A Family Weekend in Garda Trentino

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A lot of People know Trentino. It’s probably  one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, with several Unesco sites, landscapes that take your breath away, majestic mountains … but most of the Italian and international tourism, associates Trentino only with Trekking or Snow Holidays…

… instead … there’s much more!

This article was born from the desire to share with you a perfect itinerary to do with your children, but also simply with your partner, to enjoy a mix of  Nature, Relax and Fun in the name of different experiences from those that usually come proposals in these areas.

Garda Trentino is an extremely heterogeneous territory, dotted with lakes, including the well-known Garda Lake, mountain ranges, characteristic villages and wonders of nature, all to be discovered.

We start our trip around Garda Trentino from Tenno Lake.

The colors of this Lake cannot be explained … you have to see them with your own eyes; the turquoise is so intense that you think it can be fake! It’s a place that reconnects you with nature, that gives you the relax you are looking for, makes you “switch off” and even just strolling along its perimeter admiring the reflections of the light on the water is worth the trip!

In recent years even  with the advent of  the social media, Lake of Tenno has been strongly promoted , therefore it’s easy to find it full of people in the height of summer … so my advice is to visit it in the low season (preferably in autumn when the golden leaves of the trees are reflected in its blue waters) or, if you happen to pass by in a crowded period, go there early in the morning as soon, as the sun rises, to enjoy a unique show! (if you have the opportunity to sleep in the area with a tent, camper or similar, I highly recommend it as a night stop!).

After a refreshing break and a nice snack by the lake, we resume the road towards Riva del Garda, but before that there are still a couple of unmissable stops:

We stop in Canale di Tenno, a wonderful medieval village that has become part of the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”  (most beautiful villages in Italy).

Here time seems to have stopped… you can breathe history at every corner! Its narrow and tremendously fascinating stone alleys hide wonderful realities, such as La casa Degli Artisti, a place that hosts painters from all over Europe , looking for artistic inspiration,  since the 1960s.  Then, in winter,  the village comes alive at Christmas time thanks to the Christmas markets …. Although I have never been there during Christmas time, I think it must be something really magical!

The last stop of the day is on purpose to admire the immense power that the Varone Falls emanate, with their 98 meters height !
Inaugurated  on 20th June 1874, Varone Waterfalls Park, is open everyday from 9 AM till 5 PM ( last entrance at 4.30); in Summer is recommended to arrive on time because it’s possible to find the place crowded be obliged to stand in line for several hours.
Another suggestion I would like to give you is :don’t forget the rain cape …. inside the cave of the Waterfall you get wet! 🙂 For all the other info you can check it here 

For our weekend in Garda Trentino, we choose to stay at the hotel Casa alla Lega Hotel Casa alla Lega in the historic center of the village of Arco, a cozy village surmounted by its imposing Castle. This hotel is housed in an historic building, so much so that the breakfast room, like many other common areas, are adorned with magnificent sixteenth-century frescoes. The rooms are well- finished , the staff is very kind and attentive to the needs of customers (just as examples, every evening they prepare herbal teas and infusions that they leave in flasks at the reception for their guests and via whatsapp they send day by day all the activities scheduled in the surrounding territory for that specific day!).

The Hotel has even a good Restaurant, named the same,  in which you can delight your palate with the traditional dishes of this area, such as Carne Salada, Horse’s Bresaola, Sarde Ripiene… all combined  with a fine local olive oil  and some native Wines such as Nosiola, Marzemino, or Trentodoc ( or in case a really tasty craft Beer!)

For our second day in Garda Trentino, we choose to do a nice outdoor activity! We rent bikes from Velolake which has a pick-up location in Torbole, with a convenient parking, to leave the car;  we opt for electric bikes  considered our poor training 🙂  and we leave to Arco, on the cycle path that runs along the Sarca River! A real ride in the middle of nature!

Starting from the Mouth of the Sarca up to Arco it’s about 7 km, so the round trip (which is mainly flat) is not too long and also suitable for children.

