Sun going down on an alpine lake in northern Italy, the Lago di Toblino in Trentino-Alto Adige. Seen in silhouette is a medieval castle, the Castel Toblino, founded in the 1100s and once a desirable summer residence for the powerful prince-bishops of Trent.
Lago di Toblino, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: sunset over one of northern Italy’s most beautiful lakes, with medieval Castel Toblino, former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Trent, silhouetted below rays from the fast-sinking sun lighting the landscape between two contrasting Dolomite peaks. In this view from the northern shore on a tranquil September evening, the bulk of Monte Casale rises to 1,631m (5,351 ft) in the background. Soaring immediately above the castle promontory is Monte Garzole or Piccolo Dain, lower at 971m (3,186 ft), but with a sheer rock face that presents a tough challenge to mountaineers. The Lago di Toblino lies about 15 km west of the regional capital, Trento, in the Sarca Valley, also known as the Valle dei Laghi (Valley of the Lakes). Its beauty is enhanced by its location amid rugged mountain slopes, softer hills, dense forests, vineyards, fruit trees and cypresses. Castel Toblino was founded on the site of a 2,000-year-old cult temple on a spur of rock that had fallen into the lake from Piccolo Dain. The land, originally an island, became a peninsula as the water level dropped. The castle, once a formidable fortress, dates from the 12th century, although it owes its present configuration to Cardinal Bernardo Clesio or Cles (1485-1539), the powerful Prince-Bishop of Trent or Trentino. He converted the stronghold into a desirable summer retreat for the prince-bishops, especially the four members of the noble Madruzzo family who followed him in the role. The Castel Toblino now features an elegant waterside restaurant with a sun terrace offering superb panoramic views of the lake and the Dolomite slopes around it.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Lago di Toblino, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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