A quiet, relaxing holiday destination in the hills near Bardolino sul Garda

Bardolino sul Garda, a town located about 30 km from Verona at the foot of the morainic hills on the eastern shores of Lake Garda, is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Italy’s largest lake.
Owing to its natural position and geography, it offers an extensive range of year-round leisure activities, while the exceptional fertility of the soil allows local growers to produce a wide variety of food and wine. Its vineyards and olive groves are renowned for the local Bardolino red wine and an outstanding extra-virgin olive oil. The area’s unique topography and landscape also makes it a popular destination for the burgeoning slow tourism movement, known in particular for its hiking and mountain bike trails that wind their way across gentle hills overlooking the lake.
Completed in 2017 to a project by Bardolino-based architect Lino Rama, San Colombano Suites is a small, secluded and luxury complex standing on the hillside just outside the town, along the cypress tree-lined road that leads to the nearby priory of San Colombano and then on to the hilltop Hermitage of San Giorgio.
The motto « All you need is love » engraved on the front of the complex was the principle that inspired the design of new suites, which were created by extending an existing row of terraced houses and replicating the building typology but with different characteristics.
San Colombano Suites consist of four apartments with a single above-ground floor and extensively glazed elevations oriented in such a way as to look out in different directions onto the landscape. At the front they face the lake, an infinity pool, the garden with olive trees and, outside the property, rows of vines. At the rear, each suite opens onto a private outdoor garden space.
The partially accessible flat green roofs help the building blend into the landscape while improving the overall performance and comfort of a complex that focused on sustainability right from the structural design stage. The suites are supported by non-parallel pairs of X-lam wooden partitions resting on a reinforced concrete underground base, and these partitions in turn support the beams and floors, likewise made of wood.
The living areas and kitchenettes look out south-west over the lake, while the bedrooms face north-east towards the mountains.
The exclusive, high-quality amenities and furnishings chosen for the interiors and exteriors assure guests a relaxing, restful holiday experience, while ceramic tiles from Cotto d’Este help create a personal and refined look both inside and out. The large Kerlite panels (Buxy Caramel collection) chosen for the external finish of the envelope evoke the textures and colours of natural stone, while tiles from the Cluny collection (Champagne Sable finish) were used for the pool area and ensure the beauty, safety and durability of the outdoor areas. Baita wood-effect porcelain tiles from the Cadore collection are also used in the interiors of the suites, in 12 mm thichness version. For the porch area, the same collection with 20 mm thickness has been used.
« The new holiday suites are set amongst vineyards and olive groves dotted with rows of cypress trees, » said architect Lino Rama. « Built as an extension of an existing building, the segmented single-storey volume complete with green roof terrace blends harmoniously into the landscape. The interiors offer splendid views over the lake and guarantee a quiet, relaxing holiday. So turn on the music: All you need is love! »