You can literally see it from anywhere you stand on the coast of Italy’s largest lake. Mount Baldo, the benevolent massif rising on the eastern side of Lake Garda acts as a natural barrier between the waters and the wine-growing region of the Valpolicella region west of Verona.

The top of Mount Baldo is not just a hiking and mountain-biking paradise, but also a very nice spot to visit for a few hours to enjoy some of the lake’s best views. You can see to the north as far as the Adamello-Brenta alpine arc.

And it is all easily accessed on the Monte Baldo cable car, which whizzes tourists from the lakeside hamlet of Malcesine to the top, at 1760m. This may as well be the most visited spot in the whole of Lake Garda.

I wanted to visit, but I was somehow intimidated by what I’d heard most of my local friends say: it gets very busy up there, especially in summer, and the cable car can have long lines even if you buy your ticket online in advance.

So, here are some of my suggestions to make the best of Mount Baldo.

Time your visit

It’s not just necessary and recommended to go early in the day — less queues, faster access to the cable car — but also choose the best time of the year to do so. Try not to visit Lake Garda in July and August, when the tiny roads around the lake turn into a never-ending traffic gridlock. April is a sweet spot. The weather starts to warm up, days are crisp, and you won’t have to elbow your way into the cable car. This said, try to be there when it opens at 8am, not much later.

Take the backdoor

Mount Baldo’s Funivia (cable car; funiviedelbaldo.it) has an intermediate stop at San Michele, at about 560m in elevation. Don’t think that getting up here will save you money or time: the (steep) price is a fixed €30 ($49) for adults, €22 concessions ($36) for the return, whether you leave from the shore or from here.

Fewer people know, however, that on the eastern side of the mountain is the village of Pra Alpesina near Avio, where you can reach the top of Baldo from the back, avoiding the tourist scrum when it operates between mid-June and mid-September.

Instead of a Funivia, you’ll use a scenic four-seat chairlift (funiviedelbaldo.it/en/seggiovia-pra-alpesina). It’s also cheaper: a round trip is €10 ($16) for adults, €7 ($11).

Beat the crowds

Too many people? Well, if you are fit enough, you can just walk. It’s a three-hour steep walk up from Malcesine, but you’ll be pretty much alone on the trails. It’s not fun to go up, but consider that plenty of mountain-bike trails also wind down from the summit (a one-way ticket with bike costs €30, $49). Go up early and take your time wheeling down the massif.

What to do on top?

Enjoy the views! They really are like nowhere else around the lake. From here, it appears like a dark-blue glass encased between high rock walls.

As soon as you arrive, you’ll pass the SkyWalk Lounge Bar. It looks like an Autogrill (at stops along highways), to be honest, but the terrace is a nice spot for a drink. It’s much better to sit under the sun at La Capannina, a hip mountain refuge-style cafe and restaurant serving the gamut from coffee to aperitif with a view, plus traditional Trentino staples, burgers, and even halal chicken. Inside, it’s a beauty of wood panels decorated with all sorts of antlers.

In summer, when the snow has melted, you could don your hiking boots and set out north on the dramatic three-hour hike to Rifugio Telegrafo, which sets you along the mountain ridge south of the upper station.

Turn north on the Sentiero del Ventrar (Ventrar Path) and walk 10 minutes to a view of Adamello Brenta Alps. They rise at the northern tip of the lake, above the towns of Torbole, Riva del Garda and Arco.

Thrillseekers can paraglide off the ridge: contact Garda Air Style (gardairstyle.com), which offers exhilarating 30-minute tandem flights from €190 ($311).