FIVE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT LAKE GARDA
A place known throughout the world, whose popularity continues to grow: Lake Garda is an increasingly fascinating destination for travellers from all over the globe, even overseas. Although its attractions are listed in most of the major guidebooks, the lake never ceases to amaze, thanks to its size, the beauty of its hinterland and its shores hidden by vegetation. Here are five interesting facts about Italy’s largest lake:
Poetry in Gargnano
During Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Grand Tour of Italy between the 18th and 19th centuries, the great poet stopped by Lake Garda, which he described as a magnificent natural spectacle. The famous English writer David Herbert Lawrence stayed in Gargnano in 1912 with his companion Frieda. He lived in the little hamlet of Villa: “There is a little square, where Italians chat and fishermen dock their boats, not far away. It’s all too good to be described – not at all touristy – simply any Italian town. I think I will be happy here.”.
Art on the Veneto Shore of Lake Garda
Klimt, one of the most beloved painters of our time, came to Lake Garda with his mother and sisters in the summer of 1913 to stay from July to September. During his stay in Italy, his work was dominated by landscapes, which are never realistic, but rather the allegories of the soul. Among the most famous paintings of this period is the mysterious “Malcesine am Gardasee”.
Inland: La Valle delle Cartiere
Well-known for papermaking in the Middle Ages, the valley displays some fascinating industrial archaeology and allows you to explore the hinterland of the lake. You can access the valley from Toscolano Maderno and it features a dedicated museum.
Food and wine
The Valtenesi is a small area between Lake Garda and the moraine hills and includes several lakeside municipalities, including Padenghe, Moniga, Manerba, San Felice del Benaco, Puegnago del Garda, Polpenazze and Soiano. A land rich in vineyards and olive groves, whose wine is recognised as a DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) product, is dotted with ancient villages, villas, towers, medieval castles and churches that bear witness to the long history of this area.
Botany and sculpture
A real gem of Gardone Riviera with an incredible variety of plants and flowers (currently about 3000 species) blend in harmony with the contemporary sculptures dotting the gardens to create a truly scenographic effect. A unique chance to enjoy an unusual juxtaposition of art and nature at their international best, with sculptures by renowned artists of the calibre of Roy Lichtenstein, Mimmo Paladino, Keith Haring, Susanne Schomögner, Erwin Novak and Rudolf Hirt.
