Pai between Lake Garda and Monte Baldo: Discover Culture and Trails

The oldest part of Pai lies on the slopes of Monte Baldo. Between Pai di Sopra and Pai di Sotto, a village landscape unfolds in which woodland, lakeside scenery, churches and trails each create different focal points. This makes Pai interesting for travellers who enjoy combining culture and nature on the same trip.

Woodland and Views of Lake Garda

Pai is surrounded by forests of European hop-hornbeam, downy oak, holm oak and ash. In the forests near Pai di Sopra lies Tanella Cave on the slopes of Monte Baldo. The Chiesa di San Marco opens onto a viewing terrace overlooking Lake Garda. Those who enjoy moving between woodland and lake will find correspondingly varied landscapes here.

Hiking Trails and the Ponte Tibetano

Several routes need to be distinguished when planning hikes. Sentiero 31 leads from Cassone to Pai di Sopra and is rated E. Sentiero 39 runs from Località Punta Piàghen di Pai to San Zeno di Montagna and is rated T. The different directions and ratings provide an objective basis for considering the routes separately.

Another hiking route begins in Pai di Sopra on Sentiero 38, reaches the Ponte Tibetano via Sentieri 39 and 41 and returns to the car park of Pai di Sopra after crossing the bridge. From the entrance to Pai di Sopra, an uphill path leads to the Ponte Tibetano della Val Vanzana in approximately 20 to 25 minutes on foot. The bridge was built in 2019, is 34.7 metres long and lies 42 metres above the stream below.

Churches and Historic Village Landscapes

Pai di Sotto lies on the lakeshore by the 12th-century Romanesque church of San Gregorio. The Chiesa di San Gregorio Magno is located in the cemetery of Pai di Sotto in a scenic position. The Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Marco contains fragments of late Gothic frescoes in the apse dating from the late 14th to the early 15th century.

Pai di Sopra also preserves historic details in its village landscape: several remains of the fortifications of a castle dismantled by Barbarossa can be found there. The lanes of the historic centre feature painted wayside shrines. A painted wayside shrine in Via dell’Angelo was commissioned by a miner and painted by Eugenio Vangelista. The historic washhouse of Pai di Sopra is called “fontana” and has a Verona marble surface.

Orientation Between the Village Districts

The Calchera is an old lime kiln used to produce lime. From Piazza San Marco, a forest path via Via Monte Baldo leads there in a few minutes. The cemetery and the Oratorio di San Gregorio can be reached on foot from Pai di Sotto via Via Giosuè Carducci. North of Pai di Sotto, a cycle and pedestrian path runs from Castelletto di Brenzone to Navene di Malcesine.

Anyone planning accommodation or a hotel in Pai should consider Pai di Sopra and Pai di Sotto as separate geographical reference points. The two village districts are shaped by their own connections, landscapes and cultural sites. When choosing a location, you can therefore match the focus of your trip with the district you would like to stay in.

More Destinations

For further travel planning, you can also find the following here: Marano Di Valpolicella, Caldiero, Valeggio Sul Mincio, Palù Dei Mori, San Giorgio In Salici, Colà, San Rocco, Volargne.

To the higher-level travel overview: Verona.