Villa Cordevigo

Half an hour’s drive up the road from Verona is Villa Cordevigo, a classic Venetian country estate in the hills above Lake Garda. Right from the entrance it’s clear what you’re in for. After driving through the countryside, you make your way toward the villa by way of a long gravel road lined with ancient cypress trees, until the trees part to reveal the traditional stucco facade of the 18th-century building. In short, it’s that combination of pastoral tranquility and old-world sophistication that Italy does so well — and all the better that it’s on a vineyard estate in the Veneto, where the crowds are a bit thinner than in some of Italy’s other idyllic corners.

Though the hotel has recently been refurbished, the lost-in-time effect is never spoiled. Guest rooms are fitted with the usual conveniences, including sharp screens, AC and a wi-fi signal, but you’ll much sooner notice the period furnishings, exposed wood-beam ceilings and heavy, flowing drapes over the windows. That is, the level of comfort is contemporary, right down to the fine bathrobes and Bulgari toiletries, but the visual style is traditional — and perfectly in keeping with the setting.

Beyond the guest rooms, there’s quite a lot to explore. The well-kept Italianate gardens are a good place to start, and just beyond are two hundred and fifty private acres of vineyards and parkland, with quiet paths for hiking and biking. (For leisurely rides, the hotel has old-fashioned cruiser bikes complete with well-worn Brooks saddles.) And out past the property is some awfully inviting countryside, full of vineyards and castles and ancient Romanesque churches, to say nothing of the natural beauty of Lake Garda itself.

Where things do get a bit more contemporary is at the villa’s restaurant. The cuisine walks that line of being rooted in tradition without quite seeming old-fashioned, while the room itself is immaculately white, if still recognizably part of an 18th-century villa. Throw in a quiet, relaxing spa and a sunny little pool ringed with loungers and parasols, and it’s the whole Venetian villa-hotel package.