Rising above picturesque Gargnano, just a 15-minute drive along winding mountain roads leads to a resort resembling the tiered lemon groves typical to the waterside of Lake Garda. Continuing the citrus theme, its two restaurants centre refreshing mediterranean cuisine, most obviously in La Limonaia’s contemporary interpretation of Italian favourites. Its lemon-house look feels spacious in its minimalism, topped only by the romantic ambience in the air on the Gramen restaurant terrace. Sweeping panoramas of calm waters naturally draw the eye, with seasonal seafood a fitting thread tying together one of two tasting menus. While enjoying the delectable dishes designed under Lefay’s Michelin-starred executive chef Matteo Maenza, bask in the near endless 11 hectares of natural park cascading toward the shoreline, their woodlands and olive groves hinting at the possibility of adding outdoor pursuits to days spent in the serenity of the spa. 

As the resort name suggests, the muse to inspire a stay here has to be the sublime spa. Sprawling over three floors, its enormity includes saunas, steam rooms, hammams, and a superfluous selection of pools to blissfully bathe in. Though in truth you’ll quite simply be spoilt for choice, the standout for a leisurely swim is shared between two. The first, an outdoor heated pool where not a minute is lost away from elysian vistas, and conversely, the salt lake pool, housed in a candlelit cave for complete and utter privacy. Science-backed and wellness-focused, treatments here blend classical Chinese medicine with Western research, elevated further by the introduction of wellness weeks, when in-the-know individuals are welcomed to share their expertise.