Vacation at Lake Garda

Where to go for your next vacation? This question arises every winter and *ugggh* we are so indecisive. Unfortunately, another problem appeared: What places are save to travel to? I don’t know how big of a problem that is in America but in Europe we think twice about our vacation. Suddenly, Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia aren’t that attractive anymore to most Europeans.

So, we prefer some relatively “undisturbed” places like Spain or Italy. If Mallorca is the German’s favorite, Lake Garda is definitely the runner-up. Of course, in these tourist regions everyone speaks English and surprisingly German as well. I really can’t remember a second when I spoke English because it wasn’t necessary at all… in a restaurant, in the grocery store or at a museum. I have to say that this is not what I expect from a vacation. Sorry, if this doesn’t sound logical at all but I do not want to hear my mother tongue in a foreign country. I love to communicate with gestures, laughing about it and just enjoying the cultural anonymity of such a vacation. Ok, enough with this.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this vacation. Italy is great. Everyone who has been there loves it – the landscape, the people and of course the food.  I have never eaten such a good fish and seafood; I don’t have to tell you how great they cook spaghetti and pizza. They know what they do and they do it pretty awesome. However, Italy has a lot more to offer than the food.
There are mountains that always fascinate you and then the ocean which is always a good thing. And this culture… Look at those pictures and you see the beauty of the romantic Italian way of building and decorating. Nothing better than some Italian flair!

We stayed in Torbole, a town in the north of Lake Garda. This and every other town we’ve been to is located on the hillside. They nestle to the mountain and end at the lake. The water is so clear thanks to the stone beach. We also visited Malchesine, Riva del Garda, Limone and Lacise. If you should decide on just one, go for Limone! I don’t even know why I’m so drawn to this town; it’s just so beautiful. They harvested a lot of lemons there once, so the name is explained easily. You see this individual inheritance everywhere.

Torbole

This is the view from Torbole. The picture above shows the town photographed from our hotel.

Activities: What we didn’t knew before was that Torbole is like mecca for all surfers. You can swim there but the location is very convenient for surfers because of the relatively harsh winds. On such a windy day you opt for sunbathing instead of swimming, trust me. Nevertheless Torbole was beautiful! There are enough possibilities to go shopping (as everywhere) but the atmosphere really caught me.
What I didn’t expect was a beach party held by a nearby bar. They celebrate life -that’s really how a beach party feels – every Thursday.

Riva del Garda

We decided to walk from Torbole to Riva and it took us approximately an hour. You see a lot and move your butt a bit… not bad!

Activities: There is a wonderful waterfall and an old castle that we unfortunately didn’t see. In Riva (like almost everywhere else) I recommend stand-up paddling which was a good exercise and we had fun.

Malchesine

This is a very good place for all those swimmers that prefer no waves and clear water. Paradise! The beaches there are perfect to be lazy the whole day, read a book and swim.

Activities: There is also a big castle and museum. On top of that castle you have a breathtaking view as you can see in the picture. The museum that is integrated in the castle is about Lake Garda and very interesting.

Limone

We visited this beautiful town on market day. The market is pretty small but sweet. You get to buy lemons everywhere and in all sizes… Lemons bigger than mangos. I just really loved the vibes there. Sometimes you can’t explain why you are so drawn to a place!

Activity: You can visit the old plantations and get to know everything about lemons. I didn’t feel like doing this tour so I just enjoyed the town’s small alleys.

Lacise

Lacise is located in the south of Lake Garda. If you want to drive from the north to the south you better have a strong stomach. Go by motocycle or boat! The town is beautiful (as usual there).

Activities: There is an old castle and a beautiful church to visit.

I can’t say anything else: Italy will always be my love and I couldn’t recommend it more, Bella Italia.

AND it is your duty to eat loads of this delicious ice cream. Don’t hold back, there is no good reason for that!

I hope you enjoyed this little summary of my trip to Lake Garda. Maybe you are interested in reading about my stay in Austria!

xoxo Anny <3