As tourist resorts go, Gardone Riviera must be one the most dignified, characterful and unexpectedly cultured in Italy. It’s not only the epitome of Lake Garda-lounging, it’s also a famous Italian poet’s playground, drawing thousands from all over Europe every year.
Here, you get the pick of a great bunch of gelaterias and pizzerias, while luxuriating in the calm, laid-back tranquility that emanates from the shores of the majestic, freshwater Lake Garda and the proud majesty of the Cyprus trees towering over amid lush green countryside. The evening buzz is not much louder than a cicada’s love song, yet the food you’ll find there punches well above its weight and will remain up there with your best Italian foodie experiences for years to come.
It’s not overrun by screaming children nor pushy salespeople, but neither is it too snoozy: Those that do populate the streets are perfectly content with their lot. Famed for being the home of Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, the Italian writer Gabriele d’Annunzio’s hillside estate, this tops the list of reasons to visit. Yet that would be missing the point. The Gardone Riviera is not a hit-and-run kind of place. There are innumerable reasons for not only one visit but ten. Meander lakeside or up the hill through the village and there is not a single, modern or unsightly building to complain of, just street upon hidden alley of beautiful terracotta rooves and mustard yellow or salmon pink-washed buildings complete with faded murals. Whether by boat, bike or on foot, Gardone Riviera is the best base for exploring Garda in all its glory.
Where to Stay in Gardone Riviera
For top-of-the-range villas, Villa Eden is dream-worthy. Made up of nine individual villas, designed by international architects including David Chipperfield, Richard Meier and Matteo Thun, this park-like property set high on the wooded cliffs of the south-western coast of Lake Garda is a work of modern art as much as it is an ideal holiday destination.
Each villa is architecturally unique and enjoys magnificent panoramic views of Lake Garda and the surrounding countryside
Alternatively, book one of The Clubhouse’s nine rooms, which each feature a private balcony and a full glass front from which you can admire glimpses of Garda in peace. Combining the amenity and at-hand service of a hotel stay with the freedom of having your own place to spread out is Villa Eden’s speciality. Whether you choose the main hotel or a villa for your stay, you’ll be granted the hard-to-achieve balance of attentive care and autonomy on every front.
The main hotel, The Clubhouse, at Villa Eden
Where to Eat in Gardone Riviera
If you want to up the romance and edge a little closer to Garda and the hub of activity that hugs the lake from dawn to dusk, book a table at Ristorante Casinò. It’s indulgent, it’s authentic and it’s also – unapologetically so – a little soppy (not literally, don’t worry, you eat at a terrace a few metre above the water line). The atmosphere here is second to none.
Dining at Villa Eden is an experience not to be missed. Characteristically generous, dinner takes this value almost too far, with a whole loaf of bread and homemade crostini to nibble(!) on, followed by four appetisers before you even hit your first ordered course. From octopus to tuna carpaccio, risotto to gnocchi, the ingredients may be classic but the results are far more impressive.
For a simpler affair entirely and the chance of (a shot of home-brewed limoncello on the house) grab a cheap and cheerful pizza at Sans Souci. With tables occupying a side street just metres from the lake, you’ll get cosy to your neighbours and might even gain a few friends as well as a full stomach.
If you still have room for a gelato after that (we dare you), La Casa del Dolce beats Gelateria Pinguino Giallo.
Sleepy Italian village meets European cultural heavyweight
What to See in Gardone Riviera
A panoramica view of parts of Il Vittoriale degli Italiani
Don’t underestimate little old Gardone Riviera. There is far more to it than meets the eye, particularly since Gabriele d’Annunzio, a famous Italian poet, journalist and playwright, chose it to be his home and, later, resting place. Referred to as a ‘monumental citadel’ or otherwise a ‘fascist lunapark’, the grand estate, Vittoriale degli italiani, may be politically dubious but it’s undeniably a mind-blowing feat of imagination that only a writer of d’Annunzio’s esteem could conjure into reality. With a naval warship jutting from the cliff, manmade and natural waterways of epic proportions, a grand mausoleum and an ampitheatre overlooking the lake, it’s a rabbits warren of surprises. Each sight has a suitably literary name, such as the ‘Pond of Dances’, and the effect is all a bit much in 30 degree heat. You do get some of the best views of the lake from within the estate, so it’s totally worth the disorientating walk for the vista at the top.
Nave Puglia overseeing Lake Garda
Remember to check out The Priory as well as the park, where you can go inside D’Annuzio’s home and probe ever deeper into his creative mind at your peril: note that there are two waiting rooms, one for welcome guests and one for unwelcome ones. You can spend a whole day here no sweat.
Where the work was done
What to Buy in Gardone Riviera
Spirito de Garda
Though some scholarly sticklers believe that Sicily was the first Italian region to grow lemons, citrus fruits were brought from the Liguria Riviera to Lake Garda during the 13th century by monks where they grew in world-famous lemon-houses, with high walls to maximise on the microclimate there. All that history lesson serves to tell us is that limoncello should be on your shopping list. Try walking along the promenade west of Gardone Riviera to Salo and visit Spirito del Garda to get yourself a bottle. The family make the liquors themselves!
Citrus fruits have grown here since the 13th century
What to Do in Gardone Riviera
With its own speedboat, Villa Eden can take you out on the lake where you can see the bigger picture and appreciate the beauty of Gardone Riviera and the other nearby villages of Lombardy from afar. With the wind in your hair you’ll be able to truly appreciate the terracotta roofs against the brilliant blue sky and forest green Cyprus trees.
Explore Garda at speed
If you don’t have the sea legs for it, hit the decks bathing-suit clad instead and strike out in the cool (ok, extremely cool) waters of Garda. There are a number of private beaches (part of hotel complexes or otherwise) where you can pay a small fee for a beach spot or lounger. For free, head to Spiaggia Casinò (just to the left of the restaurant) and rock up on the pebbled strand for a paddle.
How to Get There
The closest airport is Verona (less than an hour and a half from Gardone Riviera) which means that a trip here could – and should – incorporate a stopover in the setting of Romeo and Juliet. EasyJet and British Airways both fly from London Gatwick once a day. In less than three hours you won’t believe the paradise you’ve arrived in.
MORE WEEKEND GUIDES: Barcelona / Berlin / Madrid
The post The Weekender: 48 Hours in Gardone Riviera appeared first on What's On? By C&TH.
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