santa barbara church

nimonika

Visisted the church while on a trip to a conference with a group of colleagues. The weather was lovely and the little church was amazing. We even had a picnic there. A not-too-be-missed attraction while in Riva!!

paulow855

hell of a climb legs were sore for a few days but worth the pain for the pictures i got up there of the lake and surrounding areas even from the castle on the way up and the castle has a nice cafe

MJH1

My wife and I decided to pop up to Santa Barbara church having made the shorter climb up to the Bastion initially.It's a steep ascent which took us about 50 mins. The path is very rough and loose.The church at the top is more of a Shrine really and you kinda look at it for a couple of minutes.The views would have been amazing but a fret had rolled in over the lake by the time we were at the top and we didn't see much.My wife and I went up in trainers, as people who have done a fair bit of hill walking we should have known better, the descent is quite tricky and easy to turn an ankle. Most people we passed were wearing boots and I would recommend doing the same.

PatriciaJot

After nearly 1 hour of walk we reached the Santa Barbara church. Wonderful view over the lake Garda. Nice place to visit in a sunny day to fully enjoy the view.

davidh94

it's a decent walk from Riva town centre and if you allow for about three hours including stopping at the Bastion on the way up you won't be far wrong. If you are young and fit you should be able to do it in about 45 minutes to the top.This is more of a shrine rather than a church but the view is excellent at the top.

MilesT154

Just splendid all round and well worth the walk "climb" up to it. The views are incredible. I am 50 and going up was easy but coming down with bad knees was painful and I didn't think I would make it.Allow 4 hours for the whole trip and take lot's of water.

165andrewa

If you can, its well worth the 2-3 hours effort to make it up there. Not dangerous but certainly you need to be fit, nimble footed and also take plenty of hydration and nutrition.What a view when you get there though!

SchnellCarugate

After a pleasant ascending walk, the effort is largely payed back by a wonderful view of the north shore of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

DENC0322

This is a great hike. Walking boots/ shoes are essential. The view from the church is just breathtaking and really worth the effort. Would definitely recommend.

carolinerunner

It is a challenging walk but not beyond the ability of anyone who's moderately fit; the path is good and (amazingly, given its location) there are no precipitous drops to frighten you on the way. Take a look down the hydro-electric pipes to the lake as you pass - the view is something else. We felt it had to be done and we were really glad we did, but on a hot day, I'd start early to avoid getting very very hot.

PaulB525

Great views, it doesn't look far but its a real work out and trek, not for the faint hearted. Wear good shoes for the final stretch.

timothyo736

This church was calling to use from the moment we arrived in riva. It is lit at night and is so high up in the mountain we wondered how it was ever built. The climb up takes about 3 hours but it's not as hard as you might think, bring comfortable shoes, loads of water and a snack for the top as you will burn a lot of energy doing this. The history behind this church and it's amazing location make this a must see in Riva!

45clementiner

It takes roughly 3 hours to get up and down and it is really rough at times, bring water as once you get past the bastian there's no more water stops! It's was dead heat all day when we climbed it so we were delighted with the wind tunnel that was naturally happening close to the top once you see the entrance to the "hydro dolomiti enel" - just standing in this entrance will give you a blast of cool air! The views are fantastic the whole way up but the best part really is getting to the church and just taking in the view. We felt very proud of ourselves at our accomplishment! The story of why the church was built is amazing too.

Wolverine73

The climb to the Bastion is a piece of cake, and takes less time than the signs suggest. It is, however, maybe 20% of the way up to S. Barbara. The climb from the Bastion to the church is very difficult, consisting of broken steps, rocky paths, loose gravel etc. It took us a full 75 minutes, which was on the high end of the range suggested. Don't surrender when you reach the area with picnic tables and realize you still have what appears to be a long way to go! The last part doesn't take very long. I walked in running shoes; hiking boots would be better for the added lateral support. But when you get to the top, the views truly are magnificent and the sense of accomplishment is palpable. OH! There is a very nice parking garage right past the start of the walkway, look for it. And do bring plenty of water; we wished we had taken more than a bottle per person.

MaxineT351

This was a very very tough walk or climb!! Once at the top, it felt amazing to of accomplished this height with a wonderful view! Funniest memory of the holiday as so many emotions climbing up here, tears, laughter, pride and pain! Haha!