Trentino-South Tyrol · Trento
Riva del Garda
The north tip of the lake, where the Trentino mountains close in on the water and a Habsburg port town stayed bilingual into the twentieth century.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 47 min from Trento
- Population
- 17,787
Known for
NORTH TIP OF GARDA
Where Italy's largest lake meets the Trentino mountains, with the Pelèr blowing south in the morning and the Ora blowing north in the afternoon.
THE ROCCA
Twelfth-century moated fortress in the centre of town, contested for seven centuries between Trento, Venice and Austria, now the MAG Museo Alto Garda.
WIND
Two reliable thermal winds and two harbours make Riva one of the principal sailing and windsurfing centres in Europe, hosting world championship circuits.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J8°
- F12°
- M14°
- A18°
- M22°
- J27°
- J29°
- A29°
- S24°
- O20°
- N13°
- D8°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
The town sits where the lake narrows between the Brescian shore and the cliffs of Monte Rocchetta. It belonged to the Scaligeri of Verona in the twelfth century, then to Venice, then to the Prince-Bishops of Trento, then to Austria-Hungary from 1815 until 1918. The Habsburg century left it the Mitteleuropean spa town where Kafka, Nietzsche and Thomas Mann came to write and recover.
The old town and the harbour meet at Piazza III Novembre, anchored by the civic tower on one side and the water on the other, while above, the fortified tower clings to the mountain that closes the lake off to the north. Down the shore, the gorge at Varone cuts into the territory of Tenno, a short distance from the town but a different landscape entirely, narrow and wet where the lakefront is open. The thermal Ora blows north up the lake in the afternoon and the cooler Pelèr blows south in the morning, the cycle that has made the town one of Europe's main windsurfing and sailing centres. What holds the place together is the layering: a fortified lake port, fought over by three powers, turned into a rest cure for writers from across the continent, and now given over to wind.
The Sunday letter
Riva del Garda is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Riva del Garda comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Riva del Garda in our articles
The 7 best towns with a serious restaurant that eat well within 90 minutes of Trento7 towns, Riva del Garda among them.
The best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of Trento8 towns, Riva del Garda among them.
The best lake towns within 75 minutes of Trento10 towns, Riva del Garda among them.
Alternatives to Bellagio: every lake town in Italy that is not on the Como ferry timetable52 towns, Riva del Garda among them.
How to get there
From Verona (VRN), about 1h 24m by car.
Milan (BGY) is about 2 hours away.
By car from the centre of Trento 47 minutes or Bolzano 1h 24m.
Driving in is restricted: there is a limited traffic zone here (Zona Traffico Limitato Centro storico). Check the signs and the times before you drive into the centre.
Coming by train into Trento? Riva del Garda is about 48 minutes away by road.
What to see
Rocca di Riva
The moated fortress stands ringed by water in the centre of the old town. Inside, the MAG Museo Alto Garda holds the archaeology and picture collection built up across the centuries the building itself lived through.
Torre Apponale
First documented in 1273, the tower carries 165 steps to a terrace over the lake, with the Anzolim weather vane turning on top.
Chiesa dell'Inviolata
Octagonal baroque church built in 1603, with altarpieces by Palma il Giovane and a frescoed dome, commissioned by Gaudenzio Madruzzo as a pilgrimage shrine.
Bastione
Stone tower above the town on Monte Rocchetta, built after the end of Venetian rule. A panoramic lift reaches it in three minutes.
Cascata del Varone
Ninety-metre waterfall in a narrow gorge three kilometres from Riva on the territory of Tenno, with two viewing grottoes. The public park has been open since 1874.
Lake Garda waterfront
North tip of Italy's largest lake, with two harbours and the Brescian and Veronese shores in view, a centre for sailing, windsurfing and the morning-and-afternoon wind cycle.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Riva del Garda fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Al VoltRistorante
Al Volt holds a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Antiche MuraRistorante
One Gambero Rosso fork (76/100), at Antiche Mura.
Villetta AnnessaRistorante
Villetta Annessa has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.
Zefiro dell'Hotel Lido PalaceRistorante
Zefiro dell'Hotel Lido Palace carries two Gambero Rosso forks (85/100).
Lido PalaceHotel
One Michelin Key for Lido Palace, and a Leading Hotels of the World listing.
Living here
- Population 17,787
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Verona, 1 h 24 min drive
- Regional capital Trento, 47 min drive
Common questions
- What is Riva del Garda known for?
- Riva del Garda is the north tip of the lake at 73 metres, where the Trentino mountains close in on the water and a Habsburg port town stayed bilingual into the twentieth century.
- Where is Riva del Garda?
- Riva del Garda is a comune in the province of Trento, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.
- What is the nearest airport to Riva del Garda?
- Verona (VRN), about 1h 24m by car.
- How long is the drive from Trento to Riva del Garda?
- About 47 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Riva del Garda?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 17 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Riva del Garda?
- Anguillara Sabazia, Salò and Lonato del Garda.
- How many people live in Riva del Garda?
- 17,787 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 73 m
- Population: 17,787
- Surface area: 40.73 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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