The beauties of Lake Garda
Catullo was born here and Goethe, Byron and Rilke sojourned in this area while Ezra Pound felt so at home here that he invited James Joyce to join him. Poets and travelers of all eras have often sojourned near Garda Lake enchanted by its magical ambience.
Sites famous in literature, include the Italian Vittoriale which was the residence of D’Annunzio in Gardone Riviera, Sirmione, the ancient Roman Sirmio Mansio and the hometown of Catullo which was frequented by Dante, Virgil and Carducci. These sites are a few steps away from the Hotel Villa Arcadio, one of the most elegant hotels in Salò on Lake Garda.
The whole area boasts many historical residences and villas and is surrounded by splendid Mediterranean greenery with terraced lemon and orange groves overlooking the blue waters of the lake.
A visit to Desenzano, is another ‘must’ to visit its Roman villa and pretty Venetian port. Another town not to be missed is Padenghe, with its crenellated castle. This was the home of Desiderio, the last Longobard king. Afterwards, we recommend Maderno to see its pretty Romanesque church and Toscolano and its picturesque Valle dei Cartiere.
In Bogliaco, the magnificent Villa Bettoni houses a precious art collection which includes works by Veronese, Durer and Correggio. Gargnano, instead, is a paradise for sail boating and the site of the Centomiglia regatta. While the high plateaus much beloved by Thomas Mann – who remembers them in the Magic Mountain – are to be found in Tignale and in Tremosine.
A point of excellence among all the products produced on Lake Garda, an indispensable ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, and a cure-all for its antioxidant proprieties, the extra-virgin olive oil D.O.P. of Garda in the area of Brescia boasts an age-old tradition. Discover it at the local oil-mills where it is produced, and taste its light and harmonious flavor.
Wine and Food Route on Lake Garda
Lake Garda is poetry, pleasure and beautiful landscapes pervaded by the fragrance of the olives. These precious olives are made into the extraordinary extravirgin Garda Bresciano olive oil, marked by the DOP label and renowned the world over. The luxuriant Garda vineyards, instead, offer the fine white and red DOC wines: Lugana, Garda Classico and San Martino della Battaglia.
Villa Arcadio organizes guided tours of some of the famous canteens in the Groppello and Chiaretto area.
A sojourn at the Hotel Villa Arcadio is a wonderful opportunity to explore the road of fine wines of the Garda Bresciano lakeshore area and to admire the vineyards on the gentle slopes of the hills which descend to the lake. These landscapes are indicated by all guidebooks as a sight not to be missed. From Salò to Calvagese and to Lonato and to San Martino della Battaglia, on the hills and from Salò, and the Hotel Villa Arcadio, to San Felice del Benaco, and from Manerba to Desenzano, on the shores of Lake Garda, the road of fine wines crosses through some of the most beautiful town in this area of the lake.