Lake Garda offers its guests a huge variety of options for holidays and various types of stays. It’s not just about the beach and the lake, the sun and lake walks, but it’s also rich in stories and beautiful places, often short distances from each other, but all within easy reach.
Lake Garda, also called Benaco, is the largest Italian lake, located between Lombardy with the province of Brescia, Veneto and with the province of Verona and Trentino-Alto Adige, in the province of Trento. Lake Garda offers its guests a huge variety of options for holidays and various types of stays. It’s not just about the beach and the lake, the sun and lake walks, but it’s also rich in history and beautiful places, often short distances from each other, but all within easy reach. Are we going to visit Lake Garda and its main villages? Stay with us and make the best of the boot country! Here at Viajando para Italia you can make the trip of your dreams!!! Also visit our Accommodations in Italy Section – Tips for your Vacation!
Our Introduction
I recommend that this itinerary on Lake Garda be done in two or three days. You can choose to visit various tourist locations that offer all kinds of entertainment, such as admiring picturesque villages overlooking the lake that offers beautiful beaches and corners of peace and nature, or decide to visit places rich in history and culture, with castles, villages , museums and churches. As you can see it is a place full of attractions and value, with great historical monuments, which have left their traces in twenty places around the lake and its surroundings, in fact, the castles, palaces, forts and villas are still a characteristic of these places.
The waters of Lake Garda…
The waters of Lake Garda reach many places from three Italian provinces, in the province of Verona, there are the cities of Peschiera del Garda, Castelnuovo del Garda, Lazise, Bardolino, Garda, Torres del Benaco, Brenzone and Malcesine, before moving on to the province of Brescia, with the cities of Lonato, Sirmione, Desenzano del Garda, Padenghe del Garda, Moniga del Garda, San Felice, Manerba del Garda, Salò, Toscolano-Maderno, Gardone Riviera, Gargnano, Tignale, Tremosine and Limone sul Garda . Finally, Trento, with Riva del Garda and Nago-Torbole.
1) Are we going to visit Lake Garda and its main villages? SIRMIONE
Starting our tour based on a stay in Sirmione. Among the many beautiful places that overlook the waters of this lake, this text will only visit the main one. Assuming, for example, from the west bank in Lombardy, you can start from Sirmione which is perhaps one of the most peculiar places, lying at the end of the narrow peninsula that heads towards the lake.
Sirmione Castle – Lombardy
This place is famous for the beauty of its historic center of medieval origin, and also because it is home to the remarkable Catullo Caves, which are actually the remains of a Roman village where the poet lived. The Sirmione peninsula could be the first stage of your trip, which, by the way, is also a hot spring and tourist center and, due to its location, is easily accessible from the Gardesana road and the highway, it has undergone rapid development. last years. Read also What to do in a day in Sirmione? The Pearl of Lake Garda.
2) Are we going to visit Lake Garda and its main villages? DESENZANO DEL GARDA, MANERBA DEL GARDA, SALO AND LIMONE SUL GARDA
You can then head to nearby Desenzano del Garda, a historic seaside town, for a quick visit, then stop at Manerba del Garda, where you can admire the spectacular fortress that seems to look down on the place. . Just 10 km further north you will visit the city of Salo, famous not only for its historic center but also for having been, for a year and a half, the capital of Mussolini’s Italian Social Republic, when World War II broke out. nearing the end.
Salo is located on the gulf of the same name, on the ‘Riviera Bresciana’ and amidst lush Mediterranean vegetation. In addition to foreign tourism, there is also a good influx of Italian tourists. Salo is located not far from Limone sul Garda, which is between the mountains and Lago di Garda, known for its lemon gardens, called limonaias. This small and peaceful village is full of charming lakeside restaurants, which are worth the beautiful view they offer. I advise you to walk aimlessly through its colorful alleys and obviously don’t miss buying Limoncello and other lemon-based products, which are typical of this city.
3) Are we going to visit Lake Garda and its main villages? RIVA DE GARDA, MALCESINE AND BRENZONE
Then we will find Riva de Garda, which develops between old houses with beautiful parks and modern hotel facilities, in a small bay sheltered from the winds and by the hills inland. In recent years, Garda has been transformed from a fishing village into one of the main tourist centers of ‘Riviera das Oliveiras’. Afterwards, we proceed to Malcesine, one of the most famous places on the Lake, which owes its fame to its magnificent geographical position. Hotels, campsites and tourist villages make the place one of the most elegant and complete holiday resorts. You can practice many sports, such as sailing, windsurfing, tennis and mini golf. From Malcesine you can go on the cable car ride that goes to the top of Monte Baldo! Unmissable tour to have all the panoramic view of the lake!!!
