09:30
Riva del Garda
- On the lake
- Nearest train: Rovereto, 15 km
- Ferry stop
- 17,787 residents
Good for WindsurfingSailingFamiliesHikingCyclingHistorySwimming
Riva del Garda sits at the northern tip of the lake, where the cliffs of the Rocchetta drop almost straight into the water and the Sarca plain opens towards Arco.
The town belonged to Austria-Hungary until the end of the First World War, and that past is still easy to read: the moated Rocca on the harbour, now home to the MAG museum, the forts and batteries on Monte Brione, and the old Ponale road cut into the rock face towards the Ledro valley.
The centre is compact and made for walking. Piazza III Novembre, with its arcades and the 34-metre Torre Apponale, opens onto the old harbour; behind it Via Fiume and the steep lanes of the Marocco quarter climb towards the Venetian Bastione. East of the centre a long strip of lawns and pebble beaches, from Sabbioni to Spiaggia dei Pini and Du Lac, runs towards Porto San Nicolò.
Riva suits sailors and windsurfers, hikers and cyclists heading up the Ponale, and families looking for lake swimming with grass and shade.
Events in Riva del Garda60
Filter →Today · Sunday 27 September9
11:00
15:00
16:30
17:00
18:00
20:00
20:00
21:00
Tuesday 29 September1
17:30
Wednesday 30 September1
09:00
Friday 2 October4
08:30
18:00
18:00
21:00
Saturday 3 October6
—All day
10:30
15:00
15:00
17:30
20:45
Sunday 4 October2
10:00
14:00
Monday 5 October1
18:00
Wednesday 7 October1
17:30
Thursday 8 October2
15:00
17:30
Friday 9 October1
08:30
Saturday 10 October4
10:00
10:30
20:45
20:45
Sunday 11 October2
10:30
14:30
Monday 12 October1
17:30
Tuesday 13 October1
10:00
Running all through8
16 May
4 Jul
6 Sept
19 Sept
25 Sept
27 Sept10:00
27 Sept18:30
17 Oct17:00
What to see
Rocca di Riva (MAG Museo Alto Garda)
The moated medieval castle on the harbour houses the Alto Garda museum, with archaeology, art and local history from prehistory to the Second World War.
Torre Apponale
The 34-metre watchtower on Piazza III Novembre, documented since the 13th century, is topped by a gilded angel wind vane known as the Anzolim de la Tor.
Bastione
Venetian round tower built in 1507–1508 above the town, reached by a glass panoramic lift (about three minutes) or a 20-minute walk from the centre.
Chiesa dell'Inviolata
Octagonal Baroque church at the edge of the centre with paintings by Palma il Giovane; the adjoining convent cloister, restored by 2023, has 17th-century frescoed lunettes.
Strada del Ponale
The old road to the Ledro valley, blasted into the cliff above the lake and reopened as a walking and cycling path in 2004, with Austro-Hungarian fortifications along the way.
Monte Brione
Nature reserve on the ridge between Riva and Torbole, rich in plant species, with the Sentiero della Pace linking its 19th- and early-20th-century forts.
Beaches
Spiaggia Sabbioni
Riva's main town beach on the lakefront east of the centre, with lawns, a kiosk-bar and play equipment.
Spiaggia dei Pini
Pebble beach with a large green area, a zone reserved for windsurfers and a small playground with sandpit.
Spiaggia Du Lac
Free beach without services, light pebbles and grass, an easy walk from the centre.
Getting there and around
- By car
- By car, leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Rovereto Sud/Lago di Garda Nord and follow the SS240 for about 17 km to Riva.
- Train and bus
- The nearest railway station is Rovereto, with regular Trentino Trasporti buses to Torbole, Riva and Arco; from the south you can also take the train to Desenzano, Peschiera or Verona and continue on ATV buses up the east shore. Ferries run from Desenzano and Peschiera via Malcesine and Limone.
- By boat
- Northern terminus of the Navigazione Laghi (Navigarda) line from Desenzano and Peschiera, calling at Torbole, Limone and Malcesine; some summer runs are fast services with a supplement.
- Parking
- Parts of the historic centre are a limited traffic zone (ZTL). Paid car parks run by Altogarda Parcheggi e Mobilità include Terme Romane (Viale Pilati, 205 spaces), Ex-Agraria (Via Lutti, 218 spaces), Vecchia Stazione, Parco Lido and the Blue Garden car park on Viale Rovereto; free parking at the former hospital (Largo Marconi) and on Via delle Ginestre.
Things to do in Riva del Garda16
Agraria Riva del Garda (Cantina di Riva)
Wine tasting
Cooperative winery and olive mill founded in 1957 offering guided tastings of its wines, Trentodoc and olive oil at its Galleria del Gusto.
Tastings €20–33
Altogarda Golf
Golf
FIG-recognised golf practice facility with a 250 m driving range, pitching area, club rental and PGA lessons between Riva and Arco.
