Lake Garda is among the most important Italian and European tourist destinations for both local and international tourists as well as a popular lakeside resort.
If you didn’t already know, this is the largest lake in the Bel Paese and it attracts millions of visitors each year for its charming villages, the theme parks, along with the many enchanting castles and fortresses that face its shimmering blue waters.
Many people also love Lake Garda for its wide choice of water sports to practise and other outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking.
Around Lake Garda, there are so many places to visit, things to do, local products to taste, that for most visitors arriving here, a short stay is not enough to cover it all!
Lake Garda Travel Guide
In this guide you will get to know about some of the best things to do in Lake Garda and the lake region plus how you can spend your precious time around here.
If you’re considering visiting Lake Garda, keep reading this below as I’ll explain what you can do around this part of Italy and how to make the most of your time here.
Where is Lake Garda
Lake Garda, also called Lake Benaco, is located in north east Italy and it’s the largest lake in the country. See the Lake Garda map below for more info:
With an area of about 370 km², its shores belong to 3 regions: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige. There are 25 picturesque villages, all connected by the ‘Gardesana’ state road and reachable via the motorway.
The most famous holiday destinations around the Lake Garda are:
- Sirmione
- Peschiera and Desenzano del Garda
- Malcesine
- Riva del Garda
- Lazise sul Garda
- Bardolino
If you are thinking of travelling from Venice to Lake Garda then you’ll be glad to know that you have a few different options available for getting here.
The popular lake region is rich in historical monuments, castles and fortresses that can give you a glimpse into its unrivalled history.
The mild climate of Lake Garda is characterised by hot and long summers (from April to October) and cool winters with low rainfalls.
Thanks to this favourable climate, all around Lake Garda you can taste delicious local products such as olives, oranges and lemons, wines and truffles.
Things Lake Garda is known for
It’s no secret that Lake Garda is one of the most loved destinations in Italy and there are many reasons why. People travel from all around the world to visit Italy and Lake Garda is a frequent addition to any respectable Italian travel itinerary.
These are some of the things Lake Garda is known for:
- For the unique landscapes: The first reason why travellers visit this beautiful lake region is for the incredible views you can only admire here. With the Alps as a backdrop to the calm waters of the lake, there’s no other place in the world that counts on fascinating fortresses and castles overlooking the lake, scenic roads to drive, picturesque villages to explore and beaches to relax on.
- For the Mediterranean climate: The nearby Alps protect this region from the most cold winds coming from the north and the lake waters mitigate the climate. You can visit Lake Garda all year round to enjoy its lovely temperatures. July and August are particularly hot months so be sure to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses and your skin using a good sunscreen on your face and neck (especially if walking around in the day).
- To practise watersports and other outdoor activities: Lake Garda is also famous for the impressive amount of sports to practise outdoors. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro in windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, paragliding or mountain biking (just to name a couple), here you’ll find bread for your teeth!
Reason to Visit Lake Garda
Lake Garda is worth visiting for its landscapes, to relax at the beach during the summer months, and make the most of its mild climate all year round.
At the north, you can admire the imposing Alps peaks, lush hills on the southern shores and both rocky and sandy beaches. Whether you like strolling around the streets of old villages, practising outdoor sports, having fun at theme parks or taste local wines and other products, here you can experience all this!
Around the lake shores, there are also many castles and fortresses to explore to find out about their millennary history. You can spend a lot of time outdoors, practising both water sports such as jet-skiing, windsurfing, canoeing and snorkelling as well as climbing, hiking and cycling.
Lake Garda is also worth visiting to taste the delicious regional cuisine, such as fish based dishes and sip the famous Bardolino and Valpollicella wines.
How many days to spend in Lake Garda
You need 3 days in Lake Garda so you can visit some of its charming lakeside towns, romantic castles and fortresses overlooking its calm waters and go on a boat tour.
Lake Garda is such a big lake and there are many things to see and do but if you plan wisely your time and choose activities of your interest carefully, you can definitely fit plenty of activities in 3 days.
You can for example visit 2 or 3 towns, choose an outdoor activity like hiking, sailing or go on a boat tour and wine tasting or spend half day at the spa. I suggest staying around Desenzano del Garda, Peschiera del Garda and Sirmione.
From these towns you can easily reach different locations of Lake Garda, practise outdoor sports and go on boat tours. But you can also do some wine tastings and relaxing spa treatments in one of the renowned spa hotels in Sirmione.
Finally, it’s worth reminding you that you can even combine one or more activities. During this Lake Garda Historic Castle and Wine Tasting Cruise you’ll visit the Scaligero castle, do a wine tasting in Bardolino and swim in front of a villa.
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Things to do in Lake Garda
Below you can see a summary of the things to do while visiting Lake Garda:
- Visit castles and fortresses: Lake Garda’s coasts are famous for their charming castles and forts dating back to different ages and many are located on high ground or facing the lake, visitors can enjoy magnificent views.
- Go on boat excursions: Navigating the lake waters you can discover its landscapes, learn about its history and legends from an extraordinary and surprisingly beautiful perspective.
- Do wine tastings at local wine cellars: Lake Garda’s coast and the hinterland form a popular wine production region. In fact, there are several native vines, denominations of origin and well-renowned wine cellars that make this area an important wine tourism destination.
- Relax at the spa: The southern and southeastern parts of the lake have some natural sources of bromide-iodine and sulphuric hot water used by the best spa hotels, resorts and treatment centres.
- Practise outdoor sports and activities: The hills and mountains around Lake Garda are ideal for hiking and trekking fans, also because along the way you’ll be pleased to admire the incredible panorama of the lake from above.
- Taste Lake Garda regional cuisine: Lake Garda’s cuisine is a simple and the main ingredients are lake fish and products from the surrounding hills. Fish is used in many dishes from the appetisers to the second courses. Among the most used fishes there are: whitefish, lake trout, sardines and carp.
- Have a fun day out at the theme park: In Castelnuovo del Garda, there’s one of the largest amusement parks in the world: Gardaland. Over the years the park has expanded and increased the number of attractions.
To learn more about what to do, I have written about each one of these activies in more detail in my guide on things to do in Lake Garda which I invite you to read.
Lake Garda FAQs
Here are some questions people ask when visiting Lake Garda.
Lake Garda, Italy Travel Guide
Lake Garda is a great place in northern Italy to visit. It’s easy to get to from Venice and by bus or by car from Verona, where there’s also the closest airport.
The list of things to do in Lake Garda is huge, whether travelling solo, as a family, or with friends. Depending on your budget and preferences, you can spend time learning a new water sport, go hiking or simply relax at the spa or at the beach.
You can also spend a day in Gardaland or any other amusement park in the area with your children. I’ve been there a few of times while growing up and fun is assured!
If you are planning to travel soon and you are keen on learning more about other places not far from Lake Garda, see my post on the Veneto region for more tips.
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