To break up a lengthy drive from Lake Como to the heart of the dolomites, we decided to spend a night by Lago di Molveno. We took a slow but scenic route through the mountains past Parco delle Orobie Bergamasche and Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta on some wonderful roads – a warm up for driving around the Odle peaks later that week. Given more time, we might have taken the SS239 via Madonna di Campiglio and the Nardis waterfalls, or made a detour to the secluded Lake Tovel. But instead we focused on getting to Molveno, which is a fairly sleepy ski town in the summer, but well worth a look if you find yourself in that part of Italy.
As you can see below, Lago di Molveno is a stunning lake surrounded by lush forests and imposing mountains. The town is on a slope so you are unlikely to have a bad view from your accomodation. We lucked out on a beautiful Airbnb (as usual), but there are several other options such as the Agriturismo Ai Castoni – a hotel with five rooms, a restaurant and a shop, perched on the hillside. Aside from the obvious exploring of the lake itself, the must-do activity in Molveno is taking the Molveno-Pradel cable car up the mountain for incredible panoramas (and an ice cream). Plenty of locals were up there, chilling out on deck chairs with a drink. There’s also a two person chairlift that we took to get even higher – the trademark dolomite peaks loomed into view as we neared the end of the ride. If you have time, there’s a great walk you can do at the top of this second lift that leads you to Croz Dell’altissimo Rifugio, a mountain cabin with bedrooms and comforting food – check ahead for their opening times. Back down in Molveno, you can find traditional cuisine at the likes of Osteria Del Maso and Ristorante Antica Bosnia, and cheap and cheerful drinks at Bar Spiaggia by the water. P.S. We spotted some minigolf there too – always tempting. That should be enough to keep you busy but do check out the molveno.it website for more ideas!