Cicli Pederzolli
Mountain bike & rental, E-bike rental
Riva bike shop since 1990 renting city bikes, front-suspension MTBs and e-bikes by the hour, day or week.
MTB €20/day; e-bike €34/day
Circolo Tennis Riva
Tennis & padel
Tennis club with five clay courts across two sites in Riva, offering lessons, court booking and children's summer camps.
DegasperiRENT
E-bike rental, Mountain bike & rental
Rental and repair shop in Riva with a fleet of over 60 e-bikes plus city and mountain bikes and e-scooters.
E-BIKEGARDA
E-bike rental
E-bike-only rental in Riva's old town with a fleet of Focus e-bikes and route advice.
Season: Apr–Oct
Energia Bike
Mountain bike & rental, E-bike rental
Central Riva shop renting Canyon MTBs and e-MTBs, city and gravel bikes, with repair and maintenance service.
MTB €25/day; e-MTB €45–60/day
Le bici di Eric & Paul
E-bike rental, Mountain bike & rental
Family-run e-bike and MTB rental in Riva that also leads guided e-bike tours and supplies GPX routes.
Guided e-bike tours €100–120 pp
Fraglia Vela Riva
Sailing, For kids
Historic Riva sailing club with a private harbour running Optimist courses for ages 6–15, adult sailing lessons and international regattas.
Season: May–Oct (courses)
Garda Bike Shop
Mountain bike & rental, E-bike rental, Road cycling
Cannondale and Bianchi test centre in Riva renting e-MTBs, mountain, gravel, road and city bikes, open daily.
GimmeBike
Mountain bike & rental, E-bike rental
Riva rental shop with Giant and Liv MTBs, e-bikes, gravel and children's bikes, and via ferrata kits.
e-MTB approx. €40/day
Pier Watersports Center
Windsurfing, Wing foiling, Stand-up paddle
Windsurf and wing foil centre on the windy west shore south of Riva, offering lessons and rental of windsurf, foil, wing, parawing and SUP gear.
Rivavela – Art of Sailing
Sailing, Boat tours
Offers skippered charters on an 18 m sailing yacht, a Tornado catamaran sailing academy and team-building sailing experiences from Riva.
Sailing Du Lac
Sailing, Boat rental, Boat tours, Windsurfing, Wing foiling, Stand-up paddle, Kayak & canoe, Mountain bike & rental
Multisport water centre at Porto San Nicolò with sailing school, keelboat charter and skippered trips, plus windsurf, wing, SUP, kayak and bike rental.
Keelboat half-day from €190 · Season: May–Oct
Samadhi Yoga
Yoga & wellness
Yoga teachers holding Yin, Vinyasa, prenatal and postpartum classes in Riva del Garda and Arco.
Tour Boat Experience
Boat tours
Private motorboat tours from Riva for up to 9 guests, visiting the Ponale waterfall, Limone and Malcesine with food and wine options.
Riva del Garda climate by month
| Month | Day | Night | Rain days (≥1 mm) | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8° | 3° | 7 | 61 mm |
| February | 11° | 5° | 9 | 85 mm |
| March | 14° | 6° | 10 | 80 mm |
| April | 18° | 9° | 11 | 101 mm |
| May | 21° | 13° | 17 | 138 mm |
| June | 27° | 18° | 12 | 89 mm |
| July | 29° | 20° | 13 | 95 mm |
| August | 29° | 21° | 11 | 96 mm |
| September | 24° | 17° | 10 | 98 mm |
| October | 20° | 13° | 11 | 131 mm |
| November | 13° | 8° | 11 | 128 mm |
| December | 9° | 4° | 7 | 87 mm |
Averages 2016–2025 from reanalysis data (Open-Meteo); a single year can differ a lot.
Questions visitors ask
Can you swim in Riva del Garda?
Yes. A string of public pebble beaches with lawns runs east of the centre, including Sabbioni, Spiaggia dei Pini and Du Lac. Watch out for windsurfers in the afternoon Ora, especially near the areas reserved for them.
How do you get from Riva del Garda to Malcesine?
The easiest way is the Navigazione Laghi boat, which calls at Torbole and Limone on the way; depending on the service it takes from about 40 minutes to just over an hour. By road, follow the east shore through Torbole.
What is the Ponale trail?
It is the old road from Riva to the Ledro valley, carved into the cliff above the lake. After a tunnel replaced it at the end of the 1980s it was reopened in 2004 as a path for walkers and cyclists, and it starts on the edge of Riva.
Is there a lift up to the Bastione?
Yes, a glass panoramic lift climbs 130 metres over a 208-metre route in about three minutes. Walkers can reach the Bastione from the centre in around 20 minutes.
Nearby
Researched from: gardatrentino.it, gardatrentino.it, gardatrentino.it, gardatrentino.it, gardatrentino.it, gardatrentino.it · checked 2026-09-26.