Chasing the Sunset

The name Lazise comes from the Latin word "laceses", which means city on the lake. Observing the six towers of the „Castello Scaligero" and its walls, you can easily recognize the medieval origin of the city. Lazise has a wonderful old town center, with narrow alleys and picturesque squares, a harbor set right in the city center and the 14th century Veronese customs office. Lazise is justifiably proud of its past, since it was one of the first towns in Italy to be granted independence by Emperor Otto II more than a thousand years ago in 983. Testifying to its splendid medieval past there are magnificent castle and fortified walls encircling the old town center crammed with shops, restaurants and bars.

Borghetto sul Mincio is one of the “most beautiful villages in Italy” (Borghi più Belli d’Italia). And it is one of those places that seem unreal. Like a fairy tale. A few houses, only 160 residents. You arrive here crossing the Visconteo bridge and you discover a tiny village basically lying on the Mincio river ,a perfect place for a romantic getaway and for taking pictures of an Italy that is already gone in many other places: Stone houses, some ancient watermills, the view of on the melancholic ruins of the medieval bridge and the Castle appearing among the trees on the hill.

The Ponale Trail is the best known and most popular in Garda Trentino: easy but at the same time spectacular as its winds sheer above the lake, a classic trek you can't afford to miss. The line of the Old Ponale Road stands out against the mountainside and is clearly visible from the beaches in Riva and Torbole. The Ponale trail is an icon of Garda Trentino, much loved by visitors and locals alike who never tire of the spectacular views it offers at every bend. The Ponale Road is famous not only for the unequaled panorama of the lake but also for the military installations you can see along the trail. When you come to the second and third tunnels you can see remains of the Tagliata del Ponale, imposing fortifications built by the Austro-Hungarians from 1860 onwards which consist of tunnels excavated into the rock and trenches which stretch from lake level to the outposts overlooking the current trail. Today the Tagliata complex is normally closed to the public for reasons of safety.