4) Are we going to visit Lake Garda and its main villages? BRENZONE, TORRES DEL BENACO AND PUNTA SAN VIGILIO
The journey can continue towards Brenzone, a pearl located on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda. Located in the center of the lake, it is historically a tourist transit area for trade between the Padana Plain and the Alps. Brenzone de Garda has small villages, centuries-old olive groves, ancient churches and centuries-old woods that stretch from the lake shore to the meadows and peaks of Monte Baldo. An interior that allows panoramic excursions in the hills among the olive trees, in the mountains and from where you can reach the characteristic mountain shelters.
Torres del Benaco and Punta San Vigilio
Then comes another charming village on Lake Garda, Torres del Benaco, a characteristic place that has kept its medieval appearance in the historic center with the port and its shops. From the old Latin name of the Lake and the location, it has a rich historical past, made up of dominations, which left a legacy of extraordinary constructions, such as a Castle. A Roman fortress with three towers that give the city its name and a tower where, inside, there is an ethnographic museum about the local tradition of the fishermen of Garda (Benaco) and about the inhabitants of the interior of Alto Garda. Three kilometers away is Punta San Vigilio, a small peninsula owned by the Guarienti family, considered perhaps one of the most beautiful and romantic spots around the lake, with a lush park and a Venetian-style country house.
5) Are we going to visit Lake Garda and its main villages? PESCHIERA DEL GARDA
Finally, Peschiera del Garda concludes the trip around the Lake, as a place suitable for all needs, which can range from wine gastronomy to nature walks, through cultural tours to relaxing spas or swimming in the cold waters of Benaco. In fact, along Lake Garda, there are a succession of places that present enchanting landscapes overlooking the waters of this wonderful lake. It’s one of the three main cities in the Lake, it doesn’t live only for tourism, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t good reasons to choose it for your vacation.
A little about Peschiera del Garda
The picturesque port, in fact, has a lot to offer, both culturally and architecturally. With the city’s special atmosphere, you can enjoy a pleasant walk through the center, which extends in the shape of a star and is dominated by walls, walls and a mighty fortress. The Fort is now partially destroyed and covered with vegetation. Peschiera is still an important transport hub, in fact, and the exit road is here, as well as being the access point to many places around the Lake. From here we will return to the starting point of our tour, Sirmione. Remembering that the tour needs two or three days to be very complete and without major rush. Important to know that villages are small, so they can generally be visited quickly.
Map of Lake Garda and its main villages
How to get to Lake Garda?
Lake Garda can easily be reached in many ways, by your own means or by public transport, by plane, by train, by bus.
1) How to get to Lake Garda? BY AIRPLANE
By air is definitely the fastest way to get to Lake Garda. Near Lake Garda, there are many airports, the first of the airports is Valerio Catullo, in Verona, or Orio al Serio Airport; there is also Marco Polo Airport in Venice, all very well connected to the lake by bus and train.
2) How to get to Lake Garda? BY TRAIN
You can reach Lake Garda by train. You can, in fact, reach the Riviera dei Limoni without any problem, no matter which direction you come from. Coming from the North, you can exit at Rovereto. Between Rovereto and Verona Porta Nuova stations there is a convenient bus service to Lake Garda.
Know that Trenitalia is the main Italian company dedicated to the management of rail transport. Find out here “What is the difference between trains in Italy“. Buy your ticket online in advance and save a lot, read the Post “How to buy a train ticket in Italy?”.
3) How to get to Lake Garda? BY CAR
You can reach Lake Garda safely by car. The A22 motorways run parallel to the East Coast of the Lake, from North to South. Exit at Rovereto South or North Lake Garda, reaching various places on the Lake. During the summer months, you can find a lot of traffic on weekends. Read here some Examples of Road Trips through Italy.
If you are going to rent a car, be sure to read our posts in the Driving in Italy section of the Traveling to Italy blog. In addition to car itinerary tips, we have everything about signs, tolls, roads and many more tips.
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