For two weekends, 26-27 September and 3-4 October 2026, the village of Gardola turns into the truffle capital of the upper Brescia side of Lake Garda. The Sagra del Tartufo di Tignale (Tignale Truffle Festival) reaches its 28th edition and is a village festival in the truest sense: locals open their private courtyards, associations run the stands, the band plays in the square, and truffle turns up on bigoli (thick spaghetti), on polenta, and even on ice cream. Here’s everything you need to plan your visit, from the official program to the shuttle times from the port.
Tignale sits 500 metres above the lake, between Limone and Gargnano, and is one of the least touristy villages on the western shore: it’s worth the trip just for the view from the Santuario di Montecastello. The festival is the best time to discover it.
Dates and how it works
Four days across two weekends: Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026. On Saturdays the stands are open from 10 am to 8:30 pm, on Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm (on 4 October until 6 pm). Entry to the village and the festival is free.
At the food stands you pay with Eurotartufi, the festival’s own currency: 1 euro = 1 Eurotartufo, bought at the two cash points and non-refundable. In the village’s bars and restaurants, on the other hand, you pay normally and Eurotartufi aren’t valid there. It’s worth working out how much you’ll spend before heading to the till.
What to eat
The food stands in the historic centre open 12-2:30 pm every day and, on Saturdays, also 6:30-8:30 pm. The official 2026 price list:
- Bigoli with truffle — 13 Eurotartufi
- Beef tartare with truffle — 13
- Polenta cùsa (with cheese) with truffle — 11
- Roll with melted cheese and truffle — 7; “Specialino” with salami and melted cheese with truffle — 8
- Fiordilatte ice cream with truffle — 5
- Glass of Cantina Scolari wine — 3; 0.4 l beer — 3; 0.5 l water — 1
Then there are the two tasting stalls, open all day from 11:30 am to 6 pm. “Tartufo con Vista”, on Via Piave, serves fresh truffle egg prepared on the spot by chef Andrea with a glass of wine and a lake view (11 Eurotartufi). “Il Tartufo in Corte”, in the small courtyard of Vicolo Valle, offers arrosticini (skewered lamb) with cheese and truffle fondue plus the glass of wine (11 Eurotartufi).
If you’d rather sit down at a table, there’s the rassegna gastronomica (restaurant menu event): Tignale’s restaurants offer truffle menus and dishes on different days and periods, at their own prices (no Eurotartufi). The updated list with dates is on the town’s website, tignale.org. In the Nuovo Centro Culturale in Gardola there’s also the Mostra del Tartufo e della Tartuficoltura (Truffle and Truffle-Growing Exhibition) curated by the Tartufai e Tartuficoltori Bresciani association, with the same hours as the stands.
Truffle hunting in the woods
This is the experience that sets Tignale apart from other festivals. The Passeggiata del Tartufaio (Truffle Hunter’s Walk) takes place on Saturdays (26 September and 3 October) from 2 to 5 pm, starting from the Oleificio di Gardola: you walk through the woods with an expert truffle hunter and his dogs and see how a truffle is really found. On Sundays (27 September and 4 October), from 9:30 am to 1 pm, there’s the passeggiata alla scoperta delle tartufaie con Aperitartufo, “Leggende da Gustare” (walk discovering the truffle grounds with Aperitartufo, “Tales to Taste”), which ends with an aperitif.
For both, booking is required via the Visit Tignale app or tignaletour.com; places are limited, so it’s best to book a few days in advance.
Music, theatre and kids
The festival opens on Saturday 26 September at 10 am in Piazza Umberto I with the Nuova Banda Tignalese and closes on Sunday 4 October at 6:30 pm with the Coro di Montecastello di Tignale: two traditions repeated every year. In between, roaming music through the village streets every day and two evening shows in the square at 8:45 pm: the Jimmy Snuka Superfly Big Band on Saturday 26 September and the rockabilly of The Squirters on Saturday 3 October.
At the Nuovo Centro Culturale, free entry: on Saturdays from 2 to 5 pm a dance show and workshop with Arco Iris Dance; on Sunday 27 September at 3 pm “Il Gabbiano Jonathan Livingston” by the Chronos3 company, shadow theatre and live music for families; on Sunday 4 October at 3 pm “Happiness”, contemporary circus by Circo Rasoterra, and from 10 am to 5 pm the creative workshops by Semidarte for adults and children.
For kids, in Piazzale San Francesco d’Assisi, there’s a play area with inflatables (10 rides 5 Eurotartufi, bouncy trampoline 30 minutes 10) and cotton candy, while old-fashioned wooden games are scattered through the streets of the centre, free of charge.
Beyond the festival: free lemon house and museum
During the festival, two Tignale sites that are usually paid entry are free. The Limonaia Prà dela Fam, the lakeside eco-museum next to the port, is open from 10 am to 5 pm with a welcome drink; on 26-27 September, for the European Heritage Days, there are also guided tours by Domenico Fava (Saturday 26 at 10 am, Sunday 27 at 2 pm). The Museo del Parco Alto Garda Bresciano is open free of charge on Saturdays 1-6 pm and Sundays 2-6 pm.
How to get there
By car. Gardola is reached from the western Gardesana road (SS45bis), climbing up from Gargnano or Limone: a narrow, scenic road, allow 20-25 minutes from the lake. Car parks: Piazzale Maria Montessori (Parco Arcobaleno), Piazzale Aldo Moro, the Cemetery car park and the Nuovo Centro Culturale car park; the map is in the official booklet.
By boat + shuttle. The car-free alternative: arrive at the Navigarda landing stage at the Port of Tignale (Prà dela Fam) and go up to Gardola with the festival shuttle, which connects the port and the village during the event. Boat times are on our ferry page; shuttle times and booking are on the Visit Tignale app.
By Cabrio-Bus from Limone. On the two Sundays, 27 September and 4 October, Miki Tours runs the open-top bus from Limone sul Garda along the Strada della Forra with a stop at Pieve di Tremosine: departure at 10 am, arrival in Tignale at 12 pm, return at 3 pm. Fare €36, booking required via QR code or the Visit Tignale app.
Practical information
28th Sagra del Tartufo di Tignale — 26-27 September and 3-4 October 2026, Gardola (Tignale, BS). Free entry; food and drinks paid in Eurotartufi. Organised by the Comune di Tignale with the Azienda Speciale Tignale Servizi, the village’s associations and volunteers. Official booklet, list of exhibitors and restaurant event on tignale.org; Tignale Tourist Office tel. +39 0365 73354, info@tignale.org. Event listing with dates and times: Sagra del Tartufo di Tignale 2026. What to see in the village: Tignale.
