Riva del Garda: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Until 1918 Riva was not Italian but Austrian, the southern tip of the Habsburg Tyrol, and Vienna's doctors sent nervous patients here for the mild air. Thomas Mann, Nietzsche and Franz Kafka all came, and Kafka set the opening of his story The Hunter Gracchus in this harbour. This walk covers the small old town between the lake and the cliff, from the square to the Venetian fort above. About two hours, with a stiff climb at the end; go up to the Bastione in the late afternoon, when the light goes down the lake.

A short history of Riva del Garda

Riva del Garda sits at the northern end of Lake Garda, between steep cliffs, and for most of its history it belonged to the German world rather than the Italian one. The Rocca fortress on the water was built in the 12th century, and the town was part of the Prince-Bishopric of Trento. Venice ruled it between 1440 and 1509, after which it returned to Trento and later passed to Austria. In the 19th century it became a resort town for the Austrian aristocracy, and Franz Kafka stayed here in 1909 and 1913, at the sanatorium of Dr von Hartungen. Only after the First World War, in 1919, was it officially annexed to Italy. Today the steady winds that blow across the lake make it a centre for windsurfing and sailing.

The ten best sights in Riva del Garda

1
Piazza III Novembre
The arcaded square on the harbour; park outside the centre and walk in
2
Torre Apponale
Climb it for the view down the lake; closed in winter
3
Rocca di Riva (MAG)
A moated castle on the water, now the town museum; the café courtyard is free
4
Chiesa dell'Inviolata
Plain outside, all gold and stucco inside; five minutes from the centre
5
Bastione
A Venetian fort high above town; walk up in 30 minutes or take the panoramic lift
6
Riva Hydroelectric Power Station
An Art Deco power station on the lake road; look for the open-day tours
7
Cascata del Varone
Bring a rain jacket: the spray in the lower grotto soaks you
8
Ponale Road
Closed to cars; walk or cycle it early before the sun hits the cliff
9
Lago di Tenno
A turquoise mountain lake 20 minutes up; the water is cold even in August
10
Canale di Tenno
A stone village with no cars; combine it with the lake

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Riva del Garda →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Riva del Garda:

Free walking tours in Riva del Garda

Kafka's harbour

Piazza III Novembre · The square is named for 3 November 1918, when Italian troops arrived and Riva passed from Austria to Italy. In Kafka's story a boat with a dead hunter on a bier ties up at this quay, watched by two boys playing dice.
Torre Apponale · The tower went up in the 13th century to watch the harbour and the lake. On top stands the Anzolim, a little metal angel weathervane that the townspeople treat as their mascot.
Rocca di Riva (MAG) · The castle stands on its own moat of lake water, built in the 12th century and later used by the Austrians as a barracks. It now holds the Alto Garda museum, with archaeology, local history and paintings of the lake.
Chiesa dell'Inviolata · Built between 1603 and 1636 to an octagonal plan by an architect remembered only as an unknown Portuguese. The inside is one of the richest baroque interiors in Trentino, gilded stucco from floor to dome.
Riva Hydroelectric Power Station · Opened in 1929, it is fed by water dropped through a tunnel in the mountain from Lake Ledro, 600 metres higher. Its architect was Giancarlo Maroni, the same man who built D'Annunzio's Vittoriale down the lake.
Bastione · Venice built this round bastion on the slope of Monte Rocchetta in 1508 to command the town. French troops of the Duke of Vendôme blew up much of it in 1703, which is why it is open to the sky on one side.

Lemons and the mountain

The north of Lake Garda is a fjord between mountains, and yet lemons grow on its shore: the lake keeps the winter mild enough, and for centuries growers built stone lemon houses to cover the trees on the coldest nights. This route crosses from the lemon terraces of the west shore to the wind-surfers of Torbole and the castle and cable car of Malcesine on the east. A full day by car or partly by boat. Go up Monte Baldo in the morning, when the air is clear, and keep a jacket in the bag — it is about ten degrees colder at the top.

Limonaia del Castel, Limone · The lemon houses were tall stone pillars roofed with boards and glass each winter, so the trees could survive frost this far north. Lemons were grown here commercially until the early 20th century, when railways brought cheaper fruit from Sicily.
Limone sul Garda · Around 1980 doctors found that some villagers carry a rare protein variant, Apolipoprotein A-I Milano, that protects against hardening of the arteries. All the carriers trace back to one couple who lived here in the 18th century.
Giants' Potholes, Nago · The holes were drilled into the rock at the end of the last ice age by meltwater spinning stones around in eddies under the glacier. The largest are several metres deep.
Torbole · Two winds rule this end of the lake: the Pelèr blows from the north in the morning and the Ora from the south after midday, which is why Torbole is a world centre for windsurfing. Goethe stopped here in 1786 on his way to Italy and wrote of the lake in his journal.
Malcesine Castle · In 1786 Goethe sat sketching the ruined castle and was taken for an Austrian spy by the locals; he talked his way out, and tells the story in his Italian Journey. The castle has a room in his memory.
Monte Baldo cable car · The cabins on the upper section rotate a full turn on the way up, so everyone gets the whole lake. Monte Baldo was called the garden of Europe by botanists for the rare plants on its slopes, many found nowhere else.

