A day by bike in Lessinia

(written by Laura Lorenzini, Verona)


As I am trained enough and August heat doesn´t let you breathe, I take my mountain bike and move for a few days to Boscochiesanuova, in Lessinia, to cycle in the fresh mountains.

Only 40 minutes by car from Verona it is still possible to find an uncontaminated place, full of farms, grazes, a few stone houses and a lot of silence.
The Veronese mountain, inhabited back in the ages from the German originated Cimbri people, offers lots of routes by bike.
In August I did a very nice day excursion, adapted for cyclists with some training, which offers an amazing 360 degrees panorama, between big mountains and Lake Garda: the Boscochiesanuova-Castelberto route.

From the Bosco main square you have to take the road to Erbezzo, from which, at 1.100 metres on sea level, you can see the Corno d’Aquilio Mountain and Sant’Anna d’Alfaedo village. At this point there are still around 12 kilometres to go till the top, between cows and nuts trees.
In the last part there is a plateau from where you can spot the amazing Dolomites of Trento and the Padan Valley on the other side.
Finally you get to Malga Lessinia, where you can enjoy the typical ¨Gnocchi¨, made of white flour, and polenta with deer meat.
Back to our bikes, follow the direction to Castelberto, from where you can spot the whole Adige Valley.
The return way, passing by Podesteria, is nice, almost all downhill till Boscochiesanuova.
This excursion has around 50 kilometres in total, it is worth doing it slowly, enjoying the fresh air, the silence, the great panorama and the Malga Lessinia food.
Enjoy it
Laura

Skiing in Malcesine, between Lake Garda and Verona

From the city of Verona it takes just an hour and a bit by car to do the 55 kilometres of the panoramic road which goes along Garda Lake, till reaching the medieval village of Malcesine.
The route to Malcesine is so spectacular that it was filmed in the first scene of the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
Malcesine is famous because of its enviable position in Lake Garda and its very old castle, of roman origin and rebuilt later by the Scaligeri, the Lords of Verona. The castle was used later by the Venice Republic and the Austrians.
The castle enchantment and the position of Malcesine even inspired the great German writer Goethe during his visit to Italy.
In summer you can enjoy the fresh and clean water of Lake Garda, and practice sport activities such as windsurf and there are also lovely cycling routes to peddle along.
In winter the village of Malcesine transforms into the starting point to Baldo, the magic mountain of volcanic origin, that, being 1.800 metres high, guarantees lots of snow every winter and a breathtaking panorama while skiing looking down over the whole Lake Garda and the Alps Mountains!
The ski season in the Baldo starts in December and ends in March.
The newly incorporated panoramic cable car from Malcesine takes you up to the top of the Baldo Mountain, from where there are 7 ski lifts, which allow you to ski through 40 kilometres of slopes, suitable for experts and for beginners as well.

Before the ski day finishes we suggest you to rest at least 15 minutes, sitting at the top of Baldo Mountain, looking down at the Garda Lake and the whole landscape. This is one of my favourite views!
Ciao
Sergio

A week-end at Lake Garda

written by Jenny and Andy (Köln, Germany)

Last August, after having spent 2 days in Venice, we decided to relax a few days at Lago di Garda.
Starting our search for a nice place to stay at Torbole, in the north, which we found a perfect wind surfer's place, we headed south to find a camping site at a less rough spot. We finally found a quiet family-run Camping site not far from Bardolino, which is a nice little town to stroll around in the evening and to eat a delicious Pizza. We spent our days chilling out at lake Garda and went swimming in the clear water.
Although we stayed there in August with a lot of tourists around, we were surprised we found this quiet place to chill out and relax.
The only problem was that a camping tend is not always the most comfortable solution, but unfortunately we didn't know italianfeelings with their route and accomodation proposals at that time...
Anyway, besides Venice and lago di Garda, we also strongly recommend a visit to Verona, which is only a 30 minutes drive away from the southern part of the lake and absolutely worth going.
You know what? We already miss Italy...
A rivederci!
Jenny & Andy