Autumn

Autumn on Lake Garda is full of colours, sports, food and wine. The air temperatures range from 10 to 20 degrees, the landscape boasts warm colours and diving into the lake is not attracting anymore, as the water temperature is about 8° to 15° Celsius degrees. People think that this is the season of melancholy, characterized by fog and rain. This is not the case on Lake Garda, where the climate keeps its mild characteristics and autumn brings less rain than spring or summer. It is the long-awaited time by photo lovers, who want to capture the foliage in one of the natural parks of the Lake area, like Parco Giardino Sigurtà that during this season resembles a beautiful painting full of colours and picturesque nature scenes. Along the itineraries in the Valpolicella, Valle del Sarca and Colline Moreniche valleys there are unforgettable sceneries drawn by the vineyards with the typical autumn colours that ask to be photographed.

Autumn features a clear sky, bright colours, low humidity and many tastings of the great wines of Lake Garda: Custoza, Bardolino, Valpolicella, Lugana and Recioto, among others. In autumn, the most famous event on the Lake is “Festa dell’Uva e del Vino Bardolino” (the Bardolino Grape and Wine festival) with music, shows, tastings, entertainment, food and wine that attract ten thousands of visitors to the lakeshore and the small streets of the centre. The symbol of the Festival is the traditional big barrel in the Piazza Catullo square; 6 m high, 4 m large – the place where grape juice is distributed.

On the Monte Baldo, the “Festa del Marrone di San Zeno DOP“, chestnut festival offers a market  that gives you the opportunity to sample the many dishes made from the local chestnuts with protected designation of origin: pure, roasted or boiled chestnuts, cakes, jam and more. Many specialities to enjoy at best with the Castanea bier, brewed with chestnuts, absolutely a must. It is the most important manifestation of the year in the village.
During the festival, about a third of the entire chestnut production is sold directly from producer to consumer. Because of their high quality, the fruits are only traded in closed and certified bags.

Every October, the village of Lazise becomes the capital of honey. “I giorni del miele“, its honey festival, represents the biggest showcase of Italian honeys and the right occasion to get in touch with the world of honey and its derivatives, learning something about the tools to make honey, the materials for beekeeping and the publishing industry about this subject. In November, it is time to harvest the Lake Garda olives and to press them in order to obtain the certified DOP oil. November is also the month of the prestigious Broccolo di Torbole, the broccoli from Torbole that boasts the Presidio Slow Food label, the official recognition of the Slow Food operational body that protects food biodiversity acound the world.