Questions
from the front desk.

We are at Via Gardesana 7, Porto di Tignale, 25080 Tignale (BS): the Brescia shore of Lake Garda, on the road linking Gargnano to Riva del Garda. The property is right on the lake — the beach is less than twenty metres from the garden.

There is one thing that confuses almost everyone, and it is better to know it before setting off: the village of Tignale sits high up on the mountain, a few kilometres of hairpin bends from the shore. We are down below, on the lake, on the Gardesana road. The exact coordinates are 45°43.684′N · 10°43.176′E.

Type «Prà de la Fam» or «Porto di Tignale». Do not type just «Tignale»: the satnav takes you up to the village at the top of the mountain, and from there you have to come back down.

If you would rather play safe, enter the coordinates 45°43.684′N · 10°43.176′E directly, or open our position on Google Maps from the contacts page.

From the east: A4 motorway, Desenzano exit, towards Salò, about 15 km. From Salò carry on towards Riva del Garda along the Gardesana, the SS 45 bis; after Gargnano, another 4 km to Porto di Tignale.

From the west: A4 motorway, Brescia Est exit, towards Salò, about 20 km, and then as above.

From the north: A22 Brenner motorway, Rovereto Sud exit, towards Riva del Garda, then the Gardesana towards Brescia for about twenty kilometres. The entrance is on the Gardesana itself, with the car park in front: there is no mountain road to tackle at the last minute.

It is true, and it is also why the journey is worth it. The Gardesana Occidentale is carved into the rock above the lake: narrow, with many tunnels, some of which open straight onto the water. It is one of the most scenic roads in Italy.

It is perfectly drivable by car, motorbike and camper van — the scheduled coaches come through every day — as long as you take it slowly and do not rush when passing inside a tunnel. What we tell everyone is to allow an extra half hour and to stop in one of the lay-bys: from up there you can see the whole lake.

The last stretch before us is a tunnel: the entrance to Prà de la Fam comes right after it, on the right if you are coming from Gargnano.

Yes, the car park is private, free and reserved for guests, right in front of the building. It is enclosed, so it also works well for motorbikes — one of the things motorcyclists mention most often in their reviews.

There is no need to book it or mention it in advance: there is room for every guest.

Yes. The convenient stations are Brescia and Desenzano–Sirmione, on the Milan–Venice line; from there buses run along the Gardesana, more frequent from Brescia and sparser from Desenzano. Get off at the «Porto di Tignale» stop, which is right in front of us.

Coming from the north: Rovereto station, bus to Riva del Garda and from there the line towards Gargnano.

The airports, from nearest to furthest: Brescia Montichiari, Verona Villafranca, Bergamo Orio al Serio, Milan Linate, Venice and Milan Malpensa, all connected by train or coach to Brescia, Desenzano and Verona.

Once you are here you get on perfectly well without a car: beach, lemon house and trails all start at the door. To tour the other lakeside villages, though, a car or the ferry helps.

It is the largest and northernmost lemon house in Europe, and it stands inside our property: from your room you reach it on foot in a minute. It is not a ruin and it is not a reconstruction — the eighty mature trees are alive and productive.

It was restored in 1985 with the Comunità Montana of the Alto Garda Bresciano Park and is today an Ecomuseum, open to visitors from Easter to October. It has remained the property of the Parisini family, the same family that runs the hotel.

The visit is guided and tells how the lemon houses of Lake Garda worked: the stone pillars, the boards that closed the greenhouse in winter, the lemon trade towards Northern Europe. At the end there is a tasting of the products made here: lemons preserved in salt, limoncino, lemon syrup and citrus-infused oil. Times and details on the dedicated website, ecomuseopradelafam.com.

Lake Garda has many historic lemon houses, but nearly all of them are empty structures: the pillars and walls remain, the trees do not. Ours is still cultivated, and it is the largest and the northernmost in Europe — it grows exactly at the climatic limit beyond which a lemon tree can no longer live outdoors.

For anyone staying here the practical difference is simple: the lemon house is not an excursion to plan, it is the garden next to your room. And the five apartments are built inside the old lemon house itself — which is why each one is named after a citrus fruit: Clementina, Calamondino, Kumquat, Pomelo, Bergamotto.

