Venice and the Italian Lakes

Italian Lakes and Venice
Aug 31 - Sep 7  2008
8 Day Tour  
8-18 travelers  $2395
0-7 travelers   $2795
Single Supplement $495

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Explore with us three strikingly different regions of Italy, the high alpine lakes of Trentino, the magnificent Dolomite mountain paths and vistas of Alto Adige, and the exotic and romantic city of Venice in the Veneto.  Each region has its own heritage of food, wine, and history that has shaped the people and the culture through the ages.  Like all Lost in Italy adventures, we'll be walking the trails, visiting the villages, sampling the wine, meeting the locals, enjoying the food, marveling at the incredible views, sampling the wine again, enjoying some more cuisine, and slowly easing into the pace of life in this wonderful corner of Northern Italia!

Day 1
Sunday, Aug 31
Riva del Garda

Our Italian adventure starts today in Riva del Garda, our home for the first part of our trip.  Located in the Italian Regione of Trentino, Riva is a picturesque town wedged between the Italian Alps and the far northern shore of Lago di Garda, the largest of the famous Italian Alpine Lakes.  In Riva you'll begin to notice the subtle cultural differences that differentiate this region from the rest of Italy.  Although primarily Italian, Austrian and German influences appear alongside Italian names, cuisine and history.  Riva’s strategic location made it an important trading center as far back as Roman times, with sailors bringing goods from the south to trade for supplies that came over the Alps from central Europe.  The diversity of cultures that mingled here makes Riva a fascinating town even today.

The scenic beauty of the area is evident, too.  The blue of the waters contrasts sharply with the green and grey of the surrounding peaks, but both natural features combine to shelter the area and provide a fascinating microclimate.  The olive trees on the slopes overlooking Riva are said to be the northernmost olives in the world, and produce an incredibly light, delicate oil.  Strangely enough, Mediterranean plants abound here and coexist with typical alpine shrubs and trees.
  
Tonight we'll have our orientation meeting, (of course with local wines), and afterwards we'll walk to one of our favorite spots for our welcome dinner. 

Italian and Tyrolean traditions color the robust cuisine in this region, smoked hams, apples, chestnuts, grapes, plums, and pasta tossed with some of the most delicate olive oil in the world appear on most menus. In addition you'll find polenta, more mushroom varieties than anywhere else in Italy, and trout from the alpine lakes and streams.  There are two things that definitely set this cuisine apart...the breads and the cheeses!  Drawing on both Austrian and Italian baking traditions, the finest breads in all Italy are found here...often laced with onion, garlic, or herbs.  
There is also an amazing amount of delicious cheeses produced in this region!  The problem is naming them, since there are so many local varieties, many are simply called nostrano or "our local homemade cheese".  You'll fall in love with the many types known as malga, a category of mountain cheeses that are made with the summer milk from cows that graze in the highest valleys of the region.

To top off our evening meal, the dolci of the area are often highlighted by wonderful varieties of torta or cake.  Made with mountain grown almonds, walnuts, cherries, apples and rich dairy butters and creams, they will earn a spot alongside gelato in your heart!

An after-dinner passegiata in the town piazza alongside the moored boats at the pier will cap off your first day in the far north of Italia.

Steve, Jeff, and All…
Thank you for a wonderful third-time around!  Our first two experiences were absolutely wonderful, and our most recent (Lakes and Venice) was absolute confirmation of the quality of your tours! 

Dick and Hannah McDaniel
Springfield, IL

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Day 2 - Monday, Sep 1
Sciliar, Sassolungo, Castelrotto

After breakfast this morning we’ll wind our way out of Riva to the northeast past the far northern outposts of Trento and Bolzano. The views along our route are gorgeous and provide typical landscapes of green mountain valleys lined by soaring vertical rock walls.  Vineyards, towns, and orchards are sprinkled between large forested tracts.  We’ll soon be into the Italian Regione of Alto Adige, also known as the SudTirol or South Tyrol, which straddles the border with Austria to the North.  The Austrian influence is strong here, both in the language and the food.  At the town of Alpi di Suisi we’ll use a funicular to ascend to the high plateau of Sciliar, nestled in a bowl of some of the most breathtaking alpine scenery you can imagine.  Our walk will circumnavigate the plateau through rolling alpine meadows complete with wildflowers and placid dairy cows, along cliffs that plummet thousands of feet to the valley floor, and always surrounded by the brooding peaks of Sassolungo.  This walk contains a panoramic overlook that might possibly be the best in all of our trips…certainly in the top 5.  Need I say it…take lots of film…or memory cards!

