Gardasee Nord (Riva & Torbole)
Italy's largest lake, the windsurfing mecca of the Alps
Foto: Ampfinger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy; its northern shore, framed by steep mountains, around Riva del Garda and Torbole belongs to Trentino. The reliable winds Ora and Pelér make the northern basin one of the best surfing and sailing areas in Europe. Above the lake rises Monte Baldo, reachable by cable car from Malcesine.
Highlights
- Reliable thermal winds Ora and Pelér for surfing and sailing
- Promenades and old town of Riva del Garda
- Revolving gondola to Monte Baldo (from Malcesine)
- Mediterranean vegetation on the southern edge of the Alps
Good to know
| Lake | largest lake in Italy |
| Northern shore | Riva del Garda, Torbole (Trentino) |
| Winds | Pelér (morning), Ora (afternoon) |
| Local mountain | Monte Baldo (cable car Malcesine) |
Practical info
Getting there: By train to Rovereto or Verona, then by bus; by car over the Brenner or the Gardesana road.
Best time: April to October; surfing winds especially reliable in early summer.
Cost: Shore free; cable car, boat rental and surf courses payable (please verify).
Safety: Mind weather and wind changes; the lake can turn rough in wind.
Tips:
- The Pelér blows in the morning, the Ora in the afternoon, ideal for surfing
- The Gardesana lakeside road is a spectacular panoramic route
Background & History
The northern tip of Lake Garda, with the towns of Riva del Garda and Torbole, has a character all its own, which distinguishes it from the milder south of the lake. Here the basin narrows between steeply rising rock faces, so that the landscape looks almost fjord-like, a legacy of the Ice Age, when mighty glaciers from the Alps gouged out the valley and, on their retreat, left the lake basin behind. It is precisely this narrowness that produces the famous wind system of the lake: in the morning the Pelèr blows from the north, in the afternoon the Ora from the south, a reliable interplay that has made the northern Lake Garda one of the best-known areas for sailors and surfers in Europe.
For centuries this region belonged to Habsburg Tyrol and formed the southernmost border of German-speaking Central Europe with the Italian world, which once made Riva a fashionable meeting point. Even Goethe set out from here on his journey to Italy and described the experience of the suddenly southern light. Olives, lemons and cypresses thrive on the sheltered slopes, and over everything watches the Rocca of Riva, a water-surrounded castle that recalls the eventful history of this gateway between north and south. Over Riva thunders the waterfall of the Varone down from a narrow gorge, and steep rock faces line the northern shore, so that here the force of the high mountains and the mildness of the south touch directly, a combination that gives this part of Lake Garda its unmistakable charm.
To make your trip run smoothly , our guides and gear tips for this destination:
