Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and stretches between three regions touching three provinces: Lombardy (Brescia), Veneto (Verona) and Trentino-Alto Adige (Trento).

The territory of Lake Garda is characterized by a mild climate and a varied and picturesque landscape with its mountains, hills and vineyards. The brightness of the environment, the mildness of the climate, the rich vegetation, consisting mainly of olive trees, palms, cypresses, lemons, oleanders, and orange trees, together with the grandeur of the landscapes, which serve as a backdrop to the interesting historical and cultural testimonies scattered over its territory, make Lake Garda certainly the most attractive of the Italian lakes.

Today, Lake Garda is an important tourist center to be visited all year round, thanks to its natural beauty and the many activities that can be carried out on its shores.

Active vacation on Lake Garda

Lake Garda is a perfect place to spend an active vacation, as thanks to the surrounding environment and its climate, there are numerous activities you can enjoy in this area.
If you love walking, biking, or horseback riding, there are several marked hiking and mountain bike trails on Lake Garda that will take you to discover the beautiful nature surrounding the lake.

For lovers of water sports, Lake Garda is the ideal place to go sailing or windsurfing, thanks to the constant winds that envelop the area.
The more athletic will find, in the Arco area, one of the best destinations in Europe for free climbing where there are also excellent free climbing schools and ideal walls on which to practice.
Adrenaline and adventure lovers can take flight by paraglider from the high peaks of Mount Baldo to admire the unsurpassed beauty that Lake Garda offers.

Villages on Lake Garda

The Villages on Lake Garda are among the most beautiful in Italy. Strategically located, they offer breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding nature. Many of these villages have been inhabited by famous artists and writers who have left their mark on history, art, and literature. Today the villages on Lake Garda are visited by tourists from all over the world, the most famous of which include Sirmione, Bardolino, Gardone Riviera, Malcesine, Limone sul Garda, Riva del Garda, and Desenzano del Garda.

Each of these villages offers something special and deserves to be visited. The village of Sirmione, for example, is known for its majestic Scaliger Castle, one of the most spectacular and best preserved in Italy, and its Roman baths.

Bardolino is famous for the production of Garda DOP extra virgin olive oil and the red wine that bears its name. In addition, this wonderful village organizes many cultural initiatives and events every year.

Gardone Riviera is another village with irresistible charm, and it is known for hosting one of the most important open-air theaters on the national scene: the Vittoriale degli Italiani, a monumental complex erected at the behest of Gabriele d'Annunzio. In addition, nature is the undisputed protagonist of Gardone Riviera, and among other major outdoor attractions, the André Heller Botanical Garden boasts a heritage of immense value that reflects the passion and extravagance of its founder, Dr.Arthur Hruska.

Malcesine is another pearl of Lake Garda, a small medieval village known for its Castello Scaligero, a 13th-century fortress whose undisputed beauty and location make it one of the most beautiful locations in Italy.

Limone sul Garda is a picturesque town located on the western shore of Lake Garda, nestled in a lush Mediterranean landscape that have made it famous for its citrus fruit production.

Riva del Garda is the jewel in the crown of Trentino, nestled between Lake Garda and the Brenta Dolomites, a tourist town that offers many outdoor activities, such as windsurfing and mountain biking.

Desenzano del Garda is the largest town on Lake Garda and offers visitors numerous stores, restaurants, and bars, as well as a lively nightlife. It is also possible to visit the "Giovanni Rambotti" Civic Archaeological Museum, which displays artifacts dating from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages, with the main focus on the lake dwellings of the lower Garda area of Brescia.

These are just a few of the many villages worth visiting on Lake Garda. Each offers something unique and special that make it worth a visit.

The best events on Lake Garda

Lake Garda is one of the most beautiful places in Italy and where many events and festivals take place there every year. The calendar between local holidays, fairs and festivals is always full, and every occasion is perfect for toasting and celebrating on the lake at any time of the year.

Among the most important events is the Palio delle Contrade in Garda, where on Assumption Day, Aug. 15, on the stretch of lakefront between the harbor and the town hall, the gondolas of the town's nine contrade compete by oar for the city's supremacy.

At the end of May and until the beginning of June, not to be missed is the historic 1000 Miglia race, among the most famous in Italy and in the world, which has been starting in Brescia since 1927 and runs through different stages in the Lake Garda area. For those who love spectacular scenery, surely the passage of the 1000 Miglia in Desenzano del Garda, on the lakefront leading to Sirmione, passing through Colombare to the Scaliger Castle, is a must-see.

There is no shortage of events in music, which on the Trentino shore of Benaco hosts the Garda Jazz Festival in early August. A live jazz event on the lake designed to host many different concerts and artists that winds its way through various locations, some spectacular like Arco Castle, as well as venues and institutional venues in Drena, Tenno, Dro, Torbole and Riva del Garda.

For those with a sweet tooth, Tignale hosts the very tasty Truffle Festival from the last week of September to the first week of October. A mountain resort on the plateau overlooking the Benaco, where the search for black truffle yields excellent fruit. Its unmistakable flavor can be savored in the proposed typical dishes of the area. There are many tasting points, outdoors and in restaurants.

Another much-awaited gourmet event on the Veronese shore is certainly the famous Grape and Wine Festival in Bardolino, which takes place annually in October.

Unmissable at Christmas are the markets on Lake Garda. Among the best-known events on the shores of Benaco, there are certainly the typical Christmas markets. From December and throughout the holiday season, including New Year's Eve and Epiphany, Christmas markets can be visited on all shores of Lake Garda. The perfect opportunity to go in search of interesting gifts and goodies to enjoy such as mulled wine or cinnamon and ginger sweets.

The cuisine of Lake Garda

The cuisine of Lake Garda is one of the most varied in Italy, as it brings together the culinary traditions of the three regions. The typical dishes are very simple and genuine, based on fresh fish and local products. Among the most commonly used fish in the recipes are lavaret, lake trout, sardine and carpione. For example, grilled whitefish, grilled carp, pike in sauce, barbecued sardines, and codfish are very popular.

Among fish-based first courses, risotto with tench is one of the traditional recipes. First the sauce is prepared with tench, sautéed, a little tomato sauce and cinnamon. Next, it is combined with rice, which is cooked with broth to become risotto.

Another typical first course on the Garda shore is bigoli con le sarde. This is a type of fresh egg pasta, similar to bucatini in thickness, sautéed with fresh sardines browned with Garda DOP extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic, and parsley.

For main courses, in Malcesine you cannot miss tasting polenta carbonera, a very old and poor dish prepared with polenta, Garda DOP extra virgin olive oil and Monte Baldo cheese. Fish-based, on the other hand, is the very tasty perch fillet.

To accompany these tasty dishes, the wines of Lake Garda cannot be missed.
Garda's signature wine is Bardolino, a red that is light and ideal for any meal. Other typical red wines are Groppello and Garda Merlot.
The most famous rosé is Bardolino Chiaretto, consumed mainly with fish, but there is also Garda Classico Chiaretto.
As white wines, there are Bianco di Custoza and Lugana, suitable for fish dishes and Garda cheeses.