• Food & Wine

Lake Garda, olives and lemon houses

Calm waters and mountains landscapes, olives and lemon houses, an exceptional extra virgin olive oil

Playfully known as “the most beautiful ocean in Italy”, Lake Garda sits at the foot of the mountains and enjoys a mild climate, with poets’ villas, lemon houses and ancient recipes waiting to be discovered

 

1. Peaceful refuge.
Lake Garda, the largest of Italy’s lakes, has been the perfect spot for contemplating the world since the ancient Romans built stunning villas on its shores, including the Grottoes of Catullus, the finest example of Roman domus dwellings in Northern Italy. The lake’s calm has always attracted restless spirits such as the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, who  built his Vittoriale degli Italiani here. In the summer, its shores fill with tourists, especially  from Northern Europe.

2. Olives and lemon houses.
The lake’s large basin makes the climate mild and means that more typically  Mediterranean crops can be grown where they usually cannot be. This is the most  northerly point in the world where olives are grown, with the fruit used to make a DOP certified extra-virgin olive oil which is delicate, fruity and light. It is also home to fruits like citron, bergamot and lemons. A visit to Lake Garda simply would not be complete without a visit to a lemon house such as the 18th-century example in Castèlbella, which is located on the same terraces immortalised by the renowned German poet Goethe in his 1786 work Italian Journey.

3. Lake wines.
Inhabitants of the western shore, the Lombardy side, have always been tenacious and simple folk – boatmen, fishermen, sometimes gardeners. One of the most well-known local wines is Garda DOC certification, with white, red, rose and “Chiaretto” versions all available. “Chiaretto”, named after the Italian word for “light”, is so named because the must remains in contact with the skins for only a short time, giving the wine a light pink colour. Other wines include Groppello and the excellent Lugana DOC, a white produced with Trebbiano di Lugana grapes which becomes especially characterful after a few years’ aging.

4. Medieval traditions.
On the Brescian side of the lake you can find fish stuffed with breadcrumbs and parsley, risotto and meat tortelli, but also medieval dishes such as Brodo Bruciato, a stew made from water, toasted flour and extravirgin olive oil from around Lake Garda.

On the same topic

Where to eat in Lecco

  • Food & Wine
The 6 best proposals about where to eat in Lecco

Rassegna Gastronomica del Lodigiano

The flavours of tradition
  • Food & Wine
Rassegna Gastronomica del Lodigiano

IGP Apples of Valtellina

This type of apple has all the characteristics of mountain apple: crunchy, fragrant, aromatic and juicy
  • Food & Wine
Apples

What can I eat in Cremona?

The main courses of Cremona’s tradition
  • Food & Wine
What can I eat in Cremona?

Gorgonzola

A DOP cheese from the Province of Milan
  • Food & Wine
Gorgonzola

Salame d’Oca Ecumenico

The Salame d’Oca di Mortara IGP is an outstanding product of Lomellina’s gastronomic tradition.
  • Food & Wine
Salame d'Oca

A toast to the vineyards and wineries of Lombardy

Lombard vineyards and wineries are eager to welcome tourists and visitors to enjoy the last phases of the harvest. 
  • Food & Wine
Calici alzati nei vigneti e nelle cantine della Lombardia - San Colombano

The appetizers of the Lombardic tradition

We bring the traditional Lombardic gastronomic culture back to the table, starting with appetizers
  • Food & Wine
The appetizers of the Lombardic tradition

Lombard Mostarda Recipe

With a strong taste, the mostrada is prepared with fruit, sugar and mustard essence
  • Food & Wine
Lombard Mostarda recipe, an ancestral flavor

Cremona Nougat Recipe

It is a variation of the traditional sweet that includes the addition of aromas such as vanillin and candied fruit, which make the mixture softer based on sugar, honey and album
  • Food & Wine
Cremona Nougat Recipe, homemade goodness

Brasadè di Staghiglione

Il Brasadè, ciambelline d’origine ottocentesca
  • Food & Wine
Brasadé di Staghiglione

Good Wine

Oltrepò Pavese, a Land of Wine and Riches
  • Food & Wine
Good Wine

Le Palle di Agilulfo

A traditional dessert from Lomello
  • Food & Wine
Le Palle di Agilulfo

Franciacorta, a land of excellence

The humble local dishes stand alongside traditional and prestigious wines. A journey through the flavors of Franciacorta
  • Food & Wine
@www.franciacorta.wine

Cotechino pavese

A traditional peasant's delight
  • Food & Wine
Cotechino pavese

Pane di San Siro

I San Sirini: a typical sweet of the feast of the patron saint of Pavia
  • Food & Wine
Pane di San Siro

Pavese Rice

The province of Pavia, Italian rice capital!
  • Food & Wine
Risotto

Malfatti: a culinary delight from the Oltrepò Pavese

Piatto della tradizione contadina dell’Oltrepò Pavese
  • Food & Wine
Malfatti: a culinary delight from the Oltrepò Pavese

Cotoletta a la Milanese Recipe

His secret? Cutlet, breadcrumbs and... fry in a frying pan with bubbling butter
  • Food & Wine
Cotoletta a la Milanese recipe, a world famous delicacy

Cipolla Rossa di Breme

The Breme Red Onion has been documented since the 10th century, dating back to the foundation of the famous abbey, which in the following centuries became one of the most important in Europe.
  • Food & Wine
Cipolla rossa di Breme