I Love Touring Italy - Lake Garda

New Year Glass

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider Lake Gardalocated mostly in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Depending on yourinterests, this beautiful area might be an ideal vacation spot. You can getclassic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. It is hardly anundiscovered area, but that shouldn´t stop you from going. With a little effortyou should be able to find some relatively untouched spots. Be sure to read thecompanion articles in this series that present Milan, small town Lombardyoutside of its capital Milan, and the Lake Como district. While people oftenthink of Lake Garda as being part of Lombardy that is not entirely true. Thisbeautiful lake spills over into the neighboring regions of Trentino-Alto Adigeand Veneto as indicated below.

Lake Garda is an alpine lake, formed by glaciers at the end of the last IceAge roughly ten thousand years ago. It is Italy´s largest lake measuring about30 miles (52 kilometers) long and at most 10 miles (17 kilometers) wide. Nearthe lake the terrain tends to be mountainous in the north and flat in the south.The lake is relatively clean, but as tourism continues to expand...

We start our Lake Garda tour at its northern tip, Riva del Garda, situatedjust inside the region of Trentino-Alto Adige. We will travel counterclockwisearound the lake, crossing the border into Lombardy and stopping first atTignale, then at Gargnano, and next at Gardone Riviera with its historicneighbor Salo, and finally at Sirmione near the lake´s southern tip. We thenenter the Veneto region stopping at Bardolino, Punta di San Virgilio, andfinally Macesine, not far from our starting point.

Riva del Garda is probably the best-known resort on Lake Garda. It´s also oneof the less expensive areas around the lake. You´ll find a castle with a moat.The Museo Civico (Civic Museum) is part of the Rocca, a medieval fortress on thelake. If you don´t know how to sail or windsurf don´t despair, local schools canteach you. The Thirteenth Century Torre Apponale defended the city from invadersand held prisoners. Look for Riva del Garda´s symbol, Anzolin, the little angelon the top of the tower who welcomes all who enter the town as she spins in thewind.

Tignale, our first stop in Lombardy, is actually on the panoramic road offthe main road. It consists of six hamlets each about sixteen hundred feet (fivehundred meters) above sea level. This setting is great with its hills,mountains, ravines, olive trees, and luxuriant vegetation. Early in the FirstMillenium Tignale was evangelized and subsequently became the site of theSanctuary of the Madonna of the Star, or the Madonna of Montecastello, probablybuilt upon a temple to a pagan god. Later this area was fortified. Be sure tosee the painting of the pursuit and killing of a famous local bandit, GiovanniBeatrici of Gargnano. Given the difficult terrain and the independent nature ofthe local residents Tignale has been active during numerous wars. Some militaryinstallations can still be seen in the area. Tignale is home to the Visitor´sCenter of the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano (Upper Brescian Garda Park) an Alpinelandscape that covers almost 150 square miles (380 square kilometers) and ninelocal municipalities on Lake Garda´s western shore.

Gargnano, population about three thousand, is a great place for fishing,snorkeling, and sailing. In fact it is one of the best places to sail on thewestern shore of Lake Garda. The town´s major attraction is the Chiesa di SanFrancesco (Cloister of Saint Francis) and its campanile (bell tower). The churchgraveyard contains Roman gravestones. As you walk around town you may see somehouses that still show the traces of cannon balls fired during the Third War ofItalian Independence in 1866.

In 1943 Mussolini founded his short lived Repubblica Sociale Italia (ItalianSocial Republic) here. He installed himself in a late Nineteenth Century artnouveau villa called Villa Feltrinelli about two miles (three kilometers) northof town. You can get your revenge by staying in Villa Feltrinelli, which is nowan upscale hotel, but you´ll have to shell out big bucks to do so. I´m told thatyou won´t be disappointed with its beauty and luxury including magnificentgardens and a fine library. So we see that even towards the end of his days,Benito was able to live well. Shortly thereafter...

Gardone Riviera, population twenty-five hundred, is best known for themansion Vittoriale degli Italiani (The shrine of Italian victories) and themajor Italian writer Gabriele d´Annunzio who lived there from 1922 until hisdeath in 1938. This building has been called a Fascist Luna Park so you probablycan guess d´Annunzio´s politics. He was both Mussolini´s mentor and majorcompetitor. Mussolini purportedly stated: "When you are saddled with a rottentooth you have two possibilities open to you: either you pull the tooth or youfill it with gold. With d´Annunzio I have chosen for the latter treatment."