On the way back to Torbole we decide to stop for lunch in a beautiful Farmhouse located along the cycle path.

It’s called Madonna delle Vittorie and the owners, in addition to offer amazing local dishes in the restaurant,  manage an Oil Mill and a Wineyard from which two of the precious treasures of this territory are born, Olive Oil and Wine.

After returning the bikes, we decide to spend the rest of the day around the cute center of Riva del Garda, which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns in the whole Garda Lake.

For dinner, recommended by locals, we choose an unusual and very particular place called PANEM and it’s the real kingdom of the Italian Panino! here you can order sandwiches with specialties from all Italian regions, all strictly with selected, organic and handcrafted food! I’m not even telling you the goodness !!! you absolutely must try it if you pass by Riva del Garda!

To end the day with a flourish after dinner, take a stroll to the Bastione of Riva del Garda, which can be reached via an inclined panoramic lift that will enchant young and old people.
The lift has a panoramic cabin made entirely of glass: a feature that allows you to admire the panorama of the center and Lake Garda. The route takes up the idea of ​​the chairlift built in the fifties and dismantled in the early eighties, with some changes compared to the original.
The climb has a development of 208 meters for a difference in height of 130 and can be overcome in about three minutes.
Bastione is a Venetian tower which over time has become one of the icons of Riva del Garda.
Built by the Serenissima between 1507 and 1508 to guard the border with the Episcopal Principality of Trento.
For those who love walking, the Bastion is connected to the center by a path that can be covered in about 20 minutes.

Here below I add some useful information in case you decide to not miss this incredible view 🙂 :
A Round trip costs € 7.00
Free: children under 120 cm in height, disabled (with paying adult) and the Garda Card owners :
The cash desk does not issue the free ticket: it is necessary to contact the service staff who will issue the document
The maximum capacity for each ride is set at 17 people due to the safety measures related to the pandemic situation.
One wheelchair or stroller is allowed for each trip.
Dogs can travel on the lift only with muzzle and leash (one per cabin, free admission).
Pay attention to the timetables! only on weekends (Fri Sat and Sun) the lift works from 10AM to 11PM, the rest of the week closes at 6PM and the last climb is always 45 minutes before closing!

On the last day we get up early because a super cool activity awaits us! People say that the best way to enjoy the lake is from the water … so how to miss an opportunity like spending half a day on a sailboat? 🙂 We have relied on Garda See Charter a real guarantee if you are looking for an exclusive experience to live directly on the lake! And a team with professional skippers attentive to customer needs, well prepared and also able to be your tour guide as they accompany you along the Garda Lake’s Shores!

The sailing trip can be booked from early April until the end of October, and there are different types of service that you can choose, with obviously different price ranges. In addition to the trip with the Skipper, if you have a nautical license you can also choose to rent a boat for few hours or for one or more days. If, on the other hand, the world of sailing inspires you but you don’t have any idea about it, GardaSeeCharter offer also sailing school lessons! 🙂
If you have children I recommend  this activity only with kids over the age of 5.

Before saying goodbye to Garda Trentino there is one last stop that we just cannot miss … it’s located in the Ledro Valley,  inside the Pur Pine Forest … here the atmosphere is a mix of magic and mistic … where Art blends with Nature giving life to incredible artworks … that will be able to touch you deeply in the heart… we are at LEDRO LAND ART!

The park was born in 2012 as a project for the enhancement of the territory, and over the years it has transformed into a real open-air exhibition for artists from all over the world.

The Artworks are all made of environmentally friendly materials and have the prerogative of being ephemeral, over time they must be able to blend with nature.
The park is open every day of the year and has a free entrance.
From the Ledro Land Art website, it’s is possible to download the map,  with the exact location in the Park and the own history of every works,  to let you enjoy your visit taking your time, following the path you prefer and to linger as much as you want.

I hope you found this article about Garda Trentino useful and that next time you have a free Weekend with your Family … you can consider spending it in this little corner of paradise … trust me … it won’t disappoint you! 🙂

 

Article in collaboration with #gardatrentino