Riva del Garda: the atmospheric lakeside town you’ll love

Essential travel guide to Riva del Garda: why Riva is worth visiting, best things to see and do, where to eat, tips for visiting Riva with kids.

Riva del Garda is a fascinating, atmospheric town in the very north of Lake Garda, where the lake’s calm waters meet the Alps.

Riva is a beautiful town, and it stands out from others along the lake on a couple of accounts: a unique Austrian-historic vibe, vestige of when this area belonged to Austria in the not-so-ancient-past, and a stunning natural position beside imposing cliffs plunging into the water.

Exploring Riva is a pleasure: the town is small enough that you can come here for a day and enjoy a stroll, yet it is also dynamic enough to work as a great base to explore the area.

We have been to Riva several times and we are very fond of it. Our most recent trip got us here for the day, as part of our 4 days Lake Garda itinerary and this solidified our love for this area of Lake Garda – it is so beautiful, peaceful and soothing, I recommend it as a must see.

Based on our experience, this is our essential guide to Riva del Garda.

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Why visit Riva del Garda

Riva del Garda is worth visiting on several accounts.

The town itself is beautiful and pleasant.

The center of Riva is pretty, well kept and well served: if you come here, you can take a stroll, enjoy the cafes, shops, restaurants and the pretty lakeside promenade and just enjoy small town living. The towns is family friendly and has a mellow, quiet atmosphere.

Riva is in a stunning position: if you are hoping for breathtaking views of cliffs plunging into the lake, this is very much the place for you!

Riva del Garda is close to beautiful nature and it is ideal if you like outdoors time. From here, you can easily take ferries, hire bikes and take walks to explore northern Lake Garda and Southern Trentino area, which are green and outdoorsy.

Riva is also lovely if you have kids as the town is flat and family friendly in feel.

The best time to visit Riva del Garda

The best time to visit Riva del Garda is late spring to early autumn. At this time, the weather is likely to be at its best and you can enjoy the outdoor pursuits this area has to offer.

You can also visit during the Christmas holidays when the weather won’t allow much time outdoors but you can catch the pretty Christmas market in Riva itself as well as those in nearby Arco, Rovereto and Trento, among the best Christmas markets in Italy.

The best things to do in Riva del Garda

The best things to do in Riva del Garda are a mix of things to do in the town and day trips to the area. In Riva, I recommend you do the following.

Explore the city center

Riva town center is compact and pretty. The town develops along the lake and immediately inland and has a large pedestrian area brimming with restaurants, shops and cafes, really pleasant to explore leisurely on foot.

The town has a distinctly Austrian- style architecture and it is more austere than many in the south of the lake but this only adds to its charm: there is a moodiness about its architecture that I find fascinating.

In terms of landmarks, worth seeing are Rocca di Riva (now a museum), Chiesa dell’Inviolata church, Torre Apponale tower which you can climb and Contrada Marocco neighborhood, the medieval part of Riva’s centre.

Climb Riva’s Bastion

Just above Riva towers Riva’s Bastion. The bastion is accessible by an elevator / cable car and, if you are not afraid of heights, a great place to catch views of Riva’s stunning position.

Visit Riva’s Centrale Electrical (Power Plant)

Riva has an impressive electricity power plant with visiting. The plant is an architectural jewel from the 1920s and it is now an interactive exhibition space explaining how hydroelectric power works. Suitable for the whole family, this is a great kid-friendly attraction interesting for the whole family. Additional info here.

Enjoy the lake (beach, watersports, town hopping)

The main thing about Riva is of course the lake, which you can enjoy in several ways. If you want to just stroll and admire the view, Riva has a long and pretty lakeside promenade with large lawns and dotted with cafes, so you can stroll, run, lunge and just take it easy.

If you like water sports, in Riva you can sail and go windsurfing. If you just want to be on water, you can also get pedal boats, which are stationed right on the promenade and are fun for families. You can of course also enjoy the local beaches, perfect also for small kids.

Of course, from Riva you can also easily enjoy other towns on this part of the lake by using ferries (see below)

Go Cycling or Hiking

The area of Riva has lovely cycling and hiking opportunities. You can cycle in parts of the town or also take bikes along gate many cycling routes in there, for instance Riva to Arco or Riva-Torbole-Mori. If you love hiking, Sentiero del Ponale or Ferrata Cima Capi are only two of the most popular trails.

Go Wine tasting

Riva is in an area famous for its vines and is therefore a great place to go wine tasting.

