The path
Originally used by smugglers to carry salt and tobacco un-noticed, during WW1 it marked the direct link between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian empire. After the war, the local municipality intended to enlarge the route as to create a road to link the town of Limone sul Garda with Val di Ledro, though the project was eventually dismissed for the difficulties encountered in its realization.
From the carpark located at the entrance of the small village of Pregasina, we begin our hike descending along the old Ponale tarmac road, now a pedestrian and cycle route. After a couple of hairpins the Smugglers Path begins, initially by going down a little into the valley, then reaching a metal containment nets for debris, which marks the start of the equipped path.
The Smugglers' path measures approximately 2 -3 km from start to end, it is equipped with sections of metal wire and 450 bolts fixed along the track. The route alternates easy sections yet exposed, not to be underestimated, with short horizontal passages, suggestive vertical ladders and traverses equipped with iron cable. A continuous series of bends offer hikers the chance to take breathtaking pictures of the Lake below and the Sarca valley in the distance.
Upon completion of the equipped path, we follow the gravel and rocky downhill path to the main road by the lake, or take the steep uphill path leading back to Pregasina.
