, turn right uphill to reach the start of the trail. The route runs steeply above the waters of Garda and steadily climbs for about three kilometers on a dirt road with a moderate slope up to the Belvedere, at the height of the old Ponale port and the Ponale stream waterfall. Here you will find a refreshment point, then turn left following the signs for Pregasina and after about four hundred meters turn right onto the trail that takes us to La Calchera, a historic area with the 1746 border marker. After descending, continue on the paved road for another two kilometers or so of steady uphill on asphalt until you arrive at the panoramic viewpoint of Pregasina with the Regina Mundi sculpture. The return to Riva del Garda is along the same route.