Our meal this afternoon will be at a log-cabin mountain rifugio in a protected valley of the plateau.  Depending on conditions we’ll either be outside on the deck under the crisp alpine sunshine, or eating around a cozy fireplace with a glass of vino (or Austrian beer) and a hearty mountain lunch in front of us. It doesn’t get much better than this. After lunch we’ll work our way back down the mountain and spend some time in the enchanting town of Castelrotto.  Unique shops, fun cafes and bars, and winding cobblestone streets highlight our afternoon here.

For those in our group not inclined to huff and puff their way around the plateau, we can offer some fun (and easier) alternative itineraries for the day.  A beautiful alpine trail that circumnavigates the forest and hills around Castelrotto can provide a wonderful day of less challenging walking, with the town of Castelrotto always nearby.  Or a nearby two-person chair lift can whisk you halfway up the mountainside to the Marinzen trail.  From here an easy woodland hike with great valley vistas leads to the tiny mountain rifugio of Schatsen Hutte…complete with an excellent kitchen!  Lunch here in a quiet mountain glade will be an experience not soon forgotten. 

Even after 3 Lost in Italy trips you still managed to make everything new and exciting.  I hope I have a few more hikes left in me!!!
Thanks for everything,

Barb Welk
Rochester, IL

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Day 3 - Tuesday, Sep 2
Malcesine, Monte Baldo

Today we’ll take you on a walk unlike anything we’ve done so far.  Instead of going north into the Dolomites, we’ll go south along Lago di Garda to the lakeside village of Malcesine.  Here we’ll board a series of lifts that scale the near vertical bluffs rising from the lake.  This is the long ridge-like spine of impressive Monte Baldo, paralleling the lakeshore for over twenty miles and towering over the nearby landscape.  Upon exiting the last lift we’ll find ourselves in a different landscape from the gentle lakeshore we left.  Cool winds, short alpine flora, and stunning views in all directions!

From here a ridge-top path works its way along the spine of Monte Baldo, sometimes edging towards the inland mountains and their lush valley views, sometimes skirting the cliffs along the lake dotted with sailboats.  As we along the ridge you’ll be amazed at the panorama, on a clear day you can easily see the southern end of Lago di Garda, over 20 miles away! 

If you’re looking for an easier option today you could ride the lifts to the top, then walk as much (or as little) as you want, enjoying the mountaintop views, then ride the lifts back down to Malcesine for an extended day in the town.

After our exciting day on the mountain we’ll turn everyone loose to explore Malcesine.  There’s plenty to see and do in this beautiful little town, but as the sun starts to slide under the mountaintops we’ll meet at the Malcesine dock to board our boat for a relaxing ride back to Riva. 

Our fun isn’t over though, tonight we’ll be rolling up our sleeves in a local kitchen and learning how to cook, northern Italian style!  A local chef will lead us through Trentino-style preparation of pasta, regional specialties, and of course dolce, all expertly paired with some of the local vintages.  Our menu will reflect the produce of the area and the culinary traditions of the people.  The best part of the evening is yet to come, as we sit down and enjoy the meal we prepared.

Day 4
Wednesday, Sep 3
Get Lost Day!

This is your Get Lost Day!  You have the morning and most of the afternoon off to “do your own thing”, with plenty of options to choose from and lots of input and help from your guides. 

• One option might be a scenic ferryboat ride down Lago di Garda to the fun lakeside shopping town of Limone.  Pushed up against the lakeshore by the mountainous cliffs, Limone is a fun place to spend a relaxing day enjoying the marvelous lake views and small town ambiance.
• Or you might opt to take a local bus to the larger city of Trento, a wonderful place that gathers within its walls great shopping, markets, food, wine, culture, and history.  One of the most sophisticated small cities in Italy, Trento is a wonderful venue to spend a day exploring the many squares, shops, historic sites and ristorante.  In fact, the bakeries of Trento are considered some of the best in Italy! 
• Another option closer to Riva is the town of Arco, just minutes away by local bus.  Arco is special in that it’s a typical northern Italian town, with lots of quiet streets, bustling squares, bars, shops, and friendly locals.  Relaxation at its best! 
• For those of you more athletically inclined, Riva and the nearby town of Torbole are two of the best known venues in the world for windsurfing.  In fact, the European National Windsurf Championships are held in Riva each spring!  Surf shops line the beaches and will gladly provide lessons and rental equipment for a day surfing one of the world’s prettiest lakes. 
• Of course this is a walking tour, so if you can’t imagine spending a day away from the trails, we’ll take you on one of our favorite local hikes in a nearby valley.  Starting at a picturesque waterfall, the trail winds up through olive groves and small towns to Lago Tenno, a cobalt-blue lake tucked in the mountains.  A refreshing (and bracing) swim before a lakeside picnic lunch will wash off the trail dust and make the wine taste even better!
• You don’t have to look far to have fun, though.  This is a great chance to take the time to “Get Lost” and explore Riva.  You could easily spend a day wandering through the piazzas, the lakeside promenade, the neighborhoods, the shops and the markets.  If you have gifts to buy for the folks back home, today is an excellent opportunity.

