Important news for wine and food lovers on the western shores of Lake Garda: at Villa Galnica in Puegnago, seat of the Consortium Valtenesi, was inaugurated the “house of wine”, a new project to create an ideal place to learn more about wines and to taste typical products of the territory of western shores. It will be open every day from 10 am to 5.30 pm and it will become a point of reference even for Garda oil PDO thanks to the collaboration with Aipol, the association of olive oil producers with seat at Villa Galnica. This villa has been inaugurated and opened to the public during the recent fair in Puegnago. 

After the great success of the last year this weekend will take place “Castello in Bianco” on 10th and on 11th June in Desenzano. This event is dedicated to high-quality white wines and organized by the association Vivabacco together with the town of Desenzano and East Lombardy. About 45 Italian wineries will participate with more than one hundred labels. This is an occasion to discover new and interesting things about wines, vineyards and wine production.

Opening hours: 
On Saturday 10th June from 3 pm to 8.30 pm and on Sunday 11th June from 10.30 am to 8 pm.

Information about the event:
The entrance is free to the castle while a tasting glass costs € 10 with free tasting of all labels. There will be 6 guided tastings (the cost is € 20, for bookings send an email to info@castelloinbianco.it) including a free tasting dedicated to extra virgin olive oil dop. It will be possible to buy wines during the event and visit the exhibition “Vestire il Vino” by Davide Bisi. The detailed programme onwww.castelloinbianco.it 

Gardone Riviera, one of the most important tourist capital on Lake Garda, has been the seat of one of the most important summer music festival in Italy for ages. The music festival Tener-A-Mente has a new concert schedule with international blues, rock and pop artists. This is the summer festival of the Vittoriale in Gardone Riviera, the house museum with a monumental park built by the Italian poet and novelist Gabriele d’Annunzio and that nowadays is one of the most popular cultural institutions in Italy. In the amphitheatre, with its great view over Lake Garda, will take place a lot of concerts: the pop rock band Baustelle open the season on 2nd. They will be the unique Italian artists onstage together with Niccolò Fabi (22) and Carmen Consoli (29). On 4th July with the concert held by the English Passenger will begin the international music artist performances. On 6th perform Jesus and Mary Chain, alternative rock band of the 80s, and on 9th is the turn of Devendra Banhart. On 10th is onstage Mark Lanegan and on 12th the American Ryan Adams and his alternative country. There will certainly be rock music icons like the Pretenders with the leader Chrissie Hynde (13), Steve Winwood (16) and on 15th is scheduled the English band Elbow with their sophisticated indie rock. Than Jack Savoretti (18) and LP (26) with her unique whistle. The grand finale is on 10th and on 11th August with two different concerts held by Ben Harper, famous for his guitar playing and vocals. Even this year will not miss the most sophisticated and exclusive sounds performed in the most suggestive area of the Vittoriale, the Laghetto delle Danze (the little dance lake). Two are the appointments scheduled: the Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan that will launch his second album “An ancient observer”, while on 6th August is the turn of Richard Galliano, jazz accordionist with a show between tango and French atmospheres. Info and pre-sales for tickets on the website www.anfiteatrodelvittoriale.it.

A submarine specially arrived from Spain, formed by a crew of three people, will dive into the waters of Lake Garda in Torbole, to inspect and shoot, with high definition images the Dukw, the american amphibious vehicle that sank on April 30^th 1945 at 270 meters depth due to a windstorm. During this tragic event 25 soldiers between 18 and 25 years old died and just one of them survived. Several attempts were made in the last years but only in 2013 it was discovered by the group of Volontari del Garda. The mission will last until Thursday 4th October, data and information collected will be vital to understand the feasibility of a possible recovery of the wreck.

With a surface of 370 sqm, Lake Garda is the biggest lake and is 40% of fresh water reserves in Italy: an extraordinary environmental heritage that seduced writers, poets and artists with its charm and even today is a holiday destination for many travellers from all over the world. According to recent data, Lake Garda represents the 6% of the whole Italian tourism sector. More than 22 million tourists that every year come to visit, to discover and to enjoy a swim in the lake. Moreover, it should be underlined that Lake Garda is one of the cleanest and most uncontaminated lakes in Europe: the proof is the Blue Flag, important and prestigious recognition to Gardone Riviera for water cleanliness and the quality for services provided. Right Gardone, the city-garden where is situated the Grand Hotel Gardone first big hotel built in 1884, is the ideal starting point to discover the lake: the small square Wimmer located next to Grand Hotel Gardone has a ferry stop to reach all the towns on Lake Garda and in this way tourists can admire the lake from a different point of view avoiding road traffic. You will have the possibility of booking a tailor-made excursion with motorboat with private driver. You can book this service at the reception. Our receptionists will be glad to advise you and create a personalised itinerary to discover the beauty of Lake Garda.