Italy on the road
Year-round weekends: the Brescia Lake Garda, amid nature and gastronomy
Halfway between the lake and the mountains, Garda Bresciano is an area that remains in your heart due to its green landscapes, dotted with vineyards, olive groves and cypresses.
An area that welcomes tourism in every season thanks to its mild climate and multiple identities. From the grape harvest in September to the olive harvest in November, the landscape remains enchanting even in winter with the terraces. Already widespread in the eighteenth century, they also managed to conquer Goethe’s gaze during his trip to Italy.
In spring and early summer (before the great flow of tourists arrives) the area erupts in its multiple possibilities of being discovered, experienced, and travelled through. The lake is not just a blue mirror that outlines the landscape, but also the protagonist of sailing, surfing and paddle-boarding trips.
And if you happen to come across strange boats driven by four rowers who are rowing standing up, you are in the presence of the bisse. These are boats of ancient tradition that have returned to navigate the lake thanks to some groups of passionate sportsmen.
For those who prefer land to water, they can choose to travel the numerous nature trails on foot or by bike, renting bikes also on site.
And if it is true that hiking offers a deep and direct contact with nature, to admire a splendid view of the gulf it is enough to take a walk along the lakeside of Salò, one of the most beautiful walks of the entire perimeter of Lake Garda.
It is easy to imagine how with such a mild climate and a long agricultural tradition, it now offers a range of high-quality products.
Starting with wine, whose peculiarities are not only the result of the experience of the winemakers but also of the happy climatic conditions of the area: three thousand hours of sunshine mitigated by morning and evening breezes that refresh and keep the natural elements of this sub-Mediterranean climate in balance. Thanks to this happy combination of conditions, wines with excellent organoleptic qualities, especially reds, are created. Valuable ones include the DOC Garda Classico, which includes Bianco, Chiaretto, Groppello, Groppello Riserva, Rosso and Rosso Superiore.
The gastronomic value that the lake brings with it is no less important: trout, whitefish and sardines are the most caught fish, but there are also bleak, eels, and tench. In particular, the lake sardines carry with them a long tradition (it seems that Cosimo de’ Medici also spoke about it) and in terms of flavour they are no way inferior to those of the sea. Today we no longer eat them only in trattorias but also in gourmet restaurants, which have rediscovered their properties and versatility in the kitchen.
