Italy's northern lakes had been on my to-visit list for decades. My husband, Timo's extended family are in the southwest, in Campania — south of Naples and inland a little ways from Salerno. All of our trips to Italy over the years have started or finished up in that area. And though we mad eit up as far as Bologna and Venice a few years ago, the lakes had thus far remained elusive.
This summer, in the midst of a month-long visit to spend time with my dad and family in England, We made it to Lake Como and Garda both, with an operatic overnight in Verona and Bergamo at the tail end of a memorable week in beautiful northern Italy. Como tends to steal the limelight from Garda in travel stories, so I am writing my post on Garda, the largest of Italy's fresh water lakes, first!
What a treat to arrive at Hotel Villa Del Sogno about half way up the western shore of the lake and find myself transported back to a genteel turn of the 20th-century when the draw of the elegant, yet laid-back Gardone Riveria was largely for rest and recuperation of the German, Swiss and Austrian elite, a spa-like sensibility, far from the madding crowd of Italy's lauded tourist cities.
I was instantly enthralled by the former villa's Belle Epoque decor and history, dating back to 1904, including its bygone era as a haven for artists and writers. It served as a German officer’s convalescence center during WWII and American troops occupied the villa as a military base at the end of the war, filling its extensive rooms and botanical grounds and terrace with energy, enthusiasm, music and most importantly, food, after a stark & sparse period in history. After the war ended the villa became a hotel and has been in continual use during late spring through the summer months ever since.
We stayed here for two magical nights and I hope to return for a week or so one day.
Look at the bougainvillea — the hotel's terrace, overlooking the alluring blue waters of the lake, reminded me of the glorious 1992 movie Enchanted April — meets Masterpiece Theatre's Hotel Portofino!
Hotel room rates have risen to ridiculous heights since we all started traveling again after the pandemic. My ploy is to start my search at a rate I'd expect to pay for somewhere I'd actually like to visit and gradually convince myself to up the ante only to the point of my comfort line. If I had been staying at Hotel Villa del Sogno for more than two nights during the summer months, I would most likely have settled on something not as pricey, but given it was our first two nights in Garda ever and I'd stumbled on this gorgeous spot online, I don't regret splashing out for the experience. Besides, I'd have no choice but to pay more in the summer for a quality room along the coast when roadtripping in California.
Everything about this hotel was soothing and serene. Our bedroom came with a small sitting room and lake-facing mini-terrace where I enjoyed a pot of tea before breakfast both mornings (thank you Timo, who never fails to return from his early morning walk with a tray of tea).
The pretty and sophisticated sitting room and bar is reminiscent of a time before cell phones and overpacked tourist itineraries.
Nightfall at one of the most enchanting villas overlooking the silky smoothm moonlit waters of Lake Garda - so romantic. And the Villa's gardens — gorgeous.
The laid-back Gardone Riviera community on Lake Garda enjoys a promenade with restaurants, a botanical garden and plenty beach access. Its slower pace of life has evolved through the region's extensive history. It's origins date back to the Roman empire, according to the findings of various inscriptions and tablets, an era which eclipsed in the West in the 5th century. Evidence has also been found of a two-hundred-year-rule in the region during the Lombard era of the 7th Century. It is its 16th century architecture, however, that gives the town its distinctive medieval style. From 1521 onwards the territory of Gardone Riviera became part of the Venetian territories.
From 1921 to 1938 Gardone was the home of Italian poet Gabriele d'Annunzio. According to an opinion piece by Tara Isabella Burton in the New York Times in 2019, d'Annunzio was a celebrity showman who became a strongman, a womanizing, profligate poet who had become a hero of World War I by airdropping his own propagandistic poetry over Vienna, marched into the Hapsburg city of Fiume (now Rijeka in Croatia) and declared himself its leader.
