Lago Di Ledro is a gem in the Italian Alps. Nestled between the mountains, Ledro is the perfect destination for a relaxing weekend getaway with your friends and family. Check out this blog post on what to do, what to eat and where to stay in Ledro.
Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! In today’s post, I am going to be talking about my weekend in Lago di Ledro. My family and myself have been going there every year since 2010! Every year we would drive from Malta all the way to Ledro and spend three weeks relaxing and eating a bunch of food.
This year, me and Luis flew in from Luxembourg to spend a weekend in Ledro with my family and it was a blast! So I decided to write a blog post about our trip and some tips and tricks to make your vacation to Ledro as smooth sailing as possible.
Somethings you should know:
✼ Lago di Ledro is an hour away from Lago di Garda, the latter being a very popular tourist destination.
✼ If you’re into biking and hiking, Ledro is the perfect destination for you.
✼ Ledro is very quiet and safe.
✼ It gets cold quickly there. Therefore, I recommend you pack a jersey or a light jacket!
✼ You can choose to stay in Mezzo Lago, Pieve di Ledro or Molina di Ledro!
✼ The province where Ledro is, which is known as Trento, was once under Austrian rule. Therefore, the locals there know how to speak Italian and German. In fact, you can see signs all over Ledro written in these two languages.
✼ There is a market held every Thursday in the village. Here, vendors sell their products which range from homemade candles (I buy one every year!) to alcohol.
✼ The nearest main train station is Rovereto.
When is the best time to visit Ledro?
We always go in September, usually around the 8th and leave on the last weekend of September. The weather is perfect during that month. It does rain a little here and there but most of the time, the weather is sunny. However, it is not as hot as it is during the summer months. In the evening, it gets a little bit chilly so make sure you are well prepared for that!
Recommended day trips from Ledro:
☆ Lago di Garda: Garda is a very popular tourist destination and only a short distance away from Ledro. I recommend going to Limone Sul Garda and Sirmione! They are very pretty and there is lots to do there. Three years ago, I went to Garda and climbed up to Fort Nago which is a WW1 Fort and saw this stunning view!
☆ Verona: Verona is another beautiful city not far from Ledro. It is mostly known for Juliet’s House and Verona Arena. If you have a day to spare, take the drive to this beautiful city. You will not be disappointed.
☆ Innsbruck, Austria: Myself, my sister and my cousin took the train from Rovereto to Innsbruck. We spent two nights there and loved it! The train ride wasn’t that long and Innsbruck is absolutely gorgeous. I am planning on writing a blog post soon. Would you be interested in seeing that?
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How to get to Ledro:
The easiest way is by car. As mentioned above, my family drives from Malta all the way to Ledro. However, you can easily fly to a nearby airport and rent a car. This year, me and Luis flew into Milan Bergamo! That is the nearest airport. The drive took us exactly two hours. Another option is flying into Verona. There are also buses from Garda. However, they only operate once every couple of hours. There is a tourist information office in Ledro and they can give you a schedule of the buses.
Accommodation:
Every year we stay at Casa Marisa in Pieve Di Ledro. Our first year, we stayed at another hotel in Mezzolago. While that was beautiful and super close to the lake, Casa Marisa is literally the perfect place to stay. Not only is it spacious and comfortable, but it is also close to everything. There is a supermarket less than a minute away and so is the lake. It is also situated very close to the main village. I highly suggest you book Casa Marisa for your next stay in Ledro.
What to eat in Ledro:
There is no shortage of restaurants in Ledro. My family and myself are huge foodies and we’re always on the hunt for new eateries. These are some of my favourites!
Al Faggio is a hotel and a restaurant and it is 20 minutes away from Pieve. We go once a year and each year we love it even more. The food is simply delicious! Everything is local and homemade. The canederli in butter are amazing. I recommend you get them when visiting Al Faggio!Click on the arrows to see the images.
☆ Get the most delicious cakes from Dalla Fattoria: This piece of heaven right here is only a very short walk from Casa Marisa. We go every day to buy her flourless chocolate cake and fruit cake. The kitchen is open all Summer long but during September, they change their opening hours. At the end of the month, they’re open on weekends and sometimes in the afternoons. While the cakes are not the cheapest, they are so worth the money!
