by Samantha Coombs
Think Lake Garda and picturesque lakeside cafes, restaurants, and boat trips, Clooney style come to mind. However, beyond the picturesque towns dotted along its sparkling shores, there are treasures to be seen, only afforded by donning hiking boots and putting one foot in front of the other.
Italy’s biggest lake is impressive. Not just for its size, but for its unbelievable pinch me beauty. It is impossibly blue and lined with ancient towns of winding streets skirted by mountains. The Dolomites loom in the distance.
After a few days perched on the southern shores of the lake in Sirmione sul Garda, exploring its Roman ruins, Scaligero Castle and consuming enough gelati to last us a lifetime, we head to the north-west of the lake to the quieter and more quaint Limone Sul Garda, to meet our hiking crew and settle into our base.
It’s all things lemon here – lemon spritzs, Lemoncello, lemon-flavoured syrups, scented soaps, face creams, bags, biscuits and paintings for sale on virtually every shop front and street corner. Enjoying a mini micro-climate that accommodates lemons to grow this far north, the citrus tree and its revered fruit is celebrated, eaten, drunk, infused, and incorporated into virtually everything on offer.
Booted and laced up ready to go, our first day of hiking saw us board the ferry to head across the water to the 15th century town of Nago-Torbole, a gorgeous town whose charm won over Goethe during his tour of Italy in the 1780s.
After stocking up on delicious treats from the local bakery, we marched out of town, along forest tracks, and past vineyards and old war tunnels and lookouts, before the track opened out to the most spectacular vistas over olive groves, terracotta rooftops, limestone cliffs and Lake Garda beyond.
A magical day finished off with the obligatory Aperol (or Lemon) Spritz at a local lakeside bar, looking out over calm waters and a setting sun.
The next day, we set off via ferry again, this time to the eastern shores of Lake Garda to Malcesine, a town whose cobblestoned streets, ancient lanes, archways and balconies could have kept me entertained all day long. After a roam through its sloping streets and eclectic shops, we head to one of the most advanced modes of mountain transport in the world, The Monte Baldo cable car, whose rotating cabins showcase spectacular 360° panoramic views high above mountains tops and lush green valleys.
Taking in the majestic vista beneath us at 1,780m above sea level, we spend the afternoon above the clouds, wandering along a meandering mule track with alpine cows and trails amidst the famous Garden of Europe before once again descending the rotating cable car to terra firma.
Malcesine’s Scaligero Castle, a fortification strategically perched at the highest point in town was a must-see. After taking in the basement’s Museum of Natural History, we climb the timber steps, tucking our elbows in as we ascend through a hole in each floor, to its Lombard-built lookout tower, providing us with spectacular 360° views once again.
The castle’s medieval walls and windows lord over ochre-coloured rooftops, churches, Monte Baldo and lake like an ancient beacon, straddling the traditional border between Veneto and Trentino, once a key area of conflict. It’s not difficult to see why.
North of Lake Garda, we start our next day’s hike at pretty Lake Tenno, whose calming cyan waters are hugged by trees with russet and golden leaves. We straddle the lake’s shore for some time before ascending through the forest, lunching at a mountainside restaurant, high above the clouds and under a sunny sky once again, towering above lush fields, sprawling ancient towns and Lake Garda beyond.
After a hearty lunch, we descend a track through a dry riverbed, Our guide stops at a bend to tell us the ancient village we are about to enter features in written records dating back to 1211 but probably existed even long before. Canale di Tenno is a rare treat, its narrow cobblestone streets weaving and winding through rocky low archways, little arcades and squares, stone steps, frescoed walls and tiny windows.
Still housing residents behind solid timber doors, this medieval town remains perfectly intact. It feels like you are immersed inside a living museum, its ancient walls full of long-held secrets.
The following day we start our hike from the town of Voltino, before making an easy ascent of Monte Bestone,
“The best one”, our guide jokes.
She’s not wrong! The view from the peak reaches right across the lake, its azure shores flanked by verdant mountains, rocky outcrops, towns and villages. It’s hard to imagine a place more beautiful than this. With no road for cars to the top of the mountain, we feel even more smug wearing our hiking boots, knowing not only that our sweaty efforts have once again been amply rewarded. We have easily earnt the spritzs waiting for us back at the hotel.
Samantha Coombs was a guest with HF holidays, a walking holiday cooperative that specialises in connecting like-minded souls of all ages, who share a passion for the great outdoors.
www.hfholidays.co.uk/.
