Visiting Garda and Mount Baldo Dr. Law Chi Lim

Lake Garda, midway between and in Northern , is the largest and one of the most beautiful of the Italian . Formed through glacial movement in the Paleolithic era , it is fed on all sides through the valleys of the mountains. As early as 56 B.C., the Romans were coming here for the clearness of its waters and mildness of its climate. The Roman poet wrote about and praised the beauty of the ancient fortified town of , located on the southern side of the lake, and spoke of a villa he had in the area. Today , visitors can still see a Roman spa ruin named the Grotte di Catullo (Grottoes of Catullus) there , although there is no evidence linking Catullus to this particular structure.

Another famous promontory into the lake is the San Vigilio also chosen by the Romans to build their resort there. Through the centuries, kings and queens from all over Europe have been attracted by the beauty of the place .The hotel there, , the Locanda San Vigilio, has been receiving visitors since the 5th century. The property even has its own pier, and perhaps the most elegant way to arrive there is by boat while your luggage gets there by car. The hotel also has a good restaurant. Not exactly Michelin-star stuff but the cooking is good, and the portions generous. Do not miss the wonderful view of the setting sun from the pier where there are tables and chairs where one can enjoy the sunset with a drink and some snacks. The hotel has a total of 14 rooms. Last time we were there, my family of four stayed in one of the country houses there with 3 storeys ----- living room on the ground floor , children’s twin bed room on the second floor , and the master bed room on the top floor with a small garden outside that had a view out to the lake. This is really a wonderful place to relax for a few days. One can never get tired of the wonderful views of the lake during both sunrise and sunset.

From the hotel’s pier, one can do a three hour cruise trip to see the lake. We went on the Siora Veronica which was a sailing boat built in 1926, and has been elegantly restored. It gives you a real sailing boat experience with its full masts up. Along the way , one can see the important sights on the lake , in particular, the unique Villa Borgehese Cavazza which is on the only inhabited island on the lake , the . It turns out that the skipper of the Siora Veronica actually lives in the Villa there as his family has owned the island and the villa on it for hundreds of years. I understand that, with prior arrangement, one can visit the island’s beautiful villa and its garden.

Mount Baldo For lovers of nature , there are numerous walks around the mountains surrounding the lake . The most well- known trails are probably on Mont Baldo. While one can certainly hike all the way up (1780 metres) , there is a cable car that takes you up there in two sections. You can choose to go all the way or just halfway and then hike the rest of the way up. The cable car can carry up to a maximum of 70 people (standing room only) and the second section has a rotating compartment so that everyone in the cable car can enjoy the panoramic view on the lake below during the ascent.

Once on the top of the mountain, there are many walking trails that suit all levels of fitness. Walking along these trails, one can enjoy the fresh mountain air and fantastic views of Lake Garda below and the snow- capped mountains beyond. Last time we were there, we even met a flock of sheep which seemed to be oblivious to human and allowed close-up photos without any hint of shyness.

Need to know 1. In addition to the luxurious villas like the Locanda San Vigilio, there are numerous motels and bed-and-breakfast places along the shore of Lake Garda to suit all types of budgets. 2. The cable car up to mountain Baldo starts from a village called along the shore of Lake Garda. To avoid the crowd , even on a weekday , aim to start your trip at 8 am as soon as the cable car starts to operate. 3. At 1780 metres, the temperature up in the mountain may be 10 to 15 degrees lower than that at sea level , so bring some warm clothing to put on once on top of the mountain. 4. For the sailing boat trip on Lake Garda, it may be better to take it in the afternoon . That is when the wind usually picks up, and your sailing boat will be able to show its full colour.