Giazza - a mountain village in northern Italy

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Giazza is a small mountain village in northern Italy that we had the chance to visit. The best thing about meeting locals when you're traveling abroad is that you get to places you would never have been to otherwise. Leif and Patrizia live in a small village just outside Verona in Italy, but Leif also has a house in the mountain village of Giazza. We went there the day before yesterday on winding roads through the mountains in northern Italy.

Giazza in northern Italy

Giazza is located in the northern part of Italy, in the region of Verona. The town is a short distance north of Verona. It is about 1.3 miles from Venice by car and around 1.6 miles from Bergamo.

Meetings on the trip

When we got to the campsite in Igoumenitsa In northern Greece we met Swedish Leif and his Italian wife Patrizia, who live just outside Verona. Now when we were heading to Verona to buy wine we had the fantastic luck of being invited to their place.

It was an incredibly nice evening with lots of talk about travel and Italian food and other interesting things. We were invited to a fantastic red wine and antipasti with tasty local cheeses and charcuterie at their apartment, and then dinner at the cozy little neighborhood restaurant.

Giazza - an ancient mountain village with its own language

The next day we went to the cozy mountain village of Giazza. This small village has around 100 permanent residents, a small shop and a few restaurants. Some also have summer homes here, so in the summer there are more people on the move.

People from Bavaria-Tyrol settled in this area as early as the 13th century and many of the houses are very old. Leif's beautiful house, for example, was built as early as the 17th century.

Perhaps most notably, the village, along with several other municipalities in the area, has its own language. The language is called cimbro and is more likely a German dialect, but apparently differs so much that it is difficult to understand for a normal German.

By the way, if you were to visit the village in the summer, there is a museum where you can learn more about the local culture.

Tour of the wine valleys of Valpolicella

During our visit to Leif and Patrizia, we also took the opportunity to do a little wine tour to Valpolicella, where we have been twice before.

Many people who buy wine in Valpolicella go to one of the many cantinas around the area. Together with Leif and Patrizia, we went to a cantina and visited the Viviani winery, where we have been before.

Sandra Viviani welcomed us and told us about their different wines, everything from their simplest Valpolicella to their finest Amarone Casa Dei Bepi.

A good ending

How does one conclude a day of wine shopping in Valpolicella? Naturally, with good food and fine wine. It was exceptionally enjoyable. Italian cuisine at Leif and Patrizia's house along with a bottle of Valpolicella Superiore Campo Morar from Viviani.

We started with antipasti with insalata caprese (tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil) and local cheeses and cured meats. Here in Italy, they like to buy the cheeses and hams from the local farms instead of the big producers, so the food is really locally produced. Then we continued with a good pasta with pumpkin. A very good ending to a very good day!

See more in the neighbourhood

Want to see more near the mountain village of Giazza? This is an amazingly beautiful part of Italy. You can discover the cities of Verona, Bergamo and Milan. You can also experience Lake Garda and its beautiful surroundings. There are plenty of campsites here and you can also visit many vineyards.

• Shopping for wine in Valpolicella
• Things to do in Milan
• Bergamo
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