Roll out your picnic blanket by Lake Garda

A picnic with a view

If you’re one of those that feels picnics must be earned, here are three locations with panoramic views across Lake Garda that can be reached with a pleasant walk.

To get to the first picnic spot you’ll have to make your way up to Monte Brione along a trail, between the towns of Riva del Garda and Torbole. You can take a break by the forts of the First World War. From here, the view across the lake is spectacular.

Or you can take a wonderful walk through the olive grows that stretch between the town of Arco and the sunny meadows of Lizza, just below the castle walls. From here the view stretches over the town of Arco and the “Busa”, the plain leading to the lake.

Another option is to start higher up from the town of Nago and then climb a little further up to the ruins of Penede castle. It’s an easy walk and leads to a wide and open meadow, perfect for a picnic and from where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the lake.

What to eat

We suggest you pack sliced bread or sandwiches with cheese, extra virgin olive oil and smoked trout. For season fruit and vegetables, balsamic apple vinegar, juices and preserves we recommend the typical stand of Maso Giare.

You can wash it all down with a glass of Nosiola, a fine local white wine, perhaps produced by Cantina Toblino in the town of Sarche.

A picnic on the beach

From the mountains to the lakeshore. In the Garda area you can choose from any of the many beaches in Torbole, Arco or Riva del Garda. A number of hotels, such as the presitgiuos Hotel Luise and the Hotel Du Lac et Du Parc, offer a range of picnic hampers to go. Simply choose the one you prefer and pull out your picnic blanket on the lakeshore and soak up the sun.

What to eat

If you prefer to hunt down the local delicacies on your own, but without too much effort, we suggest you stop at Signor Panem, where you’ll be delighted by the range of tasty paninos on offer (the “Trentino” and the “Lago di Garda” sandwiches must definitely be tried).

You can then wash down your outdoor meal with a glass of Trentodoc sparkling wine from the cellars of Madonna delle Vittorie in Arco.

Make sure you leave some room for an ice-cream! Along the shores of Riva del Garda you’ll find the historic ice-cream parlours of Flora and Cantonati, not to be missed if you’re a gelato-lover!

A picnic in the hills

The Tenno area, above Lake Garda, is truly beautiful in springtime. A magical world of castles, villages and of course the emerald waters of Lake Tenno. Before sitting down for your picnic, we suggest you stop at the medieval hamlet of Canale di Tenno, from where a short but pleasant walk will take you to the shores of the lake and a fun day out in the sun.

What to eat

For lunch we suggest you try the carne salada, a typical local delicacy. A beef carpaccio, seasoned with herbs and spices best served with flakes of Trentingrana cheese, Trentino balsamic vinegar and Bleggio walnuts. To top off your meal, you can try the genuine flavours of the La Quadra farm in Drena that produces yoghurts and tasty luganeghe, a traditional Trentino salami.

And to wash it all down? We suggest you try a good glass of local wine like the Rebo red from the Cantine Naturali Torboli cellars. Buon appetito!

A picnic by the river

Enjoy the romantic atmosphere in the early sunlight, as you pedal along the cycleway through orchards of plums and kiwi fruit, along the picturesque course of the Sarca river. Take off from Arco and make your way upstream as far as the Moletta area where you’ll find quiet grassy shores below the olive groves, the perfect spots for an pleasant picnic.

If you want to go further north, you can make your way to Ceniga di Dro, a pleasant country hamlet, where you can stop for a picnic under the old Roman bridge. In the summer, the local youth come here to get some sun and take a dip in the refreshing waters of the Sarca river, a timeless tradition.

What to eat

The rivers are full of fish, so why not try some delicious smoked Arctic char? You can find it at the Armanini trout farm in Linfano di Arco.

If you want to get some of Garda’s extra virgin olive oil, vegetables preserved in oil and the famous Torbole broccoli, part of the Slow Food project, either in cream form or as a pesto, you can stop off at the Agraria in Riva. Here you’ll also find a vast selection of fine local wines. With fish, we recommend the Chardonnay Loré or the Gewürztraminer La Préa.