“Just drop the pen on Thursday afternoon and a short time later order the first real Italian espresso. Lake Garda is surely the perfect oasis for now and then.” Katja Wunderlich, moderator and guest author of the Bleisure Traveller
The people of Munich like to go to Lake Garda – over the weekend, over the holidays, during the holidays, actually always. You can fly about an hour to Verona and take a rental car. Locals get into their car and arrive within about four hours: After the Brenner Pass, the road quickly leads beautifully along the lake through small picturesque villages. The stress of the working week is a thing of the past, but the aroma of pizza and pasta is pleasant to the senses. Here “Carpe Diem” comes alive. Enjoying the moment succeeds all by itself.
A hotel by three star architects
In Gardone Riviera, on the hills above the lake, the Innsbruck real estate investor René Benko has created a true luxury oasis, the “Villa Eden Luxury Resort”. I really had to rub my eyes from time to time because I could hardly believe this idyll, spaciousness and perfection. But no wonder, because the buildings were designed by star architects David Chipperfield, Matteo Thun, Richard Meier and the Innsbruck office ATP sphere.
The Villa Eden is managed by hotel manager Peter Oberrauch, himself Executive Chef & Coach. His motto: “Cooking is an art, and every art has its little secrets”. And what can I say: the gourmet restaurant La Terazza Segreta simply promises and keeps more than a lot.
The double rooms, suites, the penthouse and the five private luxury villas partly have their own pool, spa and fitness area. On request, you can also be pampered by a chef, some of them with a private bar. A lot of luxury for a lot, and even at Lake Garda it is an absolute exception due to the modern architecture and the concept. And then the view over the Lago di Garda together with the chirping crickets, cypresses and the scents of summer. If you are looking for absolute tranquillity, you will find it here.
Sport or sightseeing
During these three days I was mainly mobile on an e-bike, which I had borrowed at the reception. I went down to the village to stroll by the lake, drink cappuccino and let the charm of the Italians wrap me up. What you do in Bella Italia.
For the sport freaks, Lake Garda offers everything from climbing and hiking to demanding mountain bike routes. For the more leisurely, I recommend a small boat trip across the lake. I always like to make a detour to Punta San Vigilio, a picturesque 15th century seaside hotel – incredibly romantic, and a little Rosamunde-Pilcher flair has never harmed anyone. Or how about a visit to Garda Island with the Cavazza family? The island lies a few hundred metres before Cap San Fermo, between Salò and San Felice del Benaco. It is a place with an exciting history and a real palace that the family can visit during the day.
There are also said to be people who enjoy shopping. Selfless as I am, I have also collected my relevant experiences here, especially in Salò. The promenade invites you to stroll. And if outside the hotel there is still time and desire for another restaurant, then the Lido 84 with its boss Riccardo Camanini is recommended.
But whatever you do, the lightness of being has certainly been invented in Italy and Lago di Garda is surely a refreshing oasis now and then.
Katja Wunderlich …
… is one of those people from Munich who likes to succumb to the charm of Lake Garda for a weekend of bleisure. “Otherwise” she works as a presenter for Bayern3 or Sky Sport News HD and is often on the road as a coach and author.(www.katjawunderlich.de/Insta: katjawunderlichoffical)
At a glance
Arrival:: Villa Eden is located about an hour’s drive from Verona and 1.5 hours from Milan on the west coast of Lake Garda. The hotel itself has a shuttle service and two helicopter landing pads.
Hotel: The hotel is exclusive – in its architecture, its design, its story. The various rooms, luxury villas and the penthouse were designed by the three star architects, among others. Peter Oberrauch, on the other hand, not only manages the hotel, but also the gourmet restaurant La Terazza Segreta. There will also be a spa. But all these elements can also be found “inhouse” in the villas, including private chefs, etc.
Address: Villa Eden, Ronciglio-Straße 51/A, 25083 Gardone Riviera – Italien, +39 0365 520027
Fotos: © iStock/Daniel_Keuck, Villa Eden, privat