We’ve got a fun evening planned, so later this afternoon we’ll meet again for a trip to one of our favorite local wineries.  We’ll walk through their vineyards, have a tour of their cellars, learn all about grape growing and wine production…and of course we’ll have a tasting of five of their great vintages, (we couldn’t decide…so we picked them all!) The wine is outstanding, and their kitchen is also worthy of note, so after we’re good and relaxed we’ll sit down to an excellent dinner of local cuisine.

Suffice to say you’ll sleep well tonight…

…When friends ask what our favorite part of the trip was, I'm speechless because everything was fantastic!...THANK YOU!!!

Stephanie & Rick Johnson
Madison , WI

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Day 5 - Thursday, Sep 4
Madonna di Campiglio, Brenta Group

After breakfast today we'll join a local alpine guide as we board our private mini-coach and head northwest into the spectacular Dolomite Mountains.  The route we use winds its way through scenic valleys, past neat mountain villages and over tumbling streams in this out-of-the-way corner of the Alps.  Our destination is the formation of mountain peaks known as the Brenta Group, famed for their towering cliffs and surrounding lakes.  At the mountain town of Madonna di Campiglio we’ll use a funicular cable car to transport us up to our trailhead.  Our walk today will lead us across one of the most spectacular landscapes in Italy, high above the treeline and weaving among towering granite pillars.   The Brenta group is one of the most photographed mountain landscapes in the world, and we’ll literally be “in the postcard” as we trek between the breathtaking crags.  You’ll have many chances to take your very own “postcard” photos of the scenery!  We’ll have a hearty lunch at a stone and log mountain “rifugio” and then continue on our path, with dramatic views in every direction. Eventually we’ll return to Madonna di Campiglio and have some time to shop and browse before we return to our home in Riva.
For those who want to plan a less strenuous day, the option is available to walk as far as you want, then return to the funicular and ride back down to Madonna di Campiglio and explore the shops and cafes.

This evening is free to wander Riva to find a cozy ristorante to have dinner.  The guides will be dining at one of their favorite local eateries, and you’re always welcome to join them for the evening.  People watching in Piazza Novembre over a cappuccino will be the perfect relaxed ending to an exciting day!

Feel free to use any of this as testimonials for other clients. You can include my email address too if you like as a reference. I do have to admit though that I want to keep your tours a secret all to myself! This will insure a seat for me anytime I want to go! I'm looking forward to booking the Cinque Terre tour next September. I need to work out a few details on my end. Sometimes I think I'll just book it and tell life to get out of the way like I did this year! Hope you guys are doing well. Keep in touch!
Roger Paje
Thousand Oaks, CA

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Day 6 - Friday, Sep 5
Venezia
Today we bid Riva a fond farewell and embark on the next leg of our journey across Northern Italia.  Our route will cross the far eastern Dolomites and then wind down the slopes and valleys to the coastal plains as the vertical mountain countryside is supplanted by the fields, vineyards, farms and villas of the Veneto Regione.  A short stop for a bite to eat in the historic city of Padua will be our signal that we’re nearing Venezia, one of the great cultural and historic centers of Europe. 
Despite its long history and formidable reputation, Venezia has retained its “small-city” ambiance and charm which makes it so loved by travelers the world over.  It is without a doubt one of the most romantic venues in the world, and the combination of canals, winding streets, gondolas, and ancient monuments combine to create an atmosphere unique in all the world.  Venezia is a study in contrasts:  filled with tourists and noise, yet also having many quiet typically Venetian neighborhoods never seen by the tourists…an endless variety of restaurants catering to the visitors, and yet plenty of tiny trattoria patronized by shopkeepers, boatbuilders, fisherman, and a few lucky tourists willing to explore off the beaten path…world-famous art, churches, and monuments brought by centuries of traders and seafarers, and also innumerable small charming sites in out-of-the-way locations.  Venezia is made to explore on foot, it’s as if it were created just for us!

When we arrive in Venezia, we’ll board our private motorboat and travel to our hotel by canal.  This evening the guides will host a wine tasting to highlight some of the excellent vintages of the Veneto region.  Afterwards you will be free to roam Venezia and find the perfect spot for dinner.  The guides can provide you with plenty of recommendations.  Venezia was made to wander, an after dinner passegiatta across the bridges, canals and squares of this city will be a memory you’ll always cherish.

