Riva Del Garda, Lake Garda

I was lucky enough to accompany a large group that I had arranged to visit Riva Del Garda on Lake Garda. Having previously worked in Austria as a Lakes and mountain rep I expected Lake Garda to be beautiful but it exceeded my expectations. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

The hotel we stayed in was a 15 minute walk from the beautiful town of Riva, which has cobbled streets, a lovely main square and a great selection of restaurants and shops. Whilst we were there we went to Venice for the day. This meant leaving at 8 am on a 2 1/2 hour long coach journey before then getting on the boat to St Marks Square. But this really didn't feel like a long journey as the scenery along the way was stunning. We had four hours in Venice which was plenty of time. We started off with a 90 minute guided tour and then enjoyed some free time to stroll around the city and have a relaxing lunch before the return journey. If you are planning to go to Lake Garda and haven't visited Venice before I would highly recommend it.

The next day was spent by the pool, this is a great benefit of this destination as you can do as much or as little as you like. On our final day we took a boat over to Malcesine which is another beautiful lakeside town. There is also a cable car here which you can go up to the top of the mountain and experience a fantastic view of the lake.

Lake Garda is a great destination for cycling, walking and water sports. There are a great deal of excursions you can do in the area to make the most of your time here.

I can't wait to return to Lake Garda for either a relaxing short break or a two week more active family holiday with my children.