A place that excites city travelers, nature lovers, and wine enthusiasts alike: Lake Garda.
Lake Garda, Italy’s largest and most popular lake, attracts millions of visitors from around the world each year. The Mediterranean landscape, turquoise waters, culinary delights, and picturesque towns offer a perfect holiday. In addition to well-known attractions like Verona, only about 30 kilometers from the southern shore, and the medieval town of Sirmione, the lake in northern Italy has much more to offer.
Lemon Riviera on Lake Garda
The Lemon Riviera on the western shore of Lake Garda delights with its lemon groves that stretch picturesquely along the hillsides. In Limone sul Garda, the center of lemon production, the fragrant citrus fruits can be enjoyed in all forms and variations – especially with the traditional lemon liqueur, Limoncello. The production is an art passed down from generation to generation.
A visit to the Limonaia del Castèl, the lemon greenhouse, is a must for every visitor. Today’s museum spans several terraces and offers a view of the old town below. In summer, there are tours with lemon pastries and the local Limoncello. On some evenings, the garden is open outside regular hours until 11 PM. Tours are offered in various languages and cost up to five euros, including tastings. From the water, the magnificent lemon groves are best admired. Ferries connect almost all towns around the lake during the season, so a car is not always necessary.
Bardolino: Charming Old Town with Flair
Bardolino on the eastern shore of Lake Garda is a charming town with a beautiful old town surrounded by a medieval city wall. Narrow alleys, colorful houses, and the Italian atmosphere along the promenade promise pure holiday feeling. Numerous restaurants, ice cream parlors, and bars invite you to linger. The pedestrian zone with its many side streets makes shoppers’ hearts beat faster.
The local market on the lakefront is particularly popular on Thursdays. From regional delicacies to fruits and vegetables to leather goods and fashion – locals and tourists alike get their money’s worth here. Many hotels with pools, spas, and wellness areas, such as the four-star “Aqualux Hotel Spa Suite & Therme,” offer relaxation from shopping stress, located within walking distance of the old town. Highlights include a Mediterranean garden with a spa, saunas, and fitness center, as well as the Aqua-Experience with eight heated indoor and outdoor pools in various sizes and a pool bar. The in-house restaurants focus on Italian and regional cuisine. The hotel emphasizes a sustainable and eco-green approach in terms of construction, cuisine, and treatments.
Wine Region Lake Garda
The region around Lake Garda is known for its excellent wines. Numerous wineries like Avanzi, Ca del Frati, Lamberti, Masi, Zenato, Zeni, or Ca Maiol produce regional specialties such as Bardolino Classico, Lugana, Chiaretto, Valpolicella, or Amarone. Wine tastings, cellar tours, and direct sales are possible almost everywhere.
A visit to the wine museum of the Zeni winery in Bardolino is particularly worthwhile. The enotheque, the olfactory gallery, and the barrel cellar can be visited. Historical vehicles are on display, as well as topics related to viticulture, vine science, harvest, aging in wooden barrels, and bottling. Since 1991, the objects collected by the Zeni family have been publicly and freely exhibited, providing a testimony to Veronese viticulture and Italian wine culture. Not only by the lake but also in the hinterland, great wineries can be discovered. For interested connoisseurs, a tour through the vineyards is recommended, such as a gourmet tour along the Strada dei Vini. Winemakers, restaurateurs, and gourmets have teamed up and offer entirely new impressions of Lake Garda along the route. One of the most important European wine fairs, Vinitaly, takes place annually in April in Verona, attracting winemakers from all over Italy.
Mountain View with Panorama at Monte Baldo
At 2,218 meters, Monte Baldo is the highest mountain on Lake Garda and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the lake and the surrounding landscape. The summit is easily accessible by cable car, and tickets can be pre-ordered online. Hiking, paragliding, climbing, bike trails, and other sports activities are possible year-round, and mountain huts invite you to linger.
Since 2017, there are three different riding trails at over 2,000 meters altitude in varying degrees of difficulty. The Veneto and Trentino regions are connected over about 110 km: the riding trails are divided into a blue route (Monte Altissimo di Nago), a red route (Madonna della Neve), and a yellow route (Malga Ime). On horseback, you can unwind to the rhythm of the hooves and the rustling of the wind. The mountain massif has four climate zones, each with its typical vegetation. Up to 700 meters is the Mediterranean zone, from 700 to 1,500 meters is the mountain zone. Then follows the boreal zone up to 2,000 meters and above 2,000 meters the alpine zone.
Isola del Garda: Green Island in the Middle of the Lake
Isola del Garda is the largest island in Lake Garda and is privately owned. A botanical garden with exotic plants and the stately villa in neo-Gothic Venetian style are popular excursion destinations. The park features magnolias, magnificent agaves, and numerous other plants, home to many birds. The palms next to the villa come from the Canary Islands, even fruit plants like pomegranates and, of course, citrus plants thrive here.
From May to October, tours are offered, and concerts are regularly held as part of a cultural summer. The island is also a popular hotspot for weddings. However, not even the bridal couple can stay overnight here. Accommodations are available 200 meters away in San Felice del Benaco, for example, at the Hotel Villa Luisa Resort & Spa.
Summer Temperatures Until Late August
The ideal travel time for a holiday at Lake Garda is from April to October. The Lake Garda bathing season begins no later than June. Until late August, vacationers can expect summer temperatures and plenty of sunshine. With the beginning of autumn in September, the low season also starts at Lake Garda.