Waterfalls, lakes and Arco

Behind Riva the mountains open into valleys of olives, vines and small lakes, linked by roads that were once the Austrian border defences. The front line of the First World War ran just south of here, and the cliffs are still full of tunnels. This route climbs the old Ponale road to Lake Ledro, comes down by a waterfall in a gorge and a lake village, and ends at the castle above Arco, the climbing town. A day by car; start the Ponale walk early, it is in full sun by late morning.

Ponale Road · The road was cut into the cliff between 1848 and 1851 by Giacomo Cis, a man from Ledro, so his valley could reach the lake. It was replaced by a tunnel and closed to traffic in 2004, and is now one of the most famous walks and rides on Garda.
Ledro Pile Dwelling Museum · In 1929 the lake was lowered to feed the new power station at Riva, and thousands of wooden piles of a Bronze Age village appeared on its shore. Since 2011 the site has been part of the UNESCO listing of prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps.
Cascata del Varone · The water drops about 100 metres inside a narrow gorge it has carved for itself, fed from Lake Tenno above. The park was opened to visitors in 1874, and the lower grotto puts you right inside the spray.
Lago di Tenno · The lake formed when a landslide blocked a valley in the Middle Ages, and its colour comes from the white limestone bed. When the water is low a small island appears in the middle.
Canale di Tenno · A medieval village of stone houses and covered passages, almost abandoned after the war and saved in the 1960s by the painter Giacomo Vittone, who founded an artists' house here.
Arco Castle · Albrecht Dürer painted a watercolour of this castle on its rock in 1495, on his first journey to Italy; it hangs in the Louvre. Inside, a 14th-century fresco shows knights and ladies playing chess and dice.

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Getting to Riva del Garda and getting around

Rovereto Station · Riva has no railway; the nearest station is Rovereto, 25 minutes away on the Brenner line
Riva Bus Station · Buses to Rovereto, Arco and Trento; useful if you want a day without the car

Cheap eats in Riva del Garda

Riva eats like a mountain town by the water: Trentino on the plate, the lake in the view. Carne salada, thin slices of salt-cured beef from these valleys, comes raw like carpaccio or seared with beans, and strangolapreti are spinach and bread dumplings in butter and sage. The north shore also presses olive oil, the most northerly in Italy, and Vino Santo, a sweet wine of dried Nosiola grapes, comes from the valley just above.

Pasticceria Copat · Coffee and a pastry standing at the bar, about 3-4 euros
Gelateria Cristallo · Gelato on Piazza Catena by the harbour; two scoops about 3.50 euros
Panificio San Giacomo · Bread, focaccia and strudel for the road, about 2-5 euros
La Piadineria · Quick piadina wraps, about 6-8 euros
La Pizzaiola · Pizza by the slice and kebab, about 4-8 euros
Agraria Riva del Garda shop · Picnic for two with cheese, salami and bread about 15-20 euros

Museums in Riva del Garda

MAG Museo Alto Garda · Archaeology, history and lake paintings inside the moated castle
Ledro Pile Dwelling Museum · Bronze Age village by Lake Ledro, 20 minutes up
MART, Rovereto · Modern art 25 minutes away; a rainy-day plan
Bell of the Fallen, Rovereto · Cast from the cannons of the First World War; it rings every evening
Limonaia del Castel · A working lemon house turned museum in Limone

Nature and day trips near Riva del Garda

Cascata del Varone · A waterfall inside a gorge; wet and loud
Lago di Tenno · Turquoise water and a short shore path
Ponale Road · Cliff path with lake views; walk or bike
Monte Brione · Easy hike over the lake, past old forts
Giants' Potholes · Glacial holes in the rock above Torbole
Monte Baldo · Mountain walks at 1,700 metres above the lake

Things to do in Riva del Garda with kids

Monte Baldo rotating cable car · The spinning cabin is the highlight; snow at the top in spring
Pile dwelling huts · Walk into Bronze Age huts, then swim in Lake Ledro
Sabbioni Beach · Shallow water, a lawn and a playground in Riva
Cascata del Varone · Raincoats on; a 30-minute visit
Arco Castle · A real castle climb with towers and views

Where to eat in Riva del Garda

Leon d'Oro · Trentino and lake dishes in the old town
Al Volt · Refined Trentino cooking; book at weekends
Osteria il Gallo · Simple osteria with tables on a small square
Agraria wine cellar · Taste Trentino wines and Vino Santo before dinner

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Frequently asked questions about Riva del Garda

What is there to see in Riva del Garda?

The top sights in Riva del Garda are Piazza III Novembre, Torre Apponale and Rocca di Riva (MAG). The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Riva del Garda?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Riva del Garda without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Riva del Garda?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Riva del Garda, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Kafka's harbour.

How do you get to Riva del Garda and get around?

The main ways are Rovereto Station and Riva Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Riva del Garda, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Riva del Garda that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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