Between the end of September and mid-November, Lake Garda enters its autumn phase, with major shifts in logistics and production as the summer beach season ends and visitor flows fall. The focus turns to key agricultural activities, including the end of the grape harvest and the start of olive pressing, alongside the ripening of chestnuts on the slopes of Monte Baldo.
On the road network, the West Gardesana (SS 45 bis) and the East Gardesana (SR 249) return to normal conditions, easing travel between towns, hills and valleys. The Benaco microclimate, moderated by the lake’s heat-storing capacity (about 50 billion cubic metres of water), supports daytime temperatures often between 15°C and 20°C up to well into November, making outdoor visits and walking routes more comfortable.
Autumn also brings a packed food-and-wine calendar across the main Garda denominations and local specialties. In the Valtènesi area, attention centres on Groppello (including Gentile, Mocasina and Santo Stefano) and the Valtènesi Chiaretto, while the “Profumi di Mosto” event is scheduled for the second Sunday of October. On the Verona side, Bardolino’s celebrations peak with the Festa dell’Uva e del Vino in early October, before the release of Bardolino Novello in early November; in the south of the lake, Lugana grapes are harvested between September and October for long-aging white wines. From late October into early November, Monte Baldo’s chestnut season highlights the Marrone di San Zeno DOP, with San Zeno di Montagna hosting the Festa del Marrone DOP (23rd edition) and the Mostra Mercato delle Castagne (54th edition) in the last weekends of October and at the start of November.
Italian Version
