🌄 Sunrise Hike on Monte Baldo, Lake Garda. An Overnight Adventure

There’s something magical about a sunrise: the quiet anticipation, the shifting colours, and that first warmth on your face after a cold, dark climb. When I lived on Lake Garda, I quickly realised that to catch a truly spectacular sunrise, you needed to head high into the mountains.

That’s how I found myself on an unforgettable Monte Baldo sunrise hike — a 24-hour adventure of sunsets, storms, bunk beds, and finally, one of the best views in Northern Italy.

🗺️ Planning the Monte Baldo Sunrise Hike

From the east side of Lake Garda, the Monte Baldo range blocks out the early morning light. Paddleboarding out into the lake at dawn was fun, but never gave me that perfect 'waiting for the sun to rise over the horizon' moment.

The answer was obvious: get up into the mountains. And not just for the sunrise, but to turn it into a full overnight hiking adventure.

The plan:

• Hike up to Rifugio Telegrafo in the evening

• Catch sunset with dinner and local wine

• Sleep in the rifugio’s bunkbeds

• Wake before dawn, hike with headtorches, and watch sunrise from the peak

• Continue up to Cima Valdritta (2,218m), the highest summit of Monte Baldo

🥾 The Route

There are a few different ways to tackle the Monte Baldo range:

• 🚡 From the lake: Take the Malcesine cable car or hike directly from the lakeshore (around 6 hours).

• 🚶 From Novezza: A shorter 1.5 hour hike up the “backside” of Valdritta — perfect if you want to fit it into a 24-hour adventure.

We chose the Novezza route to save time, hiking up to Rifugio Telegrafo where we’d spend the night.

🍷 Sunset, Storms & Rifugio Life

That evening, the weather had its own show planned. A huge electrical storm lit up Lake Garda for hours. We sat on the rifugio terrace with a carafe of local red wine, watching the lightning dance across the water.

Rifugio Telegrafo is one of those places where you instantly feel at home. They serve hearty mountain meals, local craft beers (each one named after nearby peaks), and sometimes even host live music nights. Book ahead if you’re planning to stay — bunks fill fast.

🌄 Sunrise at Rifugio Telegrafo

After too much wine and too little sleep, we set alarms for an early start. Headtorches on, we hiked five minutes from the rifugio to a peak just outside.

The cold before dawn always bites, but that anticipation - watching the colours shift, waiting for the sun to break over the horizon - makes it worth it. And when it finally rose, the view stretched endlessly across Lake Garda and into the Alps beyond.

There’s nothing quite like standing on top of a mountain, with no one else around, feeling like the world has just woken up with you.

🏔️ Beyond Monte Baldo: Val di Susa Hiking Holidays

Lake Garda’s Monte Baldo is unforgettable, but like most popular spots in Northern Italy, it can be busy in high season. If you’re looking for a quieter alternative, head west into Piedmont’s Val di Susa.

From The Hideaway Apartments just outside Sauze d’Oulx, you can:

• Hike straight into the Gran Bosco National Park

• Explore historic trails like the Franciscan trail to Forte di Exilles

• Climb massive mountains like the Chaberton on the border of France

• Experience Italy’s mountains without the tourist crowds

It’s a hiking holiday that feels wilder, more authentic, and far more affordable than the Dolomites or Lake Garda.

✨ Final Thoughts

If you’re heading to Lake Garda, don’t miss the chance to hike up Monte Baldo for sunrise — especially if you can make it an overnight adventure at Rifugio Telegrafo.

And if you want to take your hiking holiday even further, explore Val di Susa, the hidden gem of Piedmont, where you can hike, bike, and stargaze right from your front door at The Hideaway Apartments.

👉 Book your stay at The Hideaway Apartments and start planning your Northern Italy hiking adventure today.

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