Often overshadowed by the more famous and vastly more expensive Lake Como, there is another Italian lake in Northern Italy, not far from Verona that is not to be missed! Filled with food, wine, history, and beautiful scenery, LAKE GARDA is the Italian lake you should be visiting! Explore with us today an overview of the region and our tips for things to do and see while you are visiting Lake Garda for the wine!
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With Hourglass of Wine, we are two sommeliers sharing our journey and experiences in the world of wine as we learn and grow our wine knowledge. Looking through the wineglass, we want to explore not only wine itself, but also where it intersects with travel, food, and so much more. We are always thirsty for knowledge about wine…and for wine itself! So tune in, and we’ll see you with the next glass… Hourglass of Wine!
hi I’m jacqulyn and this is the first video of our series all about an underrated Italian wine region that when a closer look is full of surprises and is a Musto destination especially for us wine lovers I’m talking about Lake Garda so let’s dive into this the video not the lake between medieval castles ancient Roman ruins stunning Landscapes and crystal clear waters Lake Gard is one of the go-to destinations for many tourists visiting the north of Italy it’s located halfway between Milan and Venice or near to brasia and Verona and for us wine lovers it’s an area where we can definitely have fun exploring between one glass and another so where is Lake Garda well it’s located in the north of Italy nestled between the corners of three regions Lombardy to the West Veno to the East and trentino Alto DJ to the North in an area that stretches from the bottom of the Alps down into the Flatlands that are called the Panora padana with a surface area of around 370 sare km or over 142 Square mil Lake Garda is the largest lake of Italy it’s also quite deep with a maximum depth of 346 M or over 1,000 ft the history of Lake Garda and this area spans thousands of years the Lake’s formation dates back to the last ice age when glaciers were responsible for the shaping and it has been home to humans since prehistoric times during the Roman era Lake Garda was called lacus bakus it served as a crucial Transportation Route and held significant military importance for the Empire during the height of its power and even after the fall the germic tribe of the longobards took over the region and established their capital in nearby Veron during the Middle Ages powerful city states such as Venice and Verona fought for control over the lake and the surrounding area the venetians and the scalos constructed impressive fortifications and castles that still stand today around the lake these are places such as scaligero Castle in mazine and the Sirion castle in the 19th century Lake Garda played a crucial role in the Battle of suino during the second Italian war of independence fought between the austri Empire and the Allied Forces of France and Sardinia in fact this war was what ultimately led to the unification of Italy under King Victorio Emmanuel II and later during World War II Lake Garda was part of the zones of occupied Italy and in 1943 it was here that the fascist government established the Salo Republic on the Lake Shores as a part of a puppet state but what can one expect when visiting Lake Garda well to use the words of DH Lawrence he says I often lie in bed and watch the sunrise the lake lies dim and milky the mountains are dark blue at the back while over them the sky gushes and glistens with light at a certain place on the Mountain Ridge the light burns Gold Lake Garda has some stunning natural landscapes from the low flat Lake Shoreline to the South to sheer Rocky drops from the mountains on the western Shore and the so-called Monte Baldo mountain chain on the Eastern Shore and right smack in the middle It All Leads down to the large lake with crystal clear waters and in these Waters you can take refreshing swims as well as try your hand at wind surfing or sailing both of which are big in the area thanks to the constant winds that blow all day across the lake if you are considering Lake Garda as a vacation spot and want to work in some other sightseeing beside Just Wine and Food then you’re in luck because Lake Garda is the ideal destination to find a perfect mix of things to do no matter your interests from shopping to history to spa and relaxation and of course Wine and Food the quaint Villages that are sprinkled along the shorelines of Lake Garda have a little bit of everything to offer for those willing to explore starting with desenzano del Garda located on the southern shore of the lake it is considered to be the capital of Lake Garda and is a popular tourist destination thanks to its beautiful Lake side prominade a picturesque Historical Center with narrow streets and colorful buildings and a lively atmosphere with plenty of shops cafes and restaurants visitors can also explore the ruins of a Roman villa that are still very well preserved to this day and speaking of Roman Villas it’s definitely worth a visit to the famous ruins of the gr culo located in seron which is another must go destination when visiting Lake Garda located on the far tip of the serion peninsula The Villa is expansive evocative and has pretty much a 360° view that is just so beautiful no matter where you choose to look out the town of serion is known for its Charming historic Center narrow streets thermal Springs and the fairy tale Lake scalo Castle an outstandingly well-preserved medieval castle surrounded completely by water and now for us wine lovers we talk about bardolino located on the Southeastern sh up the lake this will be the highlight of the trip for us thanks to its amazing world-renowned Rosé wines but balino itself is also a beautiful town with picture churches and patas as well as the great shopping and dining options it’s home to several beautiful beaches making it a great destination for water sports and sunbathing as well and moving up on the Northwestern shore of Lake G you cannot skip lion suard a quaint town with narrow streets and colorful buildings that give off a Charming Mediterranean Vibe you can take a scenic boat tour to explore the town and its surroundings or you can hike into the nearby Mountains for breathtaking views of the lake if you’re into art and history you can’t miss Salo a picturesque medieval Town famous for being the seat of the Republic of Salo during World War II that was established by the fascist regime under molini and it’s definitely worth seeing if you are War history buff as well in the nearby town of rier you can find the valiani a complex of building Gardens and monuments that was once home to the Italian poet and writer Gabriela denuncio and is now a museum dedicated to his life and works and if you feel a little bit more adventurous and exhilarated or maybe you’re traveling with kids you should consider spending the day in gardaland right outside the beautiful town of peser del Garda gardaland is an amusement park that offers a wide range of rides and ractions for visitors of all ages including roller coaster water rides and live shows Six Flag lovers this one is for you wow Lake Garda sure sounds amazing we have been to explore it and if you would like to see our video about that let us know in the comments Below in any case thank you for joining me on this little dive into Lake Garda in the next videos we’ll go deeper into the wines and the food so if you’re interested in more wine content make sure to like like this video And subscribe and click the Bell icon to be notified when we upload a new video thank you very much for watching and I’ll see you with the next class