The olives coast: in the fashinating Eastern Garda Lake

Centuries old olive trees climbing up the mountains slopes and headlands on the lake. A trip in the Mediterranean oasis in the middle of the Padanda plain, from Bardolino and its popular red wine, to Malcesine, realm of sail and wind-surf.

In case on a single day an hypotetical turist would like to go skiing and to go swimming in the water, there is but one place where he could realize his dream: the Olives Coast. In the Verona province, on the Eastern part of Garda Lake: here water and mountains live together in a happy symbiosis creating one of the most fashinating landscapes of Veneto.

Driving on highway A22 you have to take the way out Affi-Lago di Garda Sud and you will reach Bardolino, the tiny village on the lake giving its name to the reknown wine. You will be welcomed by the Romanic church of San Severo containing XIII century frescos. Out of the village you can go through the beautiful way of Bardolino wine and stop to buy some bottles of good wine. In the roundabouts there are beautiful XII century churches such as the San Zeno and the San Severo ones, but also delightful villas as villa Guerrieri and villa Bottagisio. Other very interesting excursions are the Garda Fortress, in San Colombano, Corteline al Feudo and Paerno, where you can enjoy charming views on the Garda lake.

From Garda lake you can take long horse rides in the Caprino plain, where in June takes place a curious car competion on the climb. In Garda in July there is a beautiful and curious feast, the Sardellata, taking place on lightened boats in the middle of the lake. Torri del Benaco rises on the area of the Roman Castrum Turrium and has preserved the charme and look of a Medieval village. Its little Roman port and its walls have attracted such personages as Lawrence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Maria Callas, Jacques Piccard and Juan Carlos King of Spain. Turist and sporting resort, Torri del Benaco has also a 27 pockets golf course among the olive trees in Marciaga. Here olives trees grow clibing up till 400 meters and the oil that is produced is so tasty to have received the DOC denomination.

In the centre of Malcesine, you can admire the Renaissance palace of Capitani, in Venetian style, and the more known Malcesine castle, now hosting a museum of natural history. The castle lays on a rocky buttress vertically on the lake, it was built by the Scaligeri to protect the Sommolago (High lake). One of the rooms is dedicated to Wolfgang Goethe, there are collected the images drawed by the poet during his travel in Italy, while a large hall is dedicated to the impressive enterprise of the Venetian Republic: in 1438 they transported across the mountains to the lake 3 galleries and 25 boats.

Our itinerary ends in Navene, border line between Italy and Austria before World War II. Going up from this rustic village of fishers and surfers (appreciated for the characteristics of winds) on the path to Bocca Navene, you can reach an evocative panoramic terrace from where in clear days you can see the whole lake.

Vacanza sul lago di Garda: un paesaggio affascinante nella riviera degli Olivi

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