Day 12, Tour of Southern Garda

We began Day 12 with tea beside a rain-soaked Lake Garda, opting to stay local due to the weather. First stop was the elegant port town of Salò, where we wandered the promenade and porticos, browsed shops, and enjoyed a relaxed breakfast—coffee and croissants for me, yogurt with fruit and nuts for Gill.

Next, following a route from our Back Roads of Italy guidebook, we drove into the foothills to Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, the extravagant home of maverick Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. Our guide Pietro led a fascinating tour of the eclectic villa, crammed with thousands of artefacts reflecting D’Annunzio’s complex, rebellious character. After exploring the gardens, we drove to Toscolano-Maderno and took the car ferry across the lake to Torri del Benaco.

From there, we continued to Garda, had a short stroll, then moved on to Bardolino, where we meandered through the port and shops before buying 5 litres of virgin olive oil from a local vendor—perfect for pairing with our Modena balsamic.

Our final stop was Lazise, reached via scenic vineyard-lined backroads. Despite persistent rain, we explored the harbour and finished the day with a delicious seafood meal at La Forgia—prawns and mussels to start, followed by sea bass, grilled vegetables, and a few indulgent chips—before heading back to camp.Meer informatie