Northern Italy
Locations: Bormio, Bolzano, Limone (Lake Garda) and Bergamo
Airport: Milan (MXP)
Travel Dates: 7 days in August
Activities: Biking, hiking and wineries
So, for a while I have been entertaining the thought of writing a travel blog to inspire future travelers with an easy-to-follow agenda and personally reviewed restaurants, hotels and activities. I’m a full-time employee with limited weeks of vacation. My trips are organized in a way that I have some activities planned out with plenty of room to adjust as needed. Many restaurants were stumbled upon exploring. Without further ado, let me jump into my latest trip to Northern Italy.
Day 1 – Arrival, drive to Bormio with a lunch stop at Lake Como
We arrived on time at 9:30 am in Milan. We opted to not check any bags, and this truly made the international flying experience much smoother. We never had to worry about our luggage getting lost or having to wait for the luggage when we landed! Another plus point, the luggage fit in our tiny European car.. more on that later. By 10:30 am we were already on the road to Bormio in our rental car. We used Europcar. It was by far the best price and the experience was also flawless. I highly recommend getting a small car. Sedan size. Do it. Italy has small roads and smaller parking lots. We had a Ford Focus and the car felt huge on the Italian roads! So, when traveling to Italy, also reduce your luggage size.
We were very hungry and wanted to stop for lunch on the way to Bormio. Half of the drive was along Lake Como, what a gem! We stopped in Varenna on Lake Como. We literally drove through the entire town to find parking until we found the last spot. The walk into town was about 10 minutes along the water which felt so good after the long flight! This first stop immediately made us feel like we arrived in Italy. We ate at Al Prato and had a beautiful table outside. It felt idyllic and the food was amazing. We opted for a local white wine recommended by the waiter and savored every moment. After lunch we walked around town a bit before continuing the drive to Bormio.
In Bormio the temperatures are significantly cooler, which felt refreshing. Our check in at our hotel Baita Clementi was sound. They have parking in front of the hotel and have a secured bicycle room for bicycle rentals (or skis in the winter). After check in, we walked around town briefly and finally had our first Italian aperitif before dinner. There are so many cute bars, you will not go wrong with whichever one you pick! They are all owned by local families. We had dinner at Al Filo. We got lucky with a table, but it seems that a reservation is for sure needed here. The setting was cool (literally in the cellar!) and the food exquisite. We all opted for local fresh mushrooms in our pasta or risotto dishes. For the appetizer we split the meat/cheese board. A dream. After dinner we had too many shots of the Braulio herbal liquor. This is a very good regional digestif!
Day 2 – Stelvio Pass: veni, vidi, vici
As an avid cyclist, it has always been my very personal dream to bike up the iconic Stelvio pass. Today was the day for it! Bicycles rentals in Europe are generally very easy as well as cheap, and the experience here in Bormio has been the same. After breakfast we headed to Celsino Sport where we picked up our Specialized bicycle rentals. The bikes were ready to go with our measurements. For the next 2.5 hours we biked up the Stelvio Pass. The weather couldn’t have been any better! The pass is only open from June-October. I’m not sure how all the bicycles, motorcycles and cars co-exist, but they do, and I felt very safe the entire time.
After returning from our bike trip, we had lunch and aperitives at Bar a la Torre Paninoteca. The outdoor seating overlooking the large plaza was very enjoyable. Afterwards we did a little shopping for local food to take home with us. I lucked out with dried mushrooms, driedspeck, spices and tea. We had dinner at Ristorante e Pizzeria Contado. It was not the best Italian pizza but better than any pizza from back home.
Day 3 – Gavia Pass, Castello Rametz, Bolzano: La dolce vita
Today we tackled the Gavia Pass by bicycle. We did not make up all the way to the top due to having to return the bicycles and getting to our next destination.
Ironically the drive to Bolzano also had us going up the Stelvio Pass. Make sure all passengers in the car don’t get motion sick! The drive to Bolzano was absolutely stunning. After about 2 hours of driving we stopped at the Azienda Vitivinocola Castello Rametz. If you are in the area, stop here. This is one of the most beautiful wineries I have ever been to, and the staff makes it an experience. We ended up staying here for nearly 3 hours between wine tasting, winery touring and grappa tasting. One wine was better than the other. The staff was so kind and took the time to explain the history of the winery to us. The drive to Bolzano from the winery was less than 30 minutes. In Bolzano we stayed at la Briosa. This is a very modern boutique hotel. The staff is very friendly and we even got to taste the chef’s homemade apple pie on the first night! (We must have looked like very hungry cyclists to him…) It was a nice preview of what would expect us for breakfast the next day. We had dinner at Speckstube.The food was good, more of an Austrian cuisine.
