Lake Garda (Italy)

In Bratislava a few months ago I was amazed by how much it reminded me of Italy, and of Lake Garda in particular. When I was working in northern Italy last summer, my last week was spent “on location” if you will at Riva, a large touristy town at the very north end of the lake. I’d already spent a few days at Peschera and Sirmione at the south end of the lake, but this was something new.

Riva is located approximately equidistant from Milan and Venice, some 70 meters above sea level. It is called home by nearly 14 000 Italians, but the steady influx of tourists from April to October makes it seem much busier.

The scenery is stunning – imposing mountains, a deep bluey green sparkling lake and a wonderfully colourful waterfront area. Most postcards of Garda Lake in general feature Riva as it’s so gorgeous. Although most people come here for a break to relax after the hustle and bustle of the cities, there are more things to do here than just swim and sunbathe. For example there’s a Reptile Land which was a great hit with the kids I was looking after. Full of pythons, geckos, tarantulas and, erm, dead butterflies, they couldn’t get enough of it. This is located practically on the water’s edge opposite an incredible ice cream stand ;-) and is open 7 days a week from 10am. Children under 8 are let in free, and for others the entrance fee is between £1 and £2. There is a shop but not a very good one.

If live animals aren’t your thing, there’s a civil museum housed in the old fortress, across from Reptile Land. This boasts some pictures of Riva’s past, a hands-on area related to birds, some archaeological remains and an utterly hideous fake lamb roasting over a fake fire. Still, the kids liked it, and again it was cheapish (4000 Lire for me as an adult since this was in the days before I was at uni and had a student ID, slightly less for the bratlings).

Being a town in such a religious country there are numerous churches and shrines scattered about (including on the beach itself). These are free to enter and didn’t even demand a donation as some of the other places I’d been that summer did. My favourite was just opposite the Peace Park, but I can’t remember its name.

For children fed up with swimming but still wanting to have fun, there are lots of parks and playgrounds – the Peace Park itself is great and has a funky, fluorescently painted collection of things to climb on which even some of the adults could not restrain themselves. Down by the lake there are, wait for it, TRAMPOLINES! Naturally we (note the we – this was the 2 youngest children AND me) had to go on them. Frequently. Not quite as good as bouncing over the Danube at the Donauinsel, but not far off. For swimming there is a long pebbly beach and several fixed platforms just far enough out so you’re in nice deep water, but close enough that even young children can make it over. There are life guards on duty during peak times but either they don’t do their job well or no one needed help because during our week, the one I was, erm, watching didn’t get out of his seat. The beaches and sea bed are really pebbly and my over-sensitive-as-a-result-of-too-much-p​ointe-work feet couldn’t cope – once I switched to swimming in my tatty trainers, however, I was ok.

In the town centre there are numerous touristy shops all selling the same touristy things. Be warned, the staff seemed to greet foreigners with open arms, but only if they could speak Italian or German. English won’t get you very far. The place was crawling with Americans (shouting in the hope that would get them understood) and Germans. I didn’t hear a British accent the whole time I was there but that’s hardly a problem.

For eating, fish (urgh) is naturally a big thing due to the town’s proximity to water. Apart from that there are trillions of Pizzerias and an abundance of Gellaterias. Several Creperies are scattered around too, and these are great once the staff get over the shock of you ordering a lemon and sugar jobbie – supposedly this is just not done over there. I stuck safe and ordered, no surprise here, Nutella. My personal recommendations would have to be :

Happy Days – Viale Trente 94 - for ice cream. Their Coppa Coccolato is to die for, especially when you smile nicely and ask them to substitute their set flavours for your choice (Nutella, Nutella and a bit more Nutella for me – honestly I’m beginning to think I’m hooked on the stuff) and the prices are very reasonable.

Pizzeria Alla Torre – Via Maffei 12 – for meals. Prices started at £2 for huge pizzas, everything is fresh and they are happy to meet any requests you may have – ie pizza without the tomato sauce and cheese in my case…

We stayed in a holiday flat at a complex about 10 mins bus ride from the centre. There were quite a few setups like this in the vicinity, and they’re worth considering if you’re travelling in a group of more than 3 or 4 people. Other options include several luxury hotels as well as camping sites and youth hostels – contact the tourist office (0464 55 44 44 from inside Italy) for details.

Riva was a great experience. Sure it may be commercialised beyond belief and full of tourists, but the scenery alone (well that and the trampolines) make it a wonderful and unforgettable place to visit. No doubt I’ll be back sometime in my lifetime.