So d´Annunzio enjoyed extensive huge funds to expand the property, constructand/or modify the buildings and to create its impressive art and literaturecollection. The Vittoriale degli Italiani complex includes the plane which heflew over Vienna in World War I and a light cruiser. In the interest of fulldisclosure d´Annunzio did attempt to influence Italian politics almost until hisdeath. In 1933 he wrote Mussolini trying to convince him to avoid making a pactwith Hitler. In 1934 he wrote a satirical pamphlet about Hitler. And in a 1937meeting in the Verona train station he tried to convince Mussolin to leave theAxis alliance.

Can you guess who also lived in Vittoriale degli Italiani? Mussolini´smistress, Clara Petacci, conveniently resided here to be close to her heartthrob Benito when he was not exactly roughing it in nearby Gargnano´s VillaFeltrinelli as described above.

Be sure to visit the two acre (one hectare) Giardino Botanico (BotanicalGarden) Andre Heller formerly known as Giardino Botanico (Botanical Garden)Hruska. You´ll see thousands of exotic Alpine, Mediterranean, and subtropicalplants. Not bad for such a small site.

The little town of Salo, population ten thousand, once had big ambitions. Itwas the capital of Mussolini´s Nazi-backed puppet state, the Italian SocialRepublic, also known as the Republic of Salò. Its main sights include aFifteenth Century Duomo (Cathedral), the Sixteenth Century Palazzo dellaMagnifica Patria (Palace of the Magnificent Fatherland) with a historical museumcovering among other subjects, the Resistance against Fascism, and a Palacehosting an archeological museum. Every Saturday morning there is a great outdoormarket where you can forget about politics, but frankly this part of Italy hasnot been a major political center for more than sixty years.

Sirmione, population about seven thousand, is our last stop in Lombardy. Thisarea was definitely settled by people more than two thousand years ago; some mayhave lived in houses on stilts. Its number one tourist attraction is the Grottedi Catullo (Grotto of Catullus) a large rectangular structure said to have beenthe site of the fun-loving Roman poet Catullus. The truth is that his villa wasmost likely nearby. Some say this was once the finest private villa in NorthernItaly, others say it was a public bath with water piped in from a nearby hotspring. Go visit the ruins and the museum anyway.

Stop by the Castello Scaligero (Scaliger Castle) which dates back to theThirteenth Century. You can climb a tower to get a different perspective of LakeGarda. Churches to see include the Lombard San Pietro in Mavino alreadyrenovated in the Fourteenth Century with its collection of frescoes and aRomanesque bell tower dating from the turn of the Millennium, and the FifteenthCentury Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1889 a diver from Venice was laying pipes onLake Garda´s cracked, clayish base when out gushed a sulfur spring from thebottom of the lake. To make a long story short, Sirmione is now a spa town. Ofmore interest to the kids is Italy´s largest theme park, the Gardaland ThemePark with dolphins, state-of-the-art roller coasters, and lots more. It´s about8 miles (12 kilometers) east of Sirmione on the Veneto side of the border. Kidsmeasuring less than one meter tall get in free. (Usually we give dimensions infeet, miles, etc. with the approximate metric equivalent in parentheses. In thiscase, it´s the metric measurement that counts, period.)

Bardolino, population somewhat exceeding six thousand, is situated on theeastern shore of Lake Garda. It´s the biggest resort on the lake with numerousshops and historical remains. Bardolino´s main claim to fame is its wine,discussed at the end of this article. In the fall it hosts an annual Curadell´Uva (Grape Cure) Festival. Some of the participants put crushed grapes ontheir skin, others drink grape juice, and still others drink the local wine. Ithink they all have fun, even if they aren´t cured.

The Romanesque San Severo Church and San Zeno Church both date from aroundthe turn of the Millennium. San Severo is the most important church in theregion and features huge frescoes. San Zeno´s chapel is considerably older thanthe church itself. For a change of pace visit the local Oil Museum, devoted toolive oil, not to petroleum products.

Stop to admire the Punta San Virgilio (Saint Virgil´s Promonotory), perhapsthe most romantic spot along the lake. Nearby is the Fifteenth Century VillaGuarienti di Bronzane but you can only see it from the outside. The Parco Baiadi Sirene (Mermaid´s Bay Park) for kids and adults is open to the public.

