A very beautiful hike to Malga Valbiolo and Lake Valbiolo in Val di Sole.
You park at Passo del Tonale, continuing, on the outward journey, on a carriage road to Malga Valbiolo and, on the downward journey, on the opposite side on a little path that winds its way through marmots’ dens, finally arriving at Lago Valbiolo.
On the shores of the lake, there are wooden deckchairs where you can sunbathe and relax, immersed in a wonderful location.
After a bit of well-deserved relaxation, you take the path again, which soon leads to the car.
In the first part of the hike, you will find lots of raspberry plants, so if you go at the end of August, you will be able to get a good glimpse of them!
Excursion to the Malga and Lake Valbiolo: route
Once you have arrived at Passo del Tonale, you can leave your car in the large free car park at the foot of the Valbiolo chair lift or continue on to Hotel Mirandola where there are a few car parks.
Pass the San Bartolomeo hospice and take the wide, slightly uphill dirt road which, in about ten minutes, leads to a fork in the road: to the right is Lake Valbiolo, to the left is Malga Valbiolo.
In this very section, at the end of summer, you will find many raspberry plants.
We then continue on the path to the left in the direction of the Malga, paying attention to the bikers descending fast on their mountain bikes.
The path climbs up but presents no particular difficulty except for a little breathlessness for those of us who live at sea level and are unaccustomed to these altitudes.
Proceeding slowly but without ever stopping, in about 1h 15 minutes from the start of our hike from Passo del Tonale, we finally arrive at Malga Valbiolo at an altitude of 2244 metres.
The queue for lunch is already long, but our daughters have immediately dashed off to the wonderful Marmot Village playground, so we shelve the idea of lunch for the time being. HERE is the detailed article on the Marmot Village.
Excursion to the Malga and Lake Valbiolo: the return trip
To return to the car, we decide to descend on the narrower path which winds its way through the marmots’ dens and leads directly to Lake Valbiolo.
Take some time to stop at this point because you can hear and see, quite easily, several marmots.
In about 20 minutes from our departure, we arrive at the shore of Lake Valbiolo. What a marvellous little lake!
Lake Valbiolo
Lake Valbiolo is situated at an altitude of 2070 metres in a very scenic setting, with a wonderful view of the Presanella massif.
Around the lake, you can find several relaxation areas and wooden games for children.
In addition, every year in summer, the Water Music Festival takes place above a platform built on the lake where you can stroll around.
Finally, from the lake, you can either return to the carriage road taken on the outward journey or take the quicker shortcut that cuts across the path and leads back to the car in about ten minutes.
Useful information
The time it took us to reach Malga Valbiolo was 1h15 minutes, with a 4-year-old girl in tow (and the other 2-year-old in the rucksack).
If there were no children with you to slow you down, the time would certainly be shorter (1h or slightly less).
We preferred to put our daughter in the baby backpack , but we saw several families with the trekking buggy .
The temperature on our arrival at the Malga was 8 degrees so, even if it is a nice day, always carry a jumper and a windproof jacket.
Where to sleep at Passo del Tonale
Hotel Garni Pegrà – Family rooms furnished in rustic, warm and cosy style. Private parking and good breakfast buffet – Book here.
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