Da Elda Natural Retreat

Rooms

The 17 rooms are spread across 4 types: Nest, Forest, Wood and Nature. The latter are more rustic, with a Heidi look, pine furniture and folksy checks reflecting their place in the older, original part of the building. The others are clean-cut and contemporary, and are the best ones to go for if you want the full-on design hotel experience.

Forest, a slightly more expensive mini-suite, is a fraction larger and has a lounge area with a sofa. But otherwise Forest and Wood rooms share the same features and style: light and spacious, with kingsize platform beds, white linen, wooden floors, funky modern furniture, and full-height glass doors leading onto a balcony with incredible views of the surrounding mountains. The clean neutral palette is cheered by the odd dash of colour - perhaps a big canvas of abstract art (some painted by Andrea), red designer chairs or lime-green patio furniture.

All rooms have satellite TV, a minibar, a free internet connection and heating. We loved the nifty bathroom pods, space-age cubicles of misted glass housing a wet-room shower and a basin, set in the corner of each Wood and Forest Room. The loos are accessed via the shower, and have a separate door. Nature rooms have showers and/or bathtubs. Nest is a cosier single room for one.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Most guests opt for half-board, which includes a continental breakfast buffet, an afternoon snack and a rustic-Italian 4-course table d’hôte dinner. Meals are served in a bright, functional dining room with views of the garden. Breakfast on our last visit was superb, with homemade bread, cheese, fresh orange juice, local hams and jams.

A typical dinner menu might include cold hors d’oeuvres (like prosciutto with melon), followed by a choice of 3 starters (carpaccio di carne salada, for example, or lasagna al forno), a choice of 3 main courses (perhaps gnocchi Boemi, a kind of steamed gnocchi made from bread dough stuffed with prunes and served with sugar, cinnamon and butter; or lamb chops with an almond crust), and a selection of desserts like crème brûlée or mascarpone cheese with wild fruit. Everything is made in-house, often from ingredients grown on the hotel’s own land.

If you want more choice, you can dine à la carte in the hotel's restaurant. And thanks to a quirk of village life, the food is unusual, too: the Zoppirolli family (Andrea’s maternal relatives), along with most of the local population, were sent to Czechoslovakia during the First World War. Those who returned a few years later brought an Eastern European flavour to the regional cuisine, and this is the place to try it out.

The hotel also has a good wine list and beer menu, and a small bar where you can sit and have a drink.

If you prefer to dine out, be warned that there is nothing much (other than basic bar food) this side of Pieve di Ledro. For recommendations further afield, ask at reception. It's only a few minutes' drive down the road to nearby towns with local restaurants.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Just step out of the hotel and keep going - the scenery around here is stunning and perfect for hiking (or just driving around, though there’s only one navigable road through the valley)
  
• Borrow a mountain bike (available from reception) and head north up the Concei Valley, where narrow tracks lead into deep forest
  
• It’s less than 10 minutes' drive down to the shores of Lake Ledro, where you can admire the views, fish, do woodland walks and, in summer, hire boats
  
• The fit can try scaling some of the peaks in the Ledro Alps, the highest being Monte Cadria (not to be underestimated, at 2,253m)
  
• Most people come for the tranquil natural landscapes, but for shopping and street life, head for Riva del Garda, about half an hour’s drive away
  
• Riva is the northern gateway to Lake Garda and from the town's quays you can hop on a boat to lovely Limone, or take a ferry to Malcesine (where a cable car climbs up Monte Baldo, a green and sometimes snow-capped mountain that's 1,760m high)
  
• Back in the Concei Valley, trekking, canyoning, climbing and paragliding are among the many outdoor sports which can be arranged by the hotel
  
• In winter, the area is also a paradise for cross-country skiers
  
• Relax in the common areas at the hotel and lose yourself in a book for an hour or two, there are plenty to choose from
  
• The hotel’s bio spa has a variety of treatments, including massages, aromatherapy, sauna, Turkish steam room and an area to relax in between sessions

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Canyoning
• Climbing
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Mountain biking
• Paragliding
• Sailing
• Shopping / markets
• Trekking
• Well being

Best Time to go

Our Top Tips

Location

Da Elda Natural Retreat is in the small rural village of Lenzumo in the alpine Concei Valley. It's in the Trentino region of Italy, a few miles north of Lake Ledro and 18km west of Riva del Garda on the northern tip of Lake Garda.

By Air:
The nearest airports are Brescia (95km away) and Verona (110km away). You can also fly to Bergamo (145km away), Milan Linate (186km away) and Milan Malpensa (226km away), which are all within a 2.5-hour drive.

From the Airport
You'll need a car - see below.

By Train:
If you'd prefer to travel overland from the UK, you can reach the Italian Lakes quite easily from London. See the excellent Seat 61 for details. The nearest railway station is Rovereto (40km away); there are daily bus connections from there to the Ledro Valley, but to get the most out of the area, a hire car is almost essential.

By Car:
For car hiresee our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to Italy and getting around