Hi Joan & Steve,
It was SO great to get your email today. I think about you both nearly every day since I have gotten back home. It took me about 3 solid days of talking to tell Dave about the trip and he was so happy to hear what a great time I had. I can't thank you both enough for this trip, it was such a memorable time, one which I will never forget as long as I live! Thank you so much for everything you did to make it so wonderful for us. By the way, I have worn my shirt several times and ALSO MY HAT -- I have worn that a lot, and if anyone asks me about it, I tell them. So you have gotten some good publicity, at least in the Upper Peninsula.

ZiaMaria
Mary Simmons
Gladstone, MI

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Day 7
Saturday, Sep 6
Unknown Venezia, Farewell Dinner

After breakfast this morning we’ll meet a local Venetian guide and start exploring!  First we’ll walk to a typical boatbuilding shop to see firsthand how the famous gondolas are made.  The gondoliers and the boats they pilot have been an iconic part of Venezia for hundreds of years, and the history behind the families and the craft is nothing short of astonishing.  Later we’ll meander through the neighborhoods, alleys, and back streets of the “real” Venice while our guide explains some of the fascinating history and day-to-day facts of Venezia.  We’ll have a chance to stop in a Murano glass artisan shop located nearby and marvel at the incredible complexity and artistry of the Murano glassblowers.

The afternoon will be free to wander.  You can take the water taxi over to the island of Burano to see their world-famous Burano lace, or next door to Murano for a more in-depth tour of the main glass artisan shops.  Shopping, of course, is one of the number one occupations of those visiting Venezia, so this might be the perfect opportunity for gift-buying, for friends and also for yourself!

Tonight we’ll meet in the garden of the hotel for a pre-dinner wine party.  As the daylight fades and twilight closes in, we’ll wander toward one of our favorite restaurants for our final night’s dinner.  Toasts are made, trails are re-lived, and new friendships are celebrated. The magic of Venezia comes into its own at night, and as the evening wears on we come to realize that our time spent in Italia may well have been some of the best.

Day 8
Sunday, Sep 7
Arrivederci Venezia

Your Lost in Italy tour ends after breakfast today.  Your guides can arrange for a water taxi to take you directly from the hotel to the airport in Venice, (yes, to the airport by boat), or if you are extending your stay in Venice they can suggest an endless variety of places to visit and things to experience.

Trip Rating

This trip has 2 days of EASY walks,
1 day of MODERATE walks, and
2 days of MODERATE / CHALLENGING walks

What's Included On This Tour?

• 7 Nights Double Occupancy Accommodations at Listed Hotels or Similar (All Hotels with Private Bathrooms)
  
• Meals as Specified: 7 Breakfasts, 1 Trailside Picnic, 1 Lunch, 4 Dinners
  
• Picnic Lunch in the mountains featuring local alpine specialties
• Mountain Lunch at Sciliar Rifugio
• Welcome Dinner in Riva del Garda
  
• Group Dinner at a Vineyard
• Cooking Class with dinner
  
• Farewell Dinner in Venezia
  
• Cinque Laghe Walk in Madonna di Campiglio with Local Guide
• Castelrotto Walk in the SudTirol
  
• Malcesine Walk
  
• Venezia Neighborhood Walking Tour with Local Guide
  
• Guides Mountain Wine Tasting
• Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting and Dinner
• Cooking Class in Riva with Dinner
  
• Visits to Lots of Unique Villages – Malcesine, Limone, Castelrotto, Arco, Madonna di Campiglio, Treviso, etc.
  
• Transportation once the tour has begun. The motorcoaches and vans we use are modern, air conditioned and roomy. Our tour groups are usually between 8-18 people so we always have lots of room on our coaches to get comfortable.
  
• All train, ferry, hydrofoil, coach and taxi transfers as specified in itinerary.
  
• Sightseeing and entrance fees as specified in itinerary
  Completely escorted by an American Lost in Italy Tour Leader with local guides at specified sites throughout the itinerary
  
• Lost in Italy trip shirt and wine glass
• A lifetime of unforgettable memories!
  
  

What's Not Included On This Tour?

• Airfare package
  
• Departure taxes
  
• Arrival and departure transfers, tour begins at the hotel in Riva del Garda on the afternoon of Day 1, and the tour ends at the hotel in Venice on the morning of day 8.
  
• Gratuities for meals, porterage, local guides, coach drivers, etc.
  Any costs associated with options on Get Lost Day.
  
• Visa fees, if applicable
  
• Meals not specified in itinerary
  
• Beverages at meals unless specified in itinerary
  
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Medical Insurance (strongly recommended), call for details
  
• Single supplement charge
  
• Items of a personal nature; phone calls, laundry, etc.