The 2022 Wine Media Conference will take place near the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy.
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is one of the premier tourist destinations in northern Italy. The largest lake in Italy, it is on the border of the provinces of Lombardia and Veneto. It has had the name Garda since at least the 8th century and is named after the town of the same name on the lake. There are dozens of towns and tourism destinations along the shores of the lake and figuring out what to do is half the battle. Luckily, we have made that decision for you.
Desenzano del Garda
Our conference takes place in the town of Desenzano del Garda, which is a small town on the southern shore of the lake. With its sister city Sirmione, it is one of the most well known destinations on the lake.
The town has an historic center situated around the port, which itself at one point was the strategic heart of this trading town. The small streets are a great place to walk and explore. You can easily walk along the lake shore to the lighthouse on the other side of the port. Also in the old town is the Castello di Desenzano del Garda (castle), which overlooks the town and offers some of the best views anywhere of Lake Garda. Another major aspect of the town is the long promenade along Lake Garda that runs two miles from the port all the way to our hotel. Depending on the weather, there are multiple beaches you might wish to enjoy.
In short, we definitely recommend you spend at least one free day in Desenzano.
Sirmione
Sirmione is on a peninsula that juts into the lake only 10 kilometer from Desenzano and 6.5 kilometers from our hotel. It is cute, fun to explore, and one of the most famous destinations on Lake Garda. The old town streets are winding and ancient. The Sirmione Castle is one of the best preserved on Lake Garda. The Grotto di Catullo at the end of the peninsula are Roman-era caves and spa, in a park-like setting including an olive tree grove. Sirmione has several beaches and is also known as a spa center thanks to its thermal waters, with the most famous spa at a sister hotel of our host venue.
You can easily take a taxi from our host hotel or, for a fun day outing, can walk two miles through Desenzano to the ferry terminal and take an inexpensive, 20-minute ferry ride to Sirmione.
Planning Your Stay
The Wine Media Conference will take place in the Hotel Acquaviva in Desenzano and, as with all conferences, most of your time will be spent in the hotel. We will be getting out of the hotel for our typical Friday forays into wine country and will be offering pre-conference and post-conference excursions.
You will, therefore, have little time to relax and explore during the conference. We highly recommend arriving one or two days early to explore the Desenzano and Sirmione areas.