"The 56-year-old novelist and poet had already made a name for himself not just as one of Italy’s greatest writers, but also one of its most flamboyant. As a young man he’d earned spare cash writing celebrity gossip columns; in his prime, he used them to cultivate myths about his own history. (For example, in 1911, when the Mona Lisa was briefly stolen from the Louvre, he heavily implied it was at his house.) He spent beyond his means, leaving his wife and children destitute while he collected horses and objets d’art (and cocaine). He had hundreds of love affairs — and would tip off journalists when he was about to break one of them off, in the hope that the subsequent scene would make the tabloids. He lived by the maxim of one of his most famous characters, Andrea Sperelli: “One must make one’s life into a work of art.”
However, it was Italian nationalism that sealed his notoriety as “Il Vate,” or The Bard, as his adoring fans apparently coined him. Italy had been unified just a few decades earlier, and, according to the Times piece, d’Annunzio’s poems envisioned the newborn Kingdom of Italy as the long-awaited inheritor to the great Roman Empire.
The historical centre of Gardone Riviera is rich in character; historically significant villas, houses and churches, befitting the lofty aspirations of its most famous resident.
The 20th century German Poet Paul Heyse, famous for his Nobel Prize winning poem ‘last will and testament’, also lived here and immortalized his love of the town in his poetry. The location also held a special place for fascist dictator Mussolini, who visited the town regularly to spend time with his lover towards the end of WWII.
Boat Trips are the way to see the lake and its ninety-three miles of coastline, divided into three different provinces (Brescia, Verona, and Trento). Hop on and off all day as there are so many beautiful cities on Lake Garda and all have something to offer: castles, Roman villas, vineyards, olive groves, medieval villages, hiking trails and mountain biking, sailing clubs, not to mention specialty dishes in an array of enticing eateries.
Here's a list of towns to explore. Our favorite was Limone sol Garda. This quaint, picture-perfect hillside community is located on the western shore, immersed in a lush Mediterranean landscape and, not surprisingly, is among the most admired and visited places of the lake by travelers seeking an ideas spot for hiking, relaxation and soaking in nature. Its mild climate throughout the year made it famous for the production of citrus fruits, grown since 1700 in traditional lemon houses, some still in operation and open to the public. I had wondered what the concrete, battlement-like structures were along the lakeside, especially in this area. Apparently, after the unification of Italy and at the turn of the 20th century, many of the traditional lemon houses in this mountainous region were abandoned. Lemons and other citrus has been hit by a deadly disease known as Gommosi, decimating the harvest of dozens of varietals.
Still, a small, local production supplies sufficient juice for a robust tourist trade in limoncino liqueur, lemon custards and sweets. Garda also boasts excellent olive oils and wines and its tradititonal polenta.
The church of San Rocco was a must visit for us, which according to the town of Limone's visitor's guide is: "Situated north of the historical center, the church was built in the first half of the 16th century as a thanksgiving for the people of Limone who had escaped the contagious plague that hit most of northern Italy in those years. The church was finished over the next two centuries, with frescoes on the walls and a bell tower. During the First World War it suffered extensive damage, but fortunately, in 1957, restoration work brought to light some paintings dating back to the 16th century. The church is well integrated in the landscape between the rock, the lake, and the lemon groves, and is one of the most popular places in the town as it is reached by a characteristic staircase that is always adorned with flowers and typical Garda plants, making it one of the most picturesque and photographed views. Liturgical services are still held here today, as well as the feast of San Rocco (16 August)."
If You Go:
May, June and September are considered the best months to visit Lake Garda in the north east of Italy. Weather is milder during these months, although expect some rainfall. We visited in late June/early July and it rained for the first few days of our week-long trip to Como, Garda, Verona and Bergamo. Come prepared with light rain jackets and layers and non-slip shoes for boat trips. A small umbrella doubled as a sun shade some days, in between showers.
Verona is the nearest airport to Lake Garda but it depends on where you are heading to on this large lake as to which airport you chose to fly into or have access to flying into. Garda is an area 143 square miles and 93 miles of coastline, divided into three regions.
If you're not renting a car, it may be more convenient to pick an airport best served by public transport. Verona is good for the east shore of the lake, by bus, or the south shore by train. Milan/Bergamo was our choice by rental car, but there are plenty of options for public transportation to Garda from Bergamo.
Click here for Lake Garda Travel's tips on the various airport options.
The closest airports to Lake Garda are:
Click here for more info on visiting Lake Garda.
