In early October, Gargnano slows down and returns to its farming roots, among lemon groves, olive terraces and the first olive harvest. Slow Gargnano, Tra olio, vino e territorio, fills the opening weekend of the month with cooking classes, a market of local producers, guided walks through the terraces and talks on the flavours of the Alto Garda.
Around Lake Garda, time has settled in layers: prehistoric villages beneath the water, Renaissance cities, a fortress ringed by a river, mountains rising towards the Dolomites. Seven places and traditions here carry UNESCO recognition, and a short drive separates one from the next. Here is what they are, and when to see them.
For one weekend at the end of September, Negrar di Valpolicella turns Viale Mazzini into an open-air tasting. Local volunteer associations pour the wines of the Valpolicella Classica, from everyday reds through Ripasso to Recioto and Amarone, alongside regional food, live music and activities for families, all during the busiest moment of the wine year.
Ready to explore? Here are 12 of the best panoramic treks around Lake Garda, guaranteed to take your breath away.
There is a carnival here that does not wait for spring. In Torri del Benaco it arrives in early September, as the season on the lake winds down: an afternoon of games for children, a masked parade through the streets at night, and fireworks to see the summer off. Its roots lie in the carnival of Verona.
A late-summer evening in Pieve, the main village of Tremosine sul Garda, high above the western shore. The Pro Loco fills the old squares with food stands, from local formaggella to spit-roast meat, while four points of live music carry the evening until late. Here is the menu and how the Prolochini tokens work.
A few metres below Piazza Cesare Battisti lies an entire quarter of Roman Trento: paved streets, city walls, mosaics and a glassmaker’s workshop, uncovered when the Teatro Sociale was restored. The SASS lets you walk through Tridentum, and it makes an ideal half day away from the upper lake.
When the heat eases, the squares of Lake Garda’s small towns fill with live music. Open-air concerts, run by the local councils and tourist associations, and nearly always free to attend. Knowing when they happen and where to find them lets you slip one into your evening with no planning at all.
From 17 June to 17 September 2026, the Sigurtà Garden Park near Peschiera becomes an open-air museum. Cracking Art fills its lawns with 162 colourful animals in regenerated plastic, from a dolphin to an elephant. A printed map hands you each creature’s virtues and small flaws, so you can work out which animal is really you.
On 1 and 2 August 2026, Piazza Feltrinelli in Gargnano hosts the Festa dell’Ospite, the town’s summer welcome to residents and visitors alike. Expect food stalls with regional specialities, local craft markets and live music across both evenings, and on the Saturday night a drone light show over the water, billed as the first of its kind on the lake.
On Thursday 30 July the Azienda Agricola Cà Sabbionare opens its terrace above the gulf of Garda for Euphoria Horizon. The view runs the length of the lower lake, from Sirmione to Gargnano, and the DJ set carries the evening through to midnight. Wine and buffet are included if you arrive before nine.
There is no continuous, safe cycle path all the way around Lake Garda: the western shore road runs through narrow tunnels. But over seven days, combining train, ferry and bike, you cross the whole territory, from Trento down to Riva, along the Verona shore and on to Mantua and Verona. Here is the route, stage by stage.
All year round, the villages around Lake Garda come alive with sagre and local feast days, built around the food, wine and traditions of each stretch of shore. Knowing what they are, when they happen and where helps you choose the festivals that suit the time of your visit best.
A short loop links Arco, Torbole and Nago on the northern tip of Lake Garda, and a recently opened stretch above Nago gives the ride its widest view. It is an easy route, well suited to families, and it opens the way north towards the Adige Valley.
Events in Bardolino follow the rhythm of the wine and the lake. Two major wine festivals frame spring and autumn, and around them
Every two years, the sky above Trento transforms into a stage of extraordinary beauty, where human ingenuity and the power of flight converge.
In late August 2026, the city of Trento will host a truly captivating event: the Haust Volk Fest, a festival entirely dedicated to
In the serene surroundings of Trento, the Piné Plateau is preparing to host an event that merges the passion for sport with the
The Festa dell’Ospite (Guest Festival) in Marciaga, a hamlet of Costermano sul Garda, is an unmissable event of the Garda summer. Taking place
August in Cavaion Veronese promises a season of delicate harmonies, an invitation to immerse oneself in music and the beauty of the Veronese
