Garda & Franciacorta
3 nights & 4 Days
Lake Garda is a great destination to combine lakeside relaxation, some cultural sightseeing and amazing food and wine experiences. Italy’s largest lake is home to picturesque towns beautifully located on its banks and a lush countryside covered in vineyards, olive trees and citrus groves. The local gastronomy draws from the cuisines of the three regions covered by the lake - Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino - resulting in a diverse range of interesting delicacies.
Gianfranco Pugliese
Chef
A lover of simple and genuine flavours (in his fridge you will always find tomatoes, salad and cheese and adores orecchiette pasta with turnip greens), Chef Gianfranco Pugliese likes to define his culinary style as “innovative but traditional”, where every dish is the result of a skilful blend of local culinary heritage and personal creativity.
Garda & Franciacorta
3 nights & 4 Days
Day 1 - Arrival
We are in Lake Garda. Villa Sostaga will be your base for this itinerary. Upon arrival enjoy a welcome aperitif in this outstanding location, followed by a delightful dinner paired with local wines.
Overnight at Villa Sostaga
Day 2 - Flavours of Lake Garda
The day starts with a visit to the Vittoriale degli Italiani, a truly unique site on Lake Garda, followed by a wine tasting session at Cantrina, a family-run winery specialized in organic viticulture. Back in Gargnano, you’ll explore the treasures of this delightful lakeside village before embarking on a tour of some beautiful lemon groves dotting the upper Lake Garda landscape. During the visit, you’ll also taste some typical products. You will end the day with a delightful dinner in the historic centre of Gargnano.
Overnight at Villa Sostaga
Day 3 - Brescia and Franciacorta
This morning you’ll head to the hills of Franciacorta, where excellent sparkling wines are produced. Along the way, you’ll stop in Brescia for a tour of its rich historical, artistic and architectural heritage. After lunch, you’ll visit Le Marchesine, a small, innovative winery where you’ll enjoy a guided tasting of Franciacorta wines. The rest of the afternoon will be spent soaking up the peaceful tranquillity of Lake Iseo before returning to Villa Sostaga for a fantastic farewell dinner.
Overnight at Villa Sostaga
Day 4 - Departure
It is time to say goodbye and see you soon for your next trip!!!!!
Postcards
Discover some of the most remarkable wineries, farms, villages and restaurants you will touch during this journey.
Villa Sostaga
Villa Sostaga is a romantic boutique housed in a 19th-century hunting lodge on a hill just outside Gargnano, one of the most beautiful spots on Lake Garda. Surrounded by a silent forest, this elegant villa is a place of peace and tranquillity, with a wonderful garden, a panoramic pool overlooking the lake and a lovely wellness area. At the onsite restaurant, guests dine with magnificent views of the lake and the recipes of the owner’s grandmother, Martina Bazzani, who was the personal chef of poet Gabriele D’Annunzio.
Learn more about the hotel
Lake Garda
Italy’s largest lake is blessed with a wonderfully mild climate and a beautifully diverse landscape that make it a favorite holiday destination in northern Italy. Its unspoiled nature is the perfect backdrop for adventure seekers, who come here to enjoy thrilling water sports and marvellous hiking and cycling paths, while gastronomes will be won over by the wealth of excellent local products.
Gargnano
Gargnano is an enchanting town on the western bank of Lake Garda. It has a pretty little harbour dotted with boats and an interesting old town rich in beautiful churches and historic villas with beautiful gardens. Gargnano is also the capital of water sports, hosting every September a spectacular sailboat race, the International Centomiglia Regatta.
Vittoriale
The Vittoriale degli Italiani is the monumental complex that Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio decided to build to celebrate his life and the Italian endeavour during WWI. Covering a vast area of nine hectares, this extraordinary site offers a journey through time and includes a series of buildings, roads, squares, an outdoor theatre, and lush gardens with streams, artificial lakes and even a military vessel.
Cantrina Winery
Cantrina is a small, family-run estate specialized in organic viticulture, located in a rural village in the interior of Lake Garda. Owner Cristina Inganni and her family ensure total respect for the characteristics nature bestows on the fruits of their vines, resulting in wines that perfectly convey the character of the local terroir and the personality of the people who make them.
The Terre & Sapori d'Alto Garda Association promotes the beautiful lemon groves and citrus fruits that characterize the upper Lake Garda landscape, which has been cultivated in the area since the 15th century. Gargnano was and continues to be an important centre of citrus growing in upper Garda, therefore it’s the ideal place to learn about citrus growing and lemon cultivation on the lake.
Brescia
Only a few kilometers from Lake Garda, Brescia is the second largest city in Lombardy and boasts the largest, best-preserved Roman archeological site in northern Italy. Its old town is a treasure trove of beautiful historic sites, including the stunning Church of San Salvatore (one of the most important examples of Early Medieval religious architecture), two splendid cathedrals and the magnificent Rococo foyer of the Teatro Grande.
Franciacorta
Franciacorta is the wine district that produces the celebrated Franciacorta DOCG sparkling wine using the metodo classico. Covering just about 20,000 hectares the area is rich in historic, cultural and enogastronomic attractions. There are over 100 wineries where grapes are lovingly hand-harvested and visitors are welcomed to taste their unique products.
Le Marchesine Winery
Le Marchesine is a small, innovative winery in Franciacorta. Founder Giovanni Biatta opened it in 1985 after purchasing three hectares of land in Franciacorta and five generations later the estate is considered to be one of the most prestigious wineries in the area. Their continuous focus on excellence and technological innovation has been awarded several times and is constantly setting high standards for Franciacorta wines
Lago d’Iseo
The idyllic landscape of Lake Iseo delimits the northern side of Franciacorta, offering enchanting villages, beautiful vistas and the biggest lake island in Europe - Montisola. Since it's still pretty much off the tourist radar, Lake Iseo is the perfect spot for an authentic experience away from the crowds. Local restaurants serve the lake’s culinary delicacies, which include dried sardines with polenta and fresh fish from the lake, all paired with some chilled Franciacorta wine.
