Ginestra

The apartment’s condition was awful, despite the lovely setting and the charming mountain village of Liano. It wasn’t clean: there was dog hair on the sofa, plenty of dust, and insects and little stones on a windowsill in the children’s room. The bathroom was dirty too. Getting in was a struggle. Calling the numbers on the door for the code didn’t work, and it took us 45 minutes to reach the rental company before they transferred us. Gargnano is about a 10-15 minute drive from Liano on a narrow, winding road.

The apartment was fairly clean, and check-in and check-out were very easy, though we never saw the manager since everything was handled remotely. The bed linens were comfortable, and the parking area sits under the shade of trees. It’s a quiet spot away from the lake, with a beautiful lake view. There’s no air conditioning, so it got hot by the end of the day. The kitchen could use a few more things, such as a large saucepan. Be careful with GPS: it may send you onto a tiny road reserved for residents. Stick to the main road.

The place was clean and had everything we needed, although some of the furnishings felt dated. It’s a lovely, peaceful setting with a parking space of its own. Getting there means a very winding 15-minute drive uphill from the lake.

We spent a lovely, quiet week here in autumn. The old house has been restored really well, and it had what we needed, plus a large terrace with a glimpse of Lake Garda from one corner. It’s a good base for exploring nearby. Gargano is around 15 minutes away by car on a well-kept but winding road, with nearly 100 curves. Check-in was a bit tricky. You really need to be reachable online the day before or it won’t work.