As well as in the many restaurants and wine bars in town, you can do so in one of the local wineries outside of town such as Azienda Agricola Comai or Agraria Riva del Garda which produces wine and oil. Beyond Dro, you also have Bike and Wine wine bar and winery, which you can reach by electric bike and is a relaxed and family friendly.

Best day trips from Riva del Garda

Riva del Garda is a fantastic base to explore the area of northern Lake Garda and beyond. Fabulous day trips you can do from here are:

Limone – one of the most popular and pretty towns on Lake Garda, Limone takes its name from the lemon grove in the town and is a vision of cascading flowers, colorful houses and lake views. Easy to reach from Riva by ferry

Malcesine – a super pretty town just a little south of Riva, easy to reach by bus or ferry. Malcesine has a pleasant and photogenic town center and is where you find the cable car up Monte Baldo, which is one of the nicest things you can do on Lake Garda.

Cascata del Varone waterfall – close to Riva you have the lovely Cascata del Varone park and waterfall which is a park and path towards and impressive waterfall worth seeing. Find info here.

Arco – Arco is a fabulous small village just beside Riva and a delight to visit for a day (you can even cycle to it). Arco has a beautiful castle, a stunning natural position under a tall cliff and, at Christmas, a lovely Christmas market which is particularly cute due to the atmospheric position of the town.

Lago di Tenno and Canale di Tenno – a small, gorgeous small lake and an equally gorgeous village make for a stunning day out, only about 20 mins from Riva by car.

Rovereto – a fabulous town to visit close to Riva and a fantastic escape for a rainy day, Rovereto has a beautiful historic center, the fabulous MART (contemporary art museum), the Science and Archaeology Museum, a beautiful castle and more.

Riva del Garda with kids

Riva is a wonderful place to visit with kids and pretty much all the above activities are easy to enjoy with children in tow (yes, also wine tasting, it is no problem bringing kids to most tastings).

Riva is suited to kids of all ages and has all you may need for littles, including a pretty and safe beach (pebbles), shops with all necessities and a stroller friendly atmosphere.

As well as what mentioned above, if visiting Riva with kids you may find helpful to know:

Go to the Playground

Riva has a nice playground along the lake, perfect for kids to play with a view. Cafes are nearby.

Rent pedal boats

You can rend pedal boats on the spot right from the center of town

Visit Reptiland

In the center of Riva yo have Reptiland, an exhibition bout snakes and reptiles especially good on a rainy day

Visit Riva’s Hydroelectric plant

The Hydroelectric plant (see above) is interactive and fun. A good rainy day escape too!

Go on a tree adventure

Busatte daventre park is in Torbole, super close to Riva, and great for a day on treetop trails. You can find info here.

Good to know: the theme parks of Lake Garda are on the southern part of the lake and a bit of a drive from Riva. While it is possible to go for a day, I do not recommend using Riva as a base if the plan is to visit them more than once. In that case, I recommend you stay in Lazise instead.

Where to eat in Riva del Garda

In Riva, you have many options when it comes to food. Places you may enjoy are:

Ristorante Sud, if you are craving Pizza or Neapolitan food – I know, not local but really nice! My kid’s favorite place.

Ristorante Pizzeria Leon D’Oro Info here

Antiche Mura, for gourmet, contemporary cuisine. Info here.

How to get to Riva del Garda and how to get around: using ferries in Riva

Riva is on the northern coast of Lake Garda and can be reached by car, bus, or ferry.

Both the bus and ferry system are efficient and you can get tickets there and then, at the local kiosks or online.

The ferry kiosks are at the port, or you can get tickets here >>> https://www.navigazionelaghi.it

If using the bus, you will likely find yourself using different companies depending on where you are going. useful resources are this Bus Timetable for the local area and this one to the south of the lake.

Where to stay in Riva del Garda

Places you may like to stay in Riva del Garda are:

Du Lac et Du Parc Grand Resort, click here for info and photos, wonderful and suitable also to families with kids, equipped with pools, spa (adults only), treatments for adults and kids, a wonderful park and restaurant on site.

Astoria Resort, click here for offers and photos: lovely hotel with special attentions for families with kids (family rooms, equipped outdoor area, mini club, activities)

hotel Virgilio

Parc Hotel Flora S, info here, perfect to relax and unwind

Riva del Garda at Christmas

At Christmas, Riva dl Garda hosts a pretty Christmas market that makes the town a lovely destination for a weekend. Christmas markets are not an Italian tradition but this area was historically Austrian and has retained traditions form the time that are, here, authentic and local. You can find info on the Riva Christmas Market opening days and times here

I hope you enjoyed this essential travel guide to Rica del Garda and it helped you plan your visit. Safe travels!

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