Malcesine, population thirty-five hundred, also claims to be the most popularresort on the lake. It´s near the mountains and provides several ski lifts. Acable car takes you to the summit of Monte Baldo. If you´re ambitious head backdown by mountain bike. Be sure to see Castello Scaligero (Scaligero Castle).There are several Italian castles carrying that name including one in Sirmione,but the Malcesine version is said to be the best. You can even climb the towerand see the town and its surroundings from above. But to my knowledge, you arenot allowed to descend by mountain bike.

What about food? When you talk lake, fish forms a major part of the localcuisine. Indigenous fish include the rare Lake Garda carp, whitefish, laketrout, eel, pike, tench, and perch. Citrus fruits, cheese, and wine also form amajor part of the diet. Lake Garda´s olive trees are quite special. To conserveland they are trained to grow high, so high that scali, special long polesoriginally invented for lemon trees are needed to harvest the olives. Theirolive oil is exceptional, even by Italian standards.

Let´s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Bigoi con le Agule(Spaghetti with Sardines.) Then try Luccio in Salsa (Pike with Sauce, eatencold). For dessert indulge yourself with Torte di Mele (Apple Cake.) Be sure toincrease your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We conclude with a quick look at Lombardy wine. Lombardy ranks 11th among the20 Italian regions in acreage devoted to wine grapes and in total annual wineproduction. The region produces about 62% red and rosé and 38% white wine, butthere is little rosé. There are 15 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione diOrigine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of ControlledOrigin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, butthere is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 47% ofLombardy wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. There are three DOCG wines:the sparkling Franciacorta said to compete with French Champagne and pricedaccordingly, the red Sforzato di Valtellina, and the red ValtellinaSuperiore.

Remember, Lake Garda is shared by three regions of Italy, Lombardy,Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. The best-known local wine comes from east of thelake near Bardolino, part of Veneto. Bardolino DOC is produced in a variety ofstyles from a specified variety of local grapes. Bardolino Superiore DOCG is adry red wine also produced from local grapes but to more stringentspecifications. This wine must be aged for a minimum of one year prior to sale.Notice, when introducing Bardolino wines I said the best-known local wine, notthe best local wine. Wines are produced all along Lake Garda. Determine foryourself which one is the best.

If you are looking for a Europeantourist destination, consider Lake Garda located mostly in the Lombardy regionof northern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area might be anideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down withfine local wine. It is hardly an undiscovered area, but that shouldn´t stop youfrom going. With a little effort you should be able to find some relativelyuntouched spots. Be sure to read the companion articles in this series thatpresent Milan, small town Lombardy outside of its capital Milan, and the LakeComo district. While people often think of Lake Garda as being part of Lombardythat is not entirely true. This beautiful lake spills over into the neighboringregions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto as indicated below.

Lake Garda is an alpine lake, formed by glaciers at the end of the last IceAge roughly ten thousand years ago. It is Italy´s largest lake measuring about30 miles (52 kilometers) long and at most 10 miles (17 kilometers) wide. Nearthe lake the terrain tends to be mountainous in the north and flat in the south.The lake is relatively clean, but as tourism continues to expand...

We start our Lake Garda tour at its northern tip, Riva del Garda, situatedjust inside the region of Trentino-Alto Adige. We will travel counterclockwisearound the lake, crossing the border into Lombardy and stopping first atTignale, then at Gargnano, and next at Gardone Riviera with its historicneighbor Salo, and finally at Sirmione near the lake´s southern tip. We thenenter the Veneto region stopping at Bardolino, Punta di San Virgilio, andfinally Macesine, not far from our starting point.

Riva del Garda is probably the best-known resort on Lake Garda. It´s also oneof the less expensive areas around the lake. You´ll find a castle with a moat.The Museo Civico (Civic Museum) is part of the Rocca, a medieval fortress on thelake. If you don´t know how to sail or windsurf don´t despair, local schools canteach you. The Thirteenth Century Torre Apponale defended the city from invadersand held prisoners. Look for Riva del Garda´s symbol, Anzolin, the little angelon the top of the tower who welcomes all who enter the town as she spins in thewind.

Tignale, our first stop in Lombardy, is actually on the panoramic road offthe main road. It consists of six hamlets each about sixteen hundred feet (fivehundred meters) above sea level. This setting is great with its hills,mountains, ravines, olive trees, and luxuriant vegetation. Early in the FirstMillenium Tignale was evangelized and subsequently became the site of theSanctuary of the Madonna of the Star, or the Madonna of Montecastello, probablybuilt upon a temple to a pagan god. Later this area was fortified. Be sure tosee the painting of the pursuit and killing of a famous local bandit, GiovanniBeatrici of Gargnano. Given the difficult terrain and the independent nature ofthe local residents Tignale has been active during numerous wars. Some militaryinstallations can still be seen in the area. Tignale is home to the Visitor´sCenter of the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano (Upper Brescian Garda Park) an Alpinelandscape that covers almost 150 square miles (380 square kilometers) and ninelocal municipalities on Lake Garda´s western shore.

Gargnano, population about three thousand, is a great place for fishing,snorkeling, and sailing. In fact it is one of the best places to sail on thewestern shore of Lake Garda. The town´s major attraction is the Chiesa di SanFrancesco (Cloister of Saint Francis) and its campanile (bell tower). The churchgraveyard contains Roman gravestones. As you walk around town you may see somehouses that still show the traces of cannon balls fired during the Third War ofItalian Independence in 1866.

In 1943 Mussolini founded his short lived Repubblica Sociale Italia (ItalianSocial Republic) here. He installed himself in a late Nineteenth Century artnouveau villa called Villa Feltrinelli about two miles (three kilometers) northof town. You can get your revenge by staying in Villa Feltrinelli, which is nowan upscale hotel, but you´ll have to shell out big bucks to do so. I´m told thatyou won´t be disappointed with its beauty and luxury including magnificentgardens and a fine library. So we see that even towards the end of his days,Benito was able to live well. Shortly thereafter...

Gardone Riviera, population twenty-five hundred, is best known for themansion Vittoriale degli Italiani (The shrine of Italian victories) and themajor Italian writer Gabriele d´Annunzio who lived there from 1922 until hisdeath in 1938. This building has been called a Fascist Luna Park so you probablycan guess d´Annunzio´s politics. He was both Mussolini´s mentor and majorcompetitor. Mussolini purportedly stated: "When you are saddled with a rottentooth you have two possibilities open to you: either you pull the tooth or youfill it with gold. With d´Annunzio I have chosen for the latter treatment."

So d´Annunzio enjoyed extensive huge funds to expand the property, constructand/or modify the buildings and to create its impressive art and literaturecollection. The Vittoriale degli Italiani complex includes the plane which heflew over Vienna in World War I and a light cruiser. In the interest of fulldisclosure d´Annunzio did attempt to influence Italian politics almost until hisdeath. In 1933 he wrote Mussolini trying to convince him to avoid making a pactwith Hitler. In 1934 he wrote a satirical pamphlet about Hitler. And in a 1937meeting in the Verona train station he tried to convince Mussolin to leave theAxis alliance.

Can you guess who also lived in Vittoriale degli Italiani? Mussolini´smistress, Clara Petacci, conveniently resided here to be close to her heartthrob Benito when he was not exactly roughing it in nearby Gargnano´s VillaFeltrinelli as described above.

Be sure to visit the two acre (one hectare) Giardino Botanico (BotanicalGarden) Andre Heller formerly known as Giardino Botanico (Botanical Garden)Hruska. You´ll see thousands of exotic Alpine, Mediterranean, and subtropicalplants. Not bad for such a small site.

The little town of Salo, population ten thousand, once had big ambitions. Itwas the capital of Mussolini´s Nazi-backed puppet state, the Italian SocialRepublic, also known as the Republic of Salò. Its main sights include aFifteenth Century Duomo (Cathedral), the Sixteenth Century Palazzo dellaMagnifica Patria (Palace of the Magnificent Fatherland) with a historical museumcovering among other subjects, the Resistance against Fascism, and a Palacehosting an archeological museum. Every Saturday morning there is a great outdoormarket where you can forget about politics, but frankly this part of Italy hasnot been a major political center for more than sixty years.

Sirmione, population about seven thousand, is our last stop in Lombardy. Thisarea was definitely settled by people more than two thousand years ago; some mayhave lived in houses on stilts. Its number one tourist attraction is the Grottedi Catullo (Grotto of Catullus) a large rectangular structure said to have beenthe site of the fun-loving Roman poet Catullus. The truth is that his villa wasmost likely nearby. Some say this was once the finest private villa in NorthernItaly, others say it was a public bath with water piped in from a nearby hotspring. Go visit the ruins and the museum anyway.

Stop by the Castello Scaligero (Scaliger Castle) which dates back to theThirteenth Century. You can climb a tower to get a different perspective of LakeGarda. Churches to see include the Lombard San Pietro in Mavino alreadyrenovated in the Fourteenth Century with its collection of frescoes and aRomanesque bell tower dating from the turn of the Millennium, and the FifteenthCentury Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1889 a diver from Venice was laying pipes onLake Garda´s cracked, clayish base when out gushed a sulfur spring from thebottom of the lake. To make a long story short, Sirmione is now a spa town. Ofmore interest to the kids is Italy´s largest theme park, the Gardaland ThemePark with dolphins, state-of-the-art roller coasters, and lots more. It´s about8 miles (12 kilometers) east of Sirmione on the Veneto side of the border. Kidsmeasuring less than one meter tall get in free. (Usually we give dimensions infeet, miles, etc. with the approximate metric equivalent in parentheses. In thiscase, it´s the metric measurement that counts, period.)

Bardolino, population somewhat exceeding six thousand, is situated on theeastern shore of Lake Garda. It´s the biggest resort on the lake with numerousshops and historical remains. Bardolino´s main claim to fame is its wine,discussed at the end of this article. In the fall it hosts an annual Curadell´Uva (Grape Cure) Festival. Some of the participants put crushed grapes ontheir skin, others drink grape juice, and still others drink the local wine. Ithink they all have fun, even if they aren´t cured.

The Romanesque San Severo Church and San Zeno Church both date from aroundthe turn of the Millennium. San Severo is the most important church in theregion and features huge frescoes. San Zeno´s chapel is considerably older thanthe church itself. For a change of pace visit the local Oil Museum, devoted toolive oil, not to petroleum products.

Stop to admire the Punta San Virgilio (Saint Virgil´s Promonotory), perhapsthe most romantic spot along the lake. Nearby is the Fifteenth Century VillaGuarienti di Bronzane but you can only see it from the outside. The Parco Baiadi Sirene (Mermaid´s Bay Park) for kids and adults is open to the public.

Malcesine, population thirty-five hundred, also claims to be the most popularresort on the lake. It´s near the mountains and provides several ski lifts. Acable car takes you to the summit of Monte Baldo. If you´re ambitious head backdown by mountain bike. Be sure to see Castello Scaligero (Scaligero Castle).There are several Italian castles carrying that name including one in Sirmione,but the Malcesine version is said to be the best. You can even climb the towerand see the town and its surroundings from above. But to my knowledge, you arenot allowed to descend by mountain bike.

What about food? When you talk lake, fish forms a major part of the localcuisine. Indigenous fish include the rare Lake Garda carp, whitefish, laketrout, eel, pike, tench, and perch. Citrus fruits, cheese, and wine also form amajor part of the diet. Lake Garda´s olive trees are quite special. To conserveland they are trained to grow high, so high that scali, special long polesoriginally invented for lemon trees are needed to harvest the olives. Theirolive oil is exceptional, even by Italian standards.

Let´s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Bigoi con le Agule(Spaghetti with Sardines.) Then try Luccio in Salsa (Pike with Sauce, eatencold). For dessert indulge yourself with Torte di Mele (Apple Cake.) Be sure toincrease your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We conclude with a quick look at Lombardy wine. Lombardy ranks 11th among the20 Italian regions in acreage devoted to wine grapes and in total annual wineproduction. The region produces about 62% red and rosé and 38% white wine, butthere is little rosé. There are 15 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione diOrigine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of ControlledOrigin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, butthere is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 47% ofLombardy wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. There are three DOCG wines:the sparkling Franciacorta said to compete with French Champagne and pricedaccordingly, the red Sforzato di Valtellina, and the red ValtellinaSuperiore.

Remember, Lake Garda is shared by three regions of Italy, Lombardy,Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. The best-known local wine comes from east of thelake near Bardolino, part of Veneto. Bardolino DOC is produced in a variety ofstyles from a specified variety of local grapes. Bardolino Superiore DOCG is adry red wine also produced from local grapes but to more stringentspecifications. This wine must be aged for a minimum of one year prior to sale.Notice, when introducing Bardolino wines I said the best-known local wine, notthe best local wine. Wines are produced all along Lake Garda. Determine foryourself which one is the best.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and theInternet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or otherwine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at anOntario French-language community college. His major wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com and hismajor travel website is www.travelitalytravel.com.