Valley of Valvestino
Chris Leustean If you want to take a fun road or visit suggestive places, it is not always necessary to reach the high Alpine passes, and sometimes you don't even need to go far from the cities.
In this article we talk about a little-known street, if not by the people of the area, a bit "dispersed" in the middle of nowhere, but really very, very fun.
Altitude: about 1,000 m
Length: 34km
Connects: Idro (BS) with Gargnano (BS)
Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/aQu2KNzF7oG2
It is a road that connects Lake Garda to the small Lake Idro, in Valle Sabbia, in the province of Brescia. The road in question takes on two distinct names: from Idro to the municipality of Valvestino it is the SP58, while from Valvestino to Lake Garda it takes the name of SP9.
Along its route, the road passes within the municipalities of Capovalle and Valvestino. The first is a small municipality that you meet right along the SP58, Valvestino instead is a scattered municipality, made up of 6 hamlets, reachable after the intersection between the SP58 and the SP9.
From Lake Garda the SP9 starts from the municipality of Gargnano. The road climbs immediately with a succession of hairpin bends and a beautiful view of the lake up to Navazzo. After the built-up area, the road narrows a bit and you need to be very careful on bends with poor visibility, also due to the dense vegetation.
The roadway narrows further once you reach the dam and the route becomes even more tortuous. A moment's respite from the curves and with a wide roadway you meet on the long bridge that passes over a branch of the artificial reservoir, from which you can see a suggestive view thanks to the very green water of Lake Valvestino.
The road then continues winding up to the hamlets of the municipality of Valvestino, after having passed the intersection with the SP58 coming from Idro.
From Idro the SP58 is very fast and generally well paved. A few hairpin bends interspersed with guided stretches up to Capovalle make it extremely fun. After Capovalle the road narrows a lot and you find yourself in the same conditions up to the intersection with the SP9.
In our opinion
If you want to take a short car ride that doesn't take you too many kilometers, this road is definitely highly recommended. We also recommend it as a valid alternative to reach Lake Garda or above all to return there, for example on a Sunday afternoon, when the lake areas are very busy.
Although very narrow in some points, where you need to pay the utmost attention especially in blind curves, the scarce traffic that passes through this valley still allows you to appreciate the route.
A stop over the long bridge that crosses the lake is highly recommended, also to break up the journey.
A stop in Idro, a quiet village overlooking the lake of the same name, is also highly recommended.
