Lake Garda

My friend and I left Munich in the morning and embarked on a four-hour scenic train ride over the Alps to a small Italian town called Rovereto. It is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy between Lake Garda and the Italian Alps.This was the easiest way to get from Munich to Malcesine on Lake Garda .

Leaving Munich

Taking the train through the Italian Alps

My nieces’s husband picked us up and  drove us to our hotel in Malcesine. I could barely wait to hold my baby grand-niece in my arms.

My niece’s travel agent had found the perfect hotel for all seven of us in Malcesine. It was a simple hotel in a beautiful setting away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. We adults rented rooms and my niece and her husband rented an apartment. This was the perfect (and relatively inexpensive) spot for a family gathering. The breakfast was great, everything was clean and comfortable. The grounds were specular, with a vast olive grove surrounding the hotel and apartments. There was a beautiful landscaped pool and a playground for children. The San Carlo hotel is run by a nice Italian family, and it became our home for one week. My niece’s in-laws arrived from near Berlin and were happy to see their grandchild.

Our pool

The San Carlo

Our focus was around the baby, but we still managed to go on boat excursions, and visited different towns around the lake. We never missed an afternoon coffee followed by an Aperol spritz. One day, we four elders visited the town of Riva, where we had a delicious lunch and explored the town while the young people visited a friend nearby.

Malcesine

Aperol Spritzers in the afternoon

Riva on Lake Garda

Riva del Garda

Another day, all seven of us crossed the lake by boat and visited Limone. Limone is the Italian word for lemon and this part of Lake Garda is renowned for growing lemons and other citrus. Limone is set along a backdrop of rocky cliffs with stunning lakeside scenery. For me, the town had too many tourists, even in May. We ended up having a delicious lunch in a gorgeous setting. I felt like I was in a movie.

Limone

lunch in Limone

Limone

Limone

Another day, we took a taxi ride to Lazise, which is located southeast of Lake Garda.The wall, by which you enter the pedestrian medieval village, was built in the 14th century.The 12th century church San Nicola has several medieval frescos.There is a a lovely harbor with a promenade lined with colorful houses, many of them restaurants. We had lunch in one of them and enjoyed the ambience of this beautiful setting.

Lazise

Lazise

Lazise

Lazise

We declared our last day in Malcesine as a chill day and enjoyed the gorgeous pool at our hotel. It was hard to say goodbye the next morning, as I will cherish this week forever .