Slow trip
10 slow days of food and wine: Riva del Garda, Castell'Arquato, Trani, and Chiavari
September's light softens the slopes above Lake Garda while the vendemmia begins in Emilia-Romagna's hills, two reasons to move slowly through four bases that anchor you long enough to eat with locals rather than beside them. From Malcesine's stone lanes to Castelvetro's terraced vineyards, from Trani's limestone cathedral facing the Adriatic to Noli's quiet beach, you'll taste wine pressed that month and understand why each region guards its recipes differently. The restaurants here don't change menus for tourists; they change them when the season changes.
10 days · September or October · food & wine-first · easy walking
Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda, 2 days
Base yourself in Riva del Garda and make these your day trips.
4 towns · qualifying pool of 5 from 14 candidates
Lakeside towns in the provinces of Verona and Trento. olive oil country and wine territory.
Getting around
Rent a car for this corner. Riva del Garda, your base, has no station, so plan to arrive by car. Only 1 of the 4 towns have a railway station; the day trips assume driving.
Your timing
September and October sits in this corner's best window: open, temperate, and short of the crowd months.
Day 1 · Arrive in Riva del Garda
Settle in. Riva del Garda is your base for the next 2 days. Take the afternoon to walk the centro, find your bearings, eat something local.
Day 2 · Day trip to Malcesine
First outing. Head to Malcesine for the day. Take the slow road, leave time to wander, be back in Riva del Garda for dinner.
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Trento
Province: Trento
The Alpine capital on the Adige at 194 metres, where the Council that reshaped the Catholic Church met in a castle still standing above the city.
Picked for: food and wine · plain
Brenzone sul Garda
Province: Verona
Sixteen lakeside hamlets strung along Lake Garda's east shore, where olive trees still outnumber the year-round residents.
Picked for: food and wine · lakeside
Castell'Arquato
Castell'Arquato, 2 days
Base yourself in Castell'Arquato and make these your day trips.
4 towns · qualifying pool of 5 from 23 candidates
Plain towns in the provinces of Piacenza, Parma, and Modena. Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, Culatello di Zibello DOP, TCI Bandiera Arancione, and Borghi Più Belli d'Italia.
Getting around
Castell'Arquato, your base, has no station, so plan to arrive by car. 3 of the 4 towns in this corner have a railway station, so a car-free version of this corner is realistic. Check Trenitalia timetables before you commit a day: rural frequencies run thin, especially on Sundays.
Your timing
September and October sits in this corner's best window: open, temperate, and short of the crowd months.
While you're there
- Castell'Arquato — Rivivi il Medioevo, SeptemberWeekend medieval reenactment with encampment, costume parades, fire spectacles and international historical fencing tournament in full armor.
- Parma — Festival Verdi, OctoberOctober opera festival since 2001 in Teatro Regio di Parma and Busseto around Giuseppe Verdi's birthday with operas, Messa da Requiem and Gala Verdiano.
- Castelvetro di Modena — Sagra dell'Uva e del Lambrusco Grasparossa, SeptemberTwo-weekend September wine festival featuring tastings, music and a kit-based pathway through local winemakers in this hilltop village.
- Busseto — Festival Verdi, OctoberPremier international opera festival celebrating Verdi at his hometown Teatro Giuseppe Verdi
Day 1 · Arrive in Castell'Arquato
Settle in. Castell'Arquato is your base for the next 2 days. Take the afternoon to walk the centro, find your bearings, eat something local.
Day 2 · Day trip to Busseto
First outing. Head to Busseto for the day. Take the slow road, leave time to wander, be back in Castell'Arquato for dinner.
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Parma
Province: Parma
A 57-meter Po-plain capital on the Via Emilia, where Correggio painted the Duomo dome and Parmigiano ages in vaults across the province.
Picked for: art and history · plain · Festival Verdi, October
Castelvetro di Modena
Province: Modena
A 152-meter hill borgo south of Modena whose checkerboard piazza sits above the slopes that grow Lambrusco Grasparossa.
Picked for: food and wine · plain · Sagra dell'Uva e del Lambrus…, September
Trani
Trani, 2 days
Base yourself in Trani and make these your day trips.
4 towns · qualifying pool of 7 from 51 candidates
Plain towns in the provinces of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Brindisi, and Foggia. olive oil country and UNESCO listed.
Getting around
Trani, your base, is on the rail network. 4 of the 4 towns in this corner have a railway station, so a car-free version of this corner is realistic. Check Trenitalia timetables before you commit a day: rural frequencies run thin, especially on Sundays.
Your timing
September and October sits in this corner's best window: open, temperate, and short of the crowd months.
While you're there
- Andria — Festa di San Riccardo e Madonna dei Miracoli, SeptemberPatron saint feast honoring English-born Bishop Richard with procession, music and fireworks.
Day 1 · Arrive in Trani
Settle in. Trani is your base for the next 2 days. Take the afternoon to walk the centro, find your bearings, eat something local.
Day 2 · Day trip to Andria
First outing. Head to Andria for the day. Take the slow road, leave time to wander, be back in Trani for dinner.
More options in this corner
Fasano
Province: Brindisi
A Brindisi-province town running from the Adriatic up to the Itria escarpment, holding a Roman coastal city, a wooded highpoint, and Europe's second-largest safari park.
Picked for: food and wine · coastal
San Severo
Province: Foggia
The Daunia wine capital on the Tavoliere, home to Puglia's first DOC of 1968 and a Carnevale of fanoia explosions known across the south.
Picked for: food and wine · plain
Chiavari
Chiavari, 5 days
Base yourself in Chiavari and make these your day trips.
4 towns · qualifying pool of 14 from 48 candidates
Coastal towns in the provinces of Genova, Savona, and La Spezia. Bandiera Blu coast, olive oil country, and wine territory.
Getting around
Chiavari, your base, is on the rail network. 4 of the 4 towns in this corner have a railway station, so a car-free version of this corner is realistic. Check Trenitalia timetables before you commit a day: rural frequencies run thin, especially on Sundays.
Your timing
September and October sits in this corner's best window: open, temperate, and short of the crowd months.
While you're there
- Sarzana — Festival della Mente, SeptemberLate-August to early-September Europe's first festival dedicated to creativity and the birth of ideas with three days of talks, workshops and performances.
Day 1 · Arrive in Chiavari
Settle in. Chiavari is your base for the next 5 days. Take the afternoon to walk the centro, find your bearings, eat something local.
Day 2 · Day trip to Lavagna
First outing. Head to Lavagna for the day. Take the slow road, leave time to wander, be back in Chiavari for dinner.
Day 3 · Day trip to Sestri Levante
Out again, this time to Sestri Levante. Same rhythm: leave after breakfast, return for evening in Chiavari.
Day 4 · Day trip to Sarzana
Out again, this time to Sarzana. Same rhythm: leave after breakfast, return for evening in Chiavari.
Day 5 · Day trip to Noli
Last day trip in this corner, to Noli. Make a day of it, then back to Chiavari.
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About this plan
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