Ropeway Prada Costabella – Unforgettable!

Prada Costabelleo cable car to Monte Baldo

Funivia Prada – Costabella is a cable car in the Veneto region, Italy and an exciting alternative to the cable car from Malcesine to Monte Baldo. The Funivia Prada-Costabella connects the town of Prada (part of Brenzone), near Lake Garda, with the Costabella hiking and skiing area, which is part of the Monte Baldo mountain ridge. The cable car allows visitors to comfortably and quickly reach the higher areas of Monte Baldo to enjoy hikes or mountain bike tours.

The Prada Monte Baldo cable car reopened in August 2022 after a 10-year renovation period and has been operating daily from 09:00 – 17:00 since April 1, 2023.

Prada Costabella cableway: how to get there

The approach to the Prada Monte Baldo cable car is via Gardesana and SP 9 San Zeno di Montagna to Prada.

We unfortunately made the mistake at the beginning and tried to get to the lift station via del Sole and via Prada – Google Maps navigated us that way, which was a big mistake. The road towards Prada became narrower and narrower, after a few kilometers the road was closed due to construction.

We then returned to the Gardesana and found the right route via Brenzone, Castelletto and Torri del Benaco.
The route leads onto the SP32 in Torri del Benaco, after a few kilometers there is a junction where we turn left onto the SP9.

Arriving at the valley station, we found a large parking lot with ample parking. In the summer months it certainly gets a little more crowded.

Prada Costabella cableway: standing gondola and chairlift

The Funivia Prada – Costabella consists of two sections: The first section goes from Prada to the intermediate station (alpine hut Baito Turri at an altitude of 1,550 meters) with a 2-person standing gondola.

The entrance to the basket lift is a bit unusual, but the very friendly lift staff helped us super. When exiting the basket lift, you should exit backwards and not turn around in the basket.

At the intermediate station you continue with a 2-seater chairlift to Cima Costabella or to the alpine hut Fiori del Baldo (1.850m). The chairlift is a little easier to handle in terms of entry and exit. The cable car offers a convenient and time-saving alternative to climbing the mountain and allowed us to admire the breathtaking views of Lake Garda and the surrounding countryside during the ascent.

If you’re lucky (like we were 🙂 ), you can watch marmots and mountain goats during the lift ride. Both the intermediate station and the mountain station offer hikers excellent starting points for extended hikes.

How much does it cost to take the Prada Costabella cable car up to Monte Baldo?

For a round trip with both cable cars together, 19 euros per person is charged. If you want to make only one trip on both railroads, the price is 14 euros. Children up to a height of 1.20 meters can ride for free, while families with one child pay a reduced rate of 45 euros and families with two children pay a reduced rate of 54 euros.

Pensioners over the age of 65 only have to pay 15 euros for the complete round trip. In addition, there are various options for using individual sections, such as only the chairlift for a single ride or a round trip, or only the standing gondola.

When driving up, please note that dogs must be muzzled when brought along. Each cable car section costs 8 euros for the four-legged friends.

The equipment for paragliding can be taken, taking mountain bikes is not possible at the moment.

Here is an overview of the current prices:

https://www.funiviedelbaldo.it/en/timetables-and-fares-prada-costabella

Attention: Currently the tickets for the cable car Prada Monte Baldo are NOT bookable online! The link on the website leads one to the ticket booking of the cable car of Malcesine.

Prada Costabella cable car mountain station – Hikes

Our goal on this trip was to test the Prada Monte-Baldo cable car. Therefore, we were not prepared for extensive hiking tours.

Arriving at the top station, we first walked to the Rifugio Chierigo. Unfortunately, within a very short time the view of the lake has completely gone. It’s quite crass to watch how the clouds slowly move up the mountain and cover the mountaintop in fog within a very short time.

Since we were still quite early, there was nothing to eat at the Rifugio yet, but we could enjoy a capuccino in advance. After some waiting time, the kitchen had also opened and we could have a snack. The meal of the day (pea soup) was great, especially because it was something different. Moreover, Rifugio Chierigo has its own “Monte Baldo beer”. I found the beer very tasty, even if the price for a 0.33 l can is quite expensive at 5, – euros.

After dinner we did a little hike, we liked the Cima Costabella round with start at Rifugio Chierigo. Since we were on the road at the end of March, there was still some snow in some places. After a kilometer, the snow became more and the path became more slippery. The path was difficult to walk on and Käthe became a bit unsteady, so we decided to turn back.

In alpine terrain there is nevertheless a certain risk of falling, the snow, partly frozen to ice, has turned the hiking trail into a slide. We didn’t want to take any risks.

There are many great trails to explore in the Monte Baldo region, we will definitely be making another attempt.

For the way back we took the cable car again. Please note here the last departure times to the valley. You can easily forget the time with the great panorama and if it’s stupid, you miss the descent and have to run into the valley.

We were lucky again on the way back and could observe some marmots. Unfortunately, due to the cloud cover, the view of Lago was somewhat limited. In any case, we can recommend the cable car Prada Monte Baldo, it’s a great alternative to the cable car that starts in Malcesine.