Yes. The beach is less than twenty metres from the garden: you cross the lawn and you are in the water. It is a small free beach, not a lido: no rows of parasols, no gates.

The lake here is clean and deep; the swimming season runs roughly from June to September. In the morning the water is a mirror, in the afternoon the wind picks up — which is why the stretch in front of us is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers.

We have no swimming pool, and we have never missed it: here you swim in the lake.

In front, the open lake and Monte Baldo on the Verona shore: on clear days the view runs from Malcesine all the way to Sirmione. Behind, a few metres away, a rock wall rises with a waterfall.

The rooms have a lake or mountain view depending on where they are in the building; the apartments all look onto the lake. Breakfast is served on the veranda, in the shade of the olive trees, with the lake in front of you.

Windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing: the wind on Lake Garda is steady and reliable, and the Circolo Vela Gargnano holds regattas throughout the season, including the historic Centomiglia.

Walking and mountain biking start right at the door: we are inside the Alto Garda Bresciano Park, and beyond the park trails there is a dense network of military paths — trenches, shelters, tunnels and casemates — long gone from the maps, almost always at the most panoramic spots.

Then canyoning in the gorges of Garda and Valle di Ledro, climbing on the rock face behind the hotel, and Golf Bogliaco, founded in 1912, the third golf club in Italy, between Gargnano and Toscolano Maderno.

For quieter days: Gargnano a few kilometres away, Limone sul Garda and Riva del Garda to the north, and the sanctuary of Montecastello above Tignale.

It depends on how long you stay and how much you want to cook. There are ten rooms: Double Standard (18 m²), Double Economy (16 m²), Triple (23 m²) and Family (29 m²), all with private bathroom, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and breakfast included, served on the veranda. It is the simplest choice for two or three nights.

The apartments are carved out of the old lemon house: Clementina, Calamondino, Kumquat and Pomelo are about 35 m² for two people, with a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette, outdoor space and lake view; Bergamotto is on two levels, 65 m², but is currently not available.

In short: a room for a short, easy stay; an apartment for a week, for families with children, or for anyone who wants to do the shopping and cook.

For those staying in a room, yes, and it is included in the rate: it is served on the veranda, in the shade of the olive trees, looking out over the lake.

Not for the apartments, since they have a kitchen: those who want it can add it for a fee. Just tell us when you book, or even the day before at the desk.

Yes, dogs are welcome, both in the rooms and in the apartments. The supplement is €10 per night per pet in the hotel and €50 per stay per pet in the apartments — not per night: for the whole stay.

We only ask you to tell us when you book, so we can give you the most convenient accommodation. All around there is the garden, the beach is free and the park trails start at the door: for a dog it is an easy place.

Check-in is from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, check-out by 10:30 am.

If you are arriving later than 8:00 pm, call us: the place is family-run and we will work it out, we just need to know in advance. And if you arrive early, you can usually leave the car in the car park and use the garden and the beach while we finish preparing the room.

Private bathroom with shower, hairdryer, towel set, shower gel and courtesy kit; air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, television and an empty fridge at your disposal.

All the windows have been replaced: no noise from the Gardesana road that passes in front reaches the rooms — it is one of the things guests mention most often. The property is non-smoking.

Italian, English, German, French and Spanish, both at the desk and across the whole website. The family runs the place in person: whoever answers the phone is the person who will welcome you on arrival.

The «Book» button on the site opens our booking engine, with real-time availability and instant confirmation. You can also call (+39) 0365 799890 or write to info@alpradelafam.com.

Booking directly means talking to us and not to an intermediary: special requests — the dog, breakfast in the apartment, a late arrival, a room near the garden — are settled in two lines of email.

Yes. Cold-pressed organic extra virgin olive oil, citrus-infused oil, lemons preserved in salt with chilli or pepper, limoncino with no colourings or preservatives, lemon syrup and organic lemon and bitter orange marmalades, along with clothing and accessories bearing the Prà logo.

They are sold at the hotel during your stay; the full range is on display at pradelafam.shop.