Castel Toblino on Lago di Toblino in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, on an early morning in September. The castle, founded in the 1100s and later a summer retreat for the prince-bishops of Trent, now features an elegant waterside restaurant with sun terrace, offering superb panoramic views of the lake and the Dolomite slopes around it.
Lago di Toblino, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: guests mingle on the waterside sun terrace of the elegant Ristorante Castel Toblino early on a tranquil September morning as the shimmering surface of one of northern Italy’s most beautiful lakes reflects the cylindrical tower of the medieval fortress, founded in the 12th century and later converted into a desirable summer retreat for the prince-bishops of Trent. The sunlit pale grey Dolomite stone of the sheer rock faces, crags and slopes of Monte Garzole or Piccolo Dain, which soars nearly 1,000 m above the lake and castle, are also reflected in the blue-green water in this image captured from a viewpoint on the northern shore. The castle stands on a spur of rock that fell into the lake long ago from the near-vertical face of Monte Garzole. The land was originally an island, but it became a promontory as the level of Lake Toblino fell. The castle, on the site of a 2,000-year-old cult temple, was once a formidable fortress, but only some parts of the original buildings now survive. The complex owes its present layout to Cardinal Bernardo Clesio or Cles (1485-1539), a powerful Prince-Bishop of Trent or Trentino. He converted the stronghold into a lakeside residence allowing the prince-bishops to exchange the summer heat within their palace at Trento, about 15 km to the east, for alpine breezes cooled by contact with the lake. The Lago di Toblino lies in the Sarca Valley, also known as the Valle dei Laghi (Valley of the Lakes). Its beauty is enhanced by its location amid rugged peaks, softer hills, dense forests, vineyards, cypresses and fruit trees.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Lago di Toblino, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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