As the sun rises, it casts pink streaks across the lake, and all is silent apart from the peal of church bells and a chorus of birds making sweet music in the tall Cypress trees. These tall, elegant spires of dark green, and the terracotta roofs, are as synonymous with Italy as gelato, and are typical hallmarks of the Italian countryside.
With yachts gleaming like sparkling gems as the light hits them on the water, Lake Garda is like an inland sea with a tide that gently laps to the shore and mighty peaks that rise majestically in the distance. All is still and calm in this ethereal space, no soul is in sight during an early stroll before breakfast except for the sound of Italians conversing in their own private villas with the windows open. This is Lake Garda.
All along the picturesque coast of Italy’s largest lake one can find major resorts, as well as charming settlements and unblemished, rural communities. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake was created back in the ice age by the melting of a glacier and the first settlers came around 400BCE, with the Romans having a strong presence here. It was also the stage for the Battle of Lonato, fought on 3rd and 4th August 1796 between the French Army of Italy under General Napolean Bonaparte and a corps-sized Austrian column led by Lieutenant General Peter Quasdonovich.
The allure of Lake Garda has appealed to European royalty and artists alike. This is why it commands such presence and is so beguiling as a location, there is a moving atmosphere in this mystical place that stirs your soul. Here, LLM contributor Donna Richardson takes a look at the area’s prominence in wellness and elite sport.
Park Hotel Casimero
The elegant four-star Park Hotel Casimiro in San Felice del Benaco is an ideal base. The Panoramic bar is an ideal place to watch the sun rise or set, with a wine in hand as you gaze over the serene water’s edge and watch the tide lap on the sandy beach.
Each room is decorated in soothing, neutral tones, with blonde wood accents and terracotta accessories. En-suite bathrooms feature a separate shower with complimentary toiletries and a hairdryer. Superior and deluxe rooms have a terrace or balcony, and most offer a side or front view of Lake Garda. You can take a dip in the outdoor swimming pool or one inside or work out in the gym. The hotel has an excellent restaurant which serves a top notch breakfast, lunch and dinner and a well-stocked bar.
Fitness in Lake Garda
There is no better place to reset your body clock than the great outdoors, and Lake Garda is a haven for wellness. The lakeside is a fantastic place to go for a run or a cycle and the ideal environment to test out brand-new UYN technical clothing products which are manufactured in nearby Asola. UYN manufactures technical clothing for the world’s most elite athletes from skiers to cyclists and trekkers, including ultra-runner Paulo Venturini and world record-holder and ultra-cyclist Omar De Felice.
The factory is about an hour’s drive from the hotel. UYN’s Academy for Research and Engineering in Apparel and Sport (AREAS) has, until now, been a secret innovation space where they make technical clothing but now it has opened to the public. We were able to tour the production area where we were surrounded by gargantuan machines stocked with bobbins and yarn. These machines weave together the material, which then goes through rigorous testing processes and setting conditions to produce elite clothing that meets the discerning standards of the most elite sporting stars.
UYN kits out the Olympic ski teams and individual athletes of the world in its thermal and biotechnical threads. They are proud suppliers of the Italian ski team’s figure-hugging alpine garments, and they also were responsible for making multiple World MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi’s winning attire and much more.
Luxury brands
As well as the elite athlete ranges, UYN collaborates with luxury brands such as Prada on prototypes that defy limitations such as temperature. They manufacture quality products for everyone from entry-level runners and cyclists to polar explorers. The most expensive item is a £270,000 jacket, made in collaboration with Prada, with temperature control to ensure your body remains constant. This was inspired by the lunar landing anniversary. They also have bionic clothing designed to enhance the performance of athletes who are at the top of their game. These top-end items have unmistakable Italian flair, which is unsurprising given it is so close to the fashion capital of the world.
Furthermore, it is a vibrant and fresh brand with ethical roots that is made and tested in the heart of the Alps. Sustainability is very much at its heart as each item of clothing is made with respect to the environment. All the garments are made with Italian grace and elegance and using natural materials and recycled fibres, so nothing is wasted in the process. Furthermore, all garments are tested rigorously to the limits, so they satisfy the technical needs of many elite athletes. They have no seams for the ultimate performance and in a post-synthetic era they are made with materials derived from nature and powered through biotechnology.
For instance, the UYN Exceleration shirt, with four-way ventilation to enable more speed and comfort, is ideal for a morning workout. The shirt is made of a thin material that always keeps your skin dry and went well with the exercise shirt I brought, which fitted neatly into my Pacsafe Venturer EXP45 Anti-Theft Carry-on Travel Pack. A nifty pack that holds 45 litres and is cabin compliant to be able to stow away neatly when travelling.
Elite athlete collaborations
Top athletes recently gathered in Lake Garda for a performance hideaway and public launch of UYN’s elite high-tech factory and training centre in Asola, Lombardy. The launch was well attended by such athletes including Olympic silver medallist Amaurys Perez (London 2012), the creator of Parkour Sebastian Faucan, who was in the James Bond movie Casino Royale, and ski legend Kristian Ghedina whose 13 victories are the second most by an Italian downhill specialist in World Cup history. We enjoyed a tour around the showroom at Titiciti, who are specialists in bicycles too.
Then it was off to test out the UYN clothing in the exercise area where we could all run and cycle in the gear before heading downstairs to the Arctic Chamber to test more UYN clothing. UYN makes biobased thermals and base layers that serve the most demanding skiers. These garments can withstand temperatures of -20 degrees celsius, as the Arctic chamber and brain unit proved. Then we headed upstairs for a coffee to warm up before an exciting fashion show showcasing the latest range. After the tour of the factory, we were presented with a t-shirt and activewear to take home and then we enjoyed an exclusive VIP party which saw the most sensational sushi buffet alongside home-cooked pasta stations, and free-flowing prosecco and wine.
A VIP transfer home
When it was time to go home I was treated like a VIP sharing a ride to the airport with Sebastien Faucon and his agent in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes Benz. The car was sleek and came complete with TVs and reclining leather seats, so we could enjoy our two-hour drive to Milan Malpensa airport in the ultimate luxury. I was able to get to know Sebastien some more and was inspired by his motivation for the sport, how he got involved in it, his filming work and what it was like to face off Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, as well as his important work with kids in London and much more.
There is no doubt about it that a visit to Lake Garda is a luxury experience that will appeal to anyone with a love of the outdoors. I also was inspired to begin my own fitness journey after being around personal trainers like Carl Wakeford of Stride&Glory, who helps train ordinary people like me to run marathons and yoga guru Sarah Highfield of Yogagise. It really was such an inspiring retreat which has quite literally changed my mindset and given me a whole new motivation to become healthier and exercise more in my technical UYN kit.
BA flies direct to Milan from Heathrow and Gatwick but you can also fly via Frankfurt to Milan and back via Munich with Lufthansa. With such a long time travelling my Hästens travel pillow was well appreciated. It has 70 per cent duck feathers and 30 per cent duck down, as used by Beyonce, Drake, Alexandra Daddario and Oprah. It is not only comfortable but practical and you can hide your travel essentials inside, such as a mobile phone and passport.
In a nutshell
Lake Garda is a magical place which makes you feel closer to nature, making it the perfect wellness retreat and much more than just a honeymoon destination. Picturesque and enigmatic, it is a place you must experience once in your lifetime, it has everything from arts and culture to Michelin-starred restaurants gracing the lake shore, no wonder it is the choice of elite travellers.
