Not your Typical Vacation in Italy

Not your Typical Vacation in Italy

When you start planning a trip to Italy most people automatically put Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence on their itinerary, creating a travel package filled with history :: storia, romance, shopping and art.  Is that enough for you?  What about adventure and sport? What about nature and Italy’s renowned agriculture? There is so much more to discover in Italy than the well-beaten tourist route.  If you crave a holiday that is active, then you won’t want to miss one of my favorite spots in Italy: Riva del Garda on Lake Garda.

Lake GardaRiva del Garda is nestled between the Dolomite mountains on the northern most tip of Lake Garda in the region of Trentino.  It is paradise for outdoors enthusiasts and foodies.  You can pass your day: hiking on ridges overlooking the lake with views that will take your breath away, mountain biking through the rugged :: aspro terrain, or take part in one of the many lake sports like kite surfing, wind surfing or sailing.  After working up an appetite you can head to one of the numerous restaurants along the lake front or for a more unique experience bike or drive five minutes to the agriturismo, Madonna delle Vittorie, for an outdoor lunch surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, ItalyThe word “agriturismo” is a combination of the words “agriculture” and “tourism” in Italian (agricoltura and turismo).   It is a style of vacationing in Italy where you have the opportunity to stay in accommodation on farms. Madonna delle Vittorie offers spacious vacation apartments amidst nature :: natura where you can relax in a peaceful setting. Their restaurant serves traditional recipes using high quality local ingredients as well as their own production of wine and extra virgin olive oil.

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, ItalyI had the wonderful opportunity to pass the day with Fiorindo Bonora, owner of Madonna delle Vittorie.  After a delicious lunch (see photos above… um, yum!) he gave me a private tour of his oil mill :: frantoio where he explained the process of pressing their Garda Trentino olives and how they extract only the superior quality extra virgin olive oil, like Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Garda Trentino DOP and the most prestigious, Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva  Denocciolato.

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, Italy

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, Italy

He also let me in on the three main reasons why Lake Garda extra virgin olive oils are among Italy’s best:

1) Variety in the soil.

2) Mild climate.

3) Local air.

Wind is important to the production of wine and olive oil as it helps prevents mold and disease from infecting the vineyards and olive groves :: oliveti.

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, ItalyWe then headed to the winery where Trentino DOC red and white wines are produced as well as sparkling wines before touring his vineyards and olive groves that stretched out across the valley floor and crawled up the mountain side throughout Arco, Riva del Garda and Nago-Torbole.  By reservation you can also organize a guided tour through the oil mill and winery :: cantina including, of course, tastings of their high quality wines and olive oils.

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, ItalyDue to passion and attention to detail by Fiorindo, his family and staff, it is no wonder that Madonna delle Vittorie has a ranking of 4.5 out of 5 on Trip Advisor.

Madonna delle Vittorie in Riva del Garda, ItalyWhile in Riva del Garda, don’t miss out also on a unique dining experience at La Berlera, a restaurant inside of a cave! They also use Madonna delle Vittorie products in their restaurant.

Note:  This post is not paid by Riva del Garda tourism or Madonna delle Vittorie. I just thought you would be interested in discovering one of my favorite locations and an agriturismo that is worth the visit here in Italy.

La Berlera Restaurant:: A Magical Dining Experience in Riva del Garda

La Berlera Restaurant:: A Magical Dining Experience in Riva del Garda

I’ve been to many great restaurants in Italy, but few have captured my heart like La Berlera in Riva del Garda.  La Berlera offers more than just exceptional food, it provides a unique dining experience that will be etched in your memory forever thanks to the uniqueness of its location :: la posizione, selection of ingredients, creative dishes, attention to detail and warm service.

So what makes La Berlera’s location stand out among others? To begin, the restaurant is located inside of a boulder that was carved out in 1794.  The jutting structure attached to the boulder resembles a small castle tower all surrounded by mountains and rolling vineyards.

La Berlera Riva Del GardaLining the edge of the property is a vegetable garden :: orto with various herbs that are used to create interesting flavor combinations like vanilla and rosemary gelato and bay leaf sorbet, just to name a few. Besides some varieties of beef, all of the ingredients used at La Berlera are KM 0 (kilometer 0), meaning that they are purchased locally in order to support local farmers and vendors.

La Berlera Riva Del GardaIn addition, Owner and Chef, Gianluca Guglielmi, advocates the consumption of seasonal products :: prodotti di stagione.  The menu is therefore changed periodically to implement only the freshest and tastiest in-season ingredients.

La Berlera Riva Del GardaAlthough you are dining in a slightly cool damp cave :: grotta, the interior decorating and attention to details give you the feeling of home: there are wooden tables, chairs with bright colored seat cushions, bowls full of fruit, plants and flowers and not to be missed are the book shelves that line the walls.  Also on display is a metal storage rack lined with homemade canned goods, just like my mom’s in her root cellar.

La Berlera Riva Del GardaWith decades of experience in restaurant ownership and consulting, the thing I like most about Chef Guglielmi’s recipes is that each dish has a variety of textures to excite the palate :: palato: from creamy to crunchy, rich to refreshing, the taste buds are led through a maze of twists and turns in consistencies and flavors along the way.

La Berlera Riva Del Garda

La Berlera Riva Del GardaI have mentioned in previous posts that Mr. Italicano and I aren’t big of fans of dessert. I wish I would have taken pictures of the plate after we devoured :: divorato every morsel on this dessert platter.

La Berlera Riva Del GardaAs you can see from the photo, we weren’t just eating any ol’dessert. What we had before us was gorgeous food art.  I felt guilty destroying the masterpiece :: capolavoro before me, but it looked just too good to resist!

La Berlera Riva Del GardaWhat I love about family-run businesses, is that you typically get fantastic service and great hospitality :: ospitalità. At La Berlera, husband, wife, and son worked seamlessly together to make each customer’s dining experience unique and memorable.

La Berlera Riva Del GardaSo, if you are planning a trip to Italy, definitely put Riva del Garda on your list of places to visit. It is just off the beaten path where you will escape the swarms of tourists and can relish :: assaporare a magical moment enjoying views of a mountain lake, hillsides lined with wine yards and olive groves and enjoy a unique dining experience at La Berlera.

Note:  This post is not sponsored or paid by Riva del Garda tourism or La Berlera restaurant. I just thought you would be interested in discovering one of my favorite locations and restaurants here in Italy.