☆ Ice-cream from Green Ice: Remember when I said that Casa Marisa is the perfect place to stay at? One of the reasons is that as soon as you step out of the door and cross the street, you’re at this delicious ice-cream place! We go here every night after dinner and the ice-cream is absolutely delicious. Italians can never go wrong when it comes to ice-cream. Furthermore, adjacent to it, there is Speck & Stube which is also another great restaurant!
☆ Go to Osteria La Torre: This restaurant is located in the heart of the village in Pieve and is a must go to! The food is all homemade and the owners are super kind and gracious to all their customers. My family and I visit this place every year when we are in Ledro! Click on the arrows to see the delicious food.
☆ Hike up to Refugio Nino Pernici: Refugio is a restaurant located high up in the mountains where hikers and bikers can stop to get a bite to eat and rest. The hike up to Pernici was intense and by the time we got there, we were starving. I opted for the classic sausage and sauerkraut and I had unobstructed views of the Alps. What more can you ask for?
What to do & see:
▷ Walk around the small, yet pretty village in Pieve:
One of my favourite things to do is walk around the village. This is an everyday commute for me when I am in Ledro. It looks like your quintessential mountain village with lots of greenery and the odd shop here and there.
FUN FACT: All over the village, you can find plaques like this one with images of how Ledro used to look like years and years ago! There is one in almost every street. I think it is a good initiative for visitors to learn more about Ledro’s history.
▷ Buy souvenirs from La Bottega Dell’Artigano:
Located right next to the Osteria mentioned above, this is my favourite store in Ledro. They sell all kinds of souvenirs, even homemade ones! They also have Christmas decorations for sale all year round. Each year I visit and drop €70 in decorations and souvenirs 😂 No regrets. Just my bank account complaining! click on arrows to see the pictures.
▷ Take a dip in the lake in Pieve:
Pieve di Ledro is the main part of the lake and where my family goes swimming. It is a rocky bay so make sure you bring your water shoes with you! You can also rent boards and paddles and do water sports while you’re there.
click on arrows to see the images.
▷ From Pieve, walk to Mezzolago for more swimming:
Mezzolago is hands down my favourite spot to swim. It is always empty and for some reason, I enjoy it more there! Not to mention that the walk from Pieve to Mezzolago is spectacular. All you see is views upon views of the lake and mountains.
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▷ Stop by waterfalls hidden in the mountains:
When we were driving back to Milan to fly to Germany, we had to pass through Storo, which is another cute town adjacent to Ledro. On our way there, we spotted this beautiful waterfall! We had to stop and take some pictures. I noticed this waterfall throughout the years when driving with my family but never took the time to stop and admire it.
▷ Go to Tremalzo:
Tremalzo, or Passo Tremalzo, is a family favourite. Every year we hike up there and stop by Rifugio Garibaldi for some delicious food. We park our car, go for a hike, come back and eat some delicious, fresh food!
Here is a picture of me & Bae before I continue writing about Tremalzo ☺️
Moving on! Tremalzo is a quick 20-minute drive up the mountain from Ledro. Beware if you are prone to getting car sick. I just love the views and the fresh air. It is definitely one of my favourite spots to visit when in Ledro.
▷ Visit the trenches and the Bezzecca War Memorial:
Bezzecca is 5 minutes away from Ledro and one fine day, we decided to go to the trenches where Italian and Austrian troops fought during the wars of Italian independence. Both the war memorial and trenches are free. It was really cool walking in the trenches and seeing the engravings on the wall done by the soldiers! If you’re a history lover, you’d want to give this one a visit. For more information, click here.
click on arrows to see images.
▷ Visit the Pharmacy Lab:
And get yourself a Picco Rosso. In this museum, you can find equipment dating back to the 1900s. Furthermore, you can also taste liquors, like the Picco Rosso! It was very interesting seeing the old equipment and learning about how pharmacies and labs used to work back in the day! For more information, click here.
Other recommendations:
❥ Canyon Adventure Tours
❥ Museo delle Palafitte del Lago di Ledro
❥ Medieval Village of Canale
❥ Strada della Forra
And that brings an end to today’s post! While you’re still here, follow me on Instagram and pin this blog post to your Pinterest boards!
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