Day 4 – Vino verde venture: a tour of the dolomites
After a first class breakfast with wholesome local ingredients and Processo, we drove 30 minutes to Lago di Carezza. The lake has its own parking lot across the street. Despite being there during the busy season, we did not have trouble parking. The lake is beautiful. A turquoise lake with the dolomites as the backdrop. We ended up hiking above the hills of the lake (link to trail) and it was well worth it. No crowds at all – I almost became concerned we may run into a bear, that’s how quiet it was! The dolomite mountain range was always luring nearby above the tree line. Truly an idyllic dolomite hike.
After the hike we were ready for lunch. Directly on the way back to Bolzano, we stopped at Baeckerei Naecker GmbH. This was a random find- yet so worth it! For lunch we picked out different bread types, Leberkaese, cheese and of course a refreshing glass of white wine. We ended up staying longer than anticipated at the bakery. The outdoor seating was nice and their cake menu even nicer. Across the street is a supermarket selling local goods. If you are still looking for chocolates to take home, stop by.
For the evening we strolled around Bolzano and did some shopping before going to one of my favorite restaurants of the entire trip. When going to Trattoria Filo d’Olio, make sure you have a reservation in advance. It’s a small restaurant with a mighty delicious cuisine, incorporating local flavors. We ended up all ordering pasta with “Pfefferline”, the seasonal mushrooms. Ask the waiter for a wine pairing recommendation, their know their local wines!
Day 5 – From cable car to lake Garda and every wine tasting in between
Before departing for our next destination, we took the cable car Ritten to the mountaintop. Up there you will find an abundance of trails, we chose the famous Sigmund Freud Promenade. The mountain top is lined with little cafes to stop after the hike.
Time to hit the road for the next destination! Lake Garda during summer time. The depths of the lake match the mountains above, forming a picturesque masterpiece. The drive between Bolzano and Lake Garda is about 2.5 hours, with plenty of winery stops along the way. We stopped at Cantina Edrizzi. The large, shaded patio was a nice welcome to the hot day. The winery specializes in sparkling wine, so naturally we started with this. Their 3-tier cheese board was appetizing. We finished lunch with a glass of the Mastetto Nero, a full bodied red wine. A truly remarkable winery experience, once again made by outstanding hospitality from the staff.
We arrived in Limone at our hotel Cristina. The hotel is large and has all the amenities needed for the perfect Lake Garda getaway. Limone was extremely busy during our stay, as the Lemon festival was happening simultaneously. Limone itself is beautiful, but very touristy compared to our previous stays. This made it a bit more challenging to find local restaurants to check out. Just a very, very steep hill away from the hotel, we found the Osteria Da Livio for dinner. Away from the tourist traps, this was a gem. We indulged in their seasonal pasta menu along with house wine.
Day 6 – Bicicletta, bruschetta, gelato at lake Garda
The only thing disappointing on the Italy trip was the breakfast at hotel Cristina. It was produced to feed the masses. Maybe we were also so spoiled with the previous hotel breakfast experiences. Now let’s skip to the good part. Today, we drove 15 minutes to Riva del Garda to rent road bikes at the Garda Bicycle Shop. Process was easy, and we had a 40sh mile route planned. Nearly the first 20 miles were all on bicycle paths. The villages along the way provided plenty of freshwater fountains. The bicycle route was ever changing, with the grand finale decent back to lake garda from the mountains. One thing you must learn about Italy, they take their siesta serious. When we returned to the bike shop, we had nearly 2 hours to kill before the shop would open again after their lunch break. No problem, these two hours were filled with bruschetta, vino, gelato and a refreshing dip into Lake Garda.
After cycling, hunger continues. On a biking day, you could really eat anything, but pizza sounds heavenly. Today we chose Ristorante Pizzeria Tovo. I chose the truffle pizza, and after that, no pizza will ever compare. Tonight, we were also surprised with fireworks across the lake garda, which we were able to comfortably enjoy from our hotel room balcony. What a way to finish the day!
Day 7 – Experiencing an Italian Holiday in Bergamo
Today is our last leg of the trip, driving around lake Garda to Bergamo. Bergamo is about 45-60 minutes from the Milan airport, and we chose to stay there for our last night, instead of Milan. Unknowingly, this turned out to be a grand idea. Today is a holiday in Italy, and the streets are empty upon arrival. It is also siesta time. We walked the empty streets in search of a lunch spot and stumbled upon Trattoria Da Adriano. Turns out everyone was here. When nobody speaks English, you know this will be authentic, and that it was. Invision, simple decoration, lively and loud Italian atmosphere, table wine served in mismatched wine glasses. The food was extraordinary, despite not quite knowing what I was ordering due to the language barrier.
After the lunch feast, we walked to the Piazza Vecchia Bergamo Alta. On top of the hill, make sure to check out the Duomos. This is the more touristy part of town, but every bar offers to-go Aperol Spritz, take one and enjoy walking the old streets.
It’s amazing what an appetite you can work up after walking the hills in Italy. For our last dinner, we enjoyed Taverna Valtelinese. This is a fancier restaurant on the pricier side. The food once again did not disappoint, here we found the not so usual menu items such as liver and wild game.
Day 8
Departure. Arrivederci!