Verona to Lake Garda

Arrive early to give yourself plenty of time to explore this impressive city. On a walking tour, discover Verona's inner city, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

Wander through atmospheric streets and cosy piazzas to the many sights of the city of Verona. The Arena, the balcony of Romeo and Juliet, the medieval Castelvecchio castle and the photogenic Castelvecchio Bridge. Don't miss the Piazza del Erbe, the beating heart of the city is surrounded by characteristic Italian houses and offers an abundance of terraces and market stalls. The Torre dei Lamberti, an 84-meter-high tower that can be seen from almost the entire city, is the literal highlight of the city. With the elevator, you can go to different viewpoints at the top of the tower and enjoy the view over the city of Verona.

If you want to be sure that you don't miss anything, book a City Tour of Verona accompanied by a guide and let yourself be informed about the many highlights and hidden gems of this romantic city.

Before starting your walk, we recommend that you take a detour to Castel San Pietro, from where you will have a wonderful view of the whole city, the Valpolicella area and Lake Garda.

You will start your walking week from Verona heading west, following the seven bridges that connect the two riverbanks of the Adige. The hilly agricultural region of Valpolicella " Valley of many cellars" is famous for wine production. This wine region has red wine in many guises, it is one of the few areas in Italy that produces the same wine in four versions. As a former river port, your destination is today, Parona, the gateway to the Valpolicella region.

Today's walk will take you to the heart of Valpolicella. Enjoy the impressive route through the vineyards and past the monuments of Romanesque architecture. You will cross small towns such as Corrubbio with the church of San Martina from the 12th century, San Floriano and San Pietro in Cariano before arriving in Fumane.

Today you will stay at this location and have time to discover the area. Throughout the year, this area offers a unique spectrum of colours and scents: starting with the cherry blossom, which covers the green hills with a white blanket. With the onset of summer, the cherries are ripe and in the fall, the golden season begins with the wine and olive harvest. Visit Molina with the Botanical Museum with orchids and Mulino dei Veraghi, a majestic wooden mill that is the only one still working with all original parts and components or Parco delle Cascate di Molina, the waterfall natural park, or try one of the numerous wine cellars of Amarone and Valpolicella.

Parco delle Cascate di Molina: (entrance about €7 per person) A natural park with beautiful waterfalls and a prehistoric cave. There are several walking routes through the forests and valleys in the park, but the black route is the most beautiful (about 2 hours). You pass seven waterfalls, the ruins of a water mill, and two caves and crosses carved into the rock. At the highest point, the Pozzo Tonde, you will find a round well from which you have a beautiful view of the park. Don't miss Grotta delle Tette More (the 'cave of the black tits') and admire the thick and dark stalactites.

Today you will walk through the hills, vineyards and olive groves of the Valpolicella region to the town of Gargagnago, famous for its marble mining. Via a series of fascinating but winding paths through the vineyards, you climb the high hill to the enchanting town of San Giorgio di Valpolicella at the top. You will be rewarded with a view of a majestic panorama of Valpolicella on the other side and Lake Garda on the other. In very clear weather you can even see as far as the Po region. A fascinating and unique place is the old "Pieve", a parish church dating back to 712 AD. and was built on a site once used for pagan worship.

We continue via Ponton, the centre of marble processing. The city's name is derived from the "pontoon", the boat used in the past to transport the marble from the quarries to where it is worked. Continue to today's destination, Sega di Cavaion, just a few kilometres from Lake Garda.

A leisurely downhill walk through the beautiful lake landscape will take you to Bardolino, one of the oldest tourist villages on the shores of Lake Garda. This wine village, located on the wine route De Strada del Vino, is best known for the wine that comes from this region. Bardolino Classico is a light red wine and Bardolino Chiaretto is a red and white wine. Be sure to visit the wine museum and the olive oil museum.

Stroll along the pleasant boulevard, the Passeggiata Lungolago to the beautiful marina. Visit the church of San Zeno from the 9th century, a famous example of a historical monument of Carolingian origin. And the San Severo, a beautiful Romanesque church with a high bell tower and beautiful frescoes. Enjoy Italian ice cream in Piazza Matteotti at the famous Gelateria Cristallo ice cream parlour and in the evenings on one of the terraces of the delicious regional specialities.

At the end of your hiking week, you can relax and enjoy the many possibilities from Bardolino.

A day of swimming and sunbathing on Lake Garda, a boat trip by ferry to Sirmione, the pearl of Lake Garda. A walk through vineyards and meadows with a beautiful mountain panorama to the medieval village of Lazise, ​​the small harbour with terraces on one side and an old church on the other immediately enchants you. If you walk back along the coast, you will pass the town of Cisano with its remains of stilt houses that show that the region was already inhabited by the Romans in the Bronze Age.

Your walking holiday ends after breakfast. If you want to enjoy this beautiful region even longer, book an extension.