Set to a backdrop of the beautiful Lake Garda is a claustrophobia-proof road, so beautiful that it even charmed Churchill, who called it the “eighth wonder of the world“.
The road in the gorge: the “EIGHT WONDER of the world”
To be honest, I wouldn’t have bet a penny on me as I was back then, years ago. I mean, nobody would. I used to be the stereotypical girl who had no interest in camping or hiking, and never even thought about a backpack on her shoulders and mud on her shoes, and now I have a whole list of places to see and go hiking to. I dream of valleys to explore, lakes to bathe in, and mountain peaks to climb. To be honest, I’m grateful that that little girl changed her mind. Now I’m here to share with you more places from my list, hoping to spark you off and pass on some of my enthusiasm to you.
T.S. Eliot said “the journey, not the destination, matters” and he was right. This perfectly describes the place I’m going to present today. Indeed, it’s not a valley, not a mountain, not a river. I’ll give you a hint: the setting is a gorgeous view of Lake Garda, and the magic is… A road.
# The road into the heart of the mountain
The Forra Road was inaugurated in 1913 and was truly defined by Winston Churchill as the eighth wonder of the world. If you look closely at this road, it is easy to understand why. This road is a real jewel among the rocks, carved into the canyon of the Brasa torrent. The route starts at 65 meters on the lakefront and arrives at 423 meters, in the village of Pieve di Tremosine. Going along this road you have a clear feeling of penetrating the heart of the mountain between the deep tunnel and the overhanging rock. That’s a unique experience, isn’t it?
The road is 6 kilometers long and it is illuminated all day long. The path starts in Pieve, descends rapidly towards the lake, then passes through Brasa, meeting the Gardesana state road. If you think it’s all here, you’ll be surprised: the Forra Road continues along the lake to the village of Campione and—lastly—it unwinds towards Limone and Riva del Garda.
# The provincial road in spotlight
Whether you travel by car or motorcycle, this road is narrow and sometimes unprotected, so I really recommend and urge you to drive carefully. Unless you’re James Bond. No kidding, in the 2008 movie “007 – Quantum of Solace“, Daniel Craig was right here on the Forra Road, on his Aston Martin, in that breathtaking chase that all of us fans will remember. This road, however, is renowned also outside of the motionpicture industry. In fact, the Strada Provinciale n.38—this sound so un-romantic, right?—seems to be one of the favorite locations for car commercials.
# History
If you have managed to read untill here, you deserve a bit of history. Before the beginning of the 20th century, the only way to reach Tremosine from the lake was through a steep path. Until 1913, when the priest of the village asked for and obtained the construction of an easier road that eventually connected Tremosine to the hinterland of Lake Garda. Apparently, before this beautiful road was developed, discomfort drove all the inhabitants who just lean Ted to reach the port for supplies. Geologist and engineer Arturo Cozzaglio took charge of the works and built his road project that was bound to become legendary thanks to its wonderful landscape.
The road actually penetrates-not only metaphorically-into the belly of the mountain, creeping along the gap naturally created by the Brasa stream. Driving on the SP38 is a dreamlike experience between dark and light, so beautiful that you will completely forget about your destination and will only focus on fully enjoying the view of Lake Garda and the rocky scenery around.
GIADA GRASSO
