Lake Garda is a wondrous place, a multi-faceted azure treasure-trove that
will open up before your very eyes.

Lake Garda – the most Mediterranean of Italy’s Alpine lakes – offers up such a spectacle of natural light and colour in every season that, as a holiday destination, it is utterly unrivalled.

The shores of the lake, studded with small towns and villages, are embellished yet further by the remains of Roman settlements, Medieval fortresses, imposing palazzos and patrician villas.

With its Romanesque and Baroque churches, sanctuaries, monasteries and retreats, Garda is a highly spiritual place.

Moreover, this area plays host to more than its fair share of cultural events, prestigious music concerts, dance performances, large-scale exhibitions and folk festivals, meaning that visitors will always find something going on, no matter which month they come.

The nearby cities of Brescia, Mantua, Trento and Verona also offer a full calendar of cultural events, and are all highly rewarding places to visit in themselves.

For connoisseurs of fine dining, Garda offers a wealth of deliciously simple, traditional dishes that could not be more authentically local, including fish from the lake, extra-virgin olive oil, wines, truffles, cheeses and pasta dishes, and that can be savoured in one of the town’s great restaurants or more informal trattorias. Also not to be missed is a visit to a winery or olive press to find out precisely how Garda’s local wines and oils are made.

The nature reserves, water parks and theme parks in the area offer infinite possibilities for children and adults alike to really enjoy themselves. When the sun goes down, the fun certainly does not stop, since Garda’s nightlife is livelier now than it has ever been before.

Lake Garda and its surrounding area offer a wealth of opportunities for people who want an active, sport-filled holiday and for those who merely want to relax and recharge their batteries. The lake is perfect not only for sailing, windsurfing and canoeing but also for those who love to take pleasure cruises or go fishing or diving.

In addition, the inland areas are similarly well-equipped for those who like to cycle, go horse riding or play tennis or golf, while the mountain trails prove irresistible to those who like nothing more than to go trekking through the wilderness.

To learn more about the opportunities on offer in the area, please visit the Holidays & Relaxation section.

Lