Short vacation on Lake Garda

04.-08.08.2023

Unfortunately, my husband and I didn't have that much vacation together this year, but we made the best of it and took two short vacations.

The first took us to Lake Garda, to the town of San Zeno di Montagna high above the lake. From there we explored the surrounding area in changing weather.

First we strolled through the lakeside towns of Garda and Lazise, where we looked at the markets, the promenade with the lake and the town centers. There we enjoyed an ice cream before we visited the “Zeno” wine museum with a wine tasting. The museum part is not that big now, the focus is clearly on tasting the wine, where you can taste up to 6 wines per person. We did that and jumped right in and bought a case of wine.

The next day the weather was sunnier and warmer and we went on a hike. We started at the church, where an inline skater race was taking place. We watched briefly, then started running. Up a hill, past a climbing garden, then into the forest. We followed a route described on Komoot, but unfortunately it didn't exist because the dirt road ultimately led us through overgrown private property. A trail ended at a waist-high barbed wire fence. We crossed or went under it, as well as the next few fences. The forest had given way to an overgrown meadow and finally a pasture that hikers shared with paragliders and horses. Just as we were heading back into the forest, it started to rain. And it only stopped again when we reached a small but nice place. Originally we wanted to rest there and have a cocoa or something similar, but as wet as we were, we just wanted to go back. As we walked back on the country road, the sun came out again and we were dry again at the hotel.

We also visited the beautiful town of Malcesine. There we strolled through the town center, enjoyed an ice cream on the bank and visited the Scaliger Castle. There is a museum inside about the history of the lake and the town, which was really interesting. We also climbed the tower and enjoyed the wonderful view. In the evening we ate in a very nice restaurant right by the water.

On our last day we took a trip to the north of the lake, to the town of Riva del Garda. In terms of its overall atmosphere, it doesn't have as much of a "maritime" feel as the other places on Lake Garda that we briefly visited. At first we couldn't find the town center, but we did find a path up to the castle, which we took. We didn't pay the entrance fee, but enjoyed the view from the kiosk. Later we walked through the town and tried out the numerous outdoor shops. We also had something to eat and then drove back in a relaxed manner with a beautiful view of the lake. On the way we stopped to swim.

Overall, our stay on Lake Garda was short, but still (and despite the changing weather) very nice.