Italy > Around the Molveno Mountain Lake

Around half past eight, there’s a gentle knock on the door. We’re not sure if it’s for us. We had arranged breakfast for half past eight, but we’re running a little late. In the hallway, breakfast is already laid out. The coffee has already been poured. We quickly sit down. The other German guests in the room next to us have already left. After breakfast, we say goodbye to the hostess in our broken English and equally broken Italian. We drive out of Verona and head onto the toll road going north. Today, we’re heading for the Dolomites — the mountain range bordering Austria. This weekend marks the start of the holidays for many travelers. Traditionally, the roads around the Alps are packed on Saturdays. Some drivers avoid the weekend rush, which makes it relatively busy for us as well. Every now and then, traffic slows into short jams, but without any obvious cause. At Castelletto, we leave the motorway. This is about halfway to the Dolomites. We follow signs to Lake Molveno, often voted the cleanest lake in the Dolomites. To get there, we climb into the mountains via sharp bends over a distance of about twenty kilometers. Along the way, we pass several mountain villages. The good weather has brought people out onto the streets, and the atmosphere is lively. Many parking areas seem full — we wonder how it will be in Molveno. Around midday, we see the mountain lake lying at an altitude of 800 meters. Lake Molveno looks beautiful. We join the line of cars entering the village. Traffic wardens direct us to a large parking lot near the campsite. The paved section is already full, but we can park on the grass, along with hundreds of other cars. White chalk lines mark out the spaces. Many day-trippers come here to enjoy the lake. People are sunbathing on the grass and pebble beach, and children play in the water. We walk along the shoreline, having decided to do the entire circuit around the lake — a walk of ten kilometers. Just outside the village, the trail becomes much quieter. Sun-seeking day visitors don’t come here.

Italy - One of the most beautiful lakes of the Dolomites

The gently undulating path follows the shore. In a bay, we come across an old Roman bridge. After that, the path climbs steeply through the trees, and we lose sight of the lake for a while. This area has several forts. Its strategic location made it an important stronghold as far back as Napoleon’s time, and also during both World Wars. When the route returns to the lake, we think we’ve reached the farthest point. Not so — we’ve only covered a few kilometers. Signs along the way show the distances. Because of the bay at the bridge, we misjudged how far we’d gone. This gives us a longer view of the beautiful lake. When the sun hits the water, it takes on a greenish glow. The lake was formed 3,000 years ago after a major landslide blocked the outflow. It’s said that remains of ancient trees, suddenly submerged, still stand beneath the surface. After just under three hours, we’re back in Molveno. We order a sandwich and a drink at a terrace before setting off for our overnight stop. We drive back down the same mountain road and rejoin the toll road. Sixty kilometers further north, we leave the motorway again and head into the mountains. At exactly five o’clock, we park in front of Gasthof Mittermühl in Funes. In the café, people are playing cards. An older woman lays down her hand and greets us in German. In this region, she explains, everyone speaks German — Italian is only learned at school. The mountains, the inn, and the language all radiate an Austrian feel, though we are still very much in Italy. We order a drink and enjoy it on the outdoor terrace. We also receive the menu. It doesn’t seem like there are many restaurants nearby, so dining here may be our best option. We give her our choice for later. When we enter the restaurant that evening, nearly all tables are occupied. The same woman who helped us earlier hurries from table to table with plates, and soon comes over with our schnitzels — an excellent choice. After dinner, we retire to our room and prepare for tomorrow’s hike into the Dolomites.