Valpolicella may well be the best Italian wine region you’ve never heard of. 15 minutes from Lake Garda in one direction, and Verona in another, it’s 240 square kilometres of sunny, idyllically positioned landscape, with an impressive wine industry that’s fuelled the area’s rich history and impressive architecture, as well as impacting the region’s appearance. As you can probably imagine, the best places to stay in Valpolicella include grand converted villas and wine estates, picturesque auberges and agriturismo, B&Bs and wine hotels, but for our Gurus there’s one place to recommend above others: an intimate escape called the Pianaura Suites, which is a small, but perfectly converted 17th century villa, with a gorgeous terraced garden and fantastic views.

Most Valpolicella wines are light and fragrant, served relatively freshly post-harvest, something like Beaujolais, though the region also produces aged versions, and Amarone, a much bolder red wine, and a desert wine. Bardolino is to the west, so the whole area is awash with great vineyards and cellars to visit, so Valpolicella is a good base for wine lovers considering Lake Garda as a destination.

In addition to wine and all it entails, the area is extremely picturesque, dotted with small villages, with beautiful Romanesque churches, elegant frescoed villas, glorious views and gardens, and some excellent places to eat and drink.

The town hosts great events all year, the theme most frequently being wine, so this is a popular destination for Italians, and the best places to stay in Valpolicella do book up pretty solidly, especially during the sunny summer months.

The Best Places to Stay in Valpolicella

For and Intimate Escape

• Pianaura Suites offers just two suites, in a beautifully restored and renovated 17th century villa set among the Valpolicella vines. Super private and luxurious, these two suites share a gorgeous terraced garden and plunge pool with the owners of the property, who are also the very charming and knowledgable hosts. The decor is stylish, with a mid-century edge, and respect for the building’s traditional architecture, and there’s plenty of space. 14 is the cut off for kids, but the vibe is romantic.

Prefer a Self-catering Apartment or villa?

• Sometimes a villa or apartment is the best option if you're travelling in a larger group, so if you decide that you'd prefer a self catering option, check out our online booking partner, booking.com for some inspiration.

Travel Information

• The closest airport is Verona-Villafranca, which is about half an hour away by road, or an hour and a half by bus. Brescia-Montichiari is under an hours drive away, but about two and a half hours by public transport. Venice Marco Polo airport, which might be useful to some, is about an hour and a half away by road and about the same by train via Verona.
• If you want to hire a car — which we strongly advise if you’re staying on Lake Garda — we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Valpolicella’s weather, with its mix of cool nights and warm days is what makes it such a fantastic region for viticulture, and while it gets the same sunshine as Lake Garda it’s a bit cooler. The grape harvest sounds like a great time to visit, but it’s actually not ideal, because the vineyards are busy doing what they do and have less time to welcome guests. With that in mind May and June are probably the best times to visit, with temperatures reaching about 25°C.

Still not sure where to stay?

• You could expand your search to include all the best places to stay on Lake Garda or the best places to stay in Verona
• Consider all the best wine hotels in the Valpolicella region
• Include other local towns in your search like Bardolino or Garda on Lake Garda, or the spectacular Sirmione peninsula?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.