In 1929, when the level of Lake Ledro was lowered to feed a hydroelectric plant, thousands of wooden posts emerged from the mud near Molina di Ledro. They were the remains of a Bronze Age pile-dwelling village, inhabited some four thousand years ago, and the finds included pottery, tools, weapons, and a canoe. Molina di Ledro is part of the UNESCO-listed Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps, and the Museo delle Palafitte, on the lake shore, displays the finds alongside reconstructed huts on stilts.
Lake Ledro is a small, clear lake in a green valley above Riva del Garda, surrounded by forests and mountains. It is popular for swimming, kayaking and walking, and in summer its shores are busy with families from Trentino and beyond. The water is colder than Garda, and the air fresher, which makes it a welcome escape from the heat of the lake below.
The ride up from Riva is famous. The old Ponale road, carved into the cliffs above Lake Garda in the nineteenth century, was once the only route, and it is now closed to motor traffic and used by cyclists and walkers. The modern road, the SS240, climbs through a long tunnel and then along the valley, an easy ride with views back toward the lake. Beyond Ledro, the road continues through the Val di Ledro and down to the Valle del Chiese, then on toward Lake Idro and Brescia, a lovely route with forests, villages and few cars.
The area is a paradise for riders, with the Garda roads, the Tremosine plateau and its terrace road, the Passo del Tonale and the roads of the Brenta Dolomites all within reach. Riva del Garda, six kilometres away, has fuel, food and lodgings, though it is busy in summer. Try the local trout, carne salada, Trentino cheeses and the olive oil of the Garda. Spring and early autumn are best, when the roads are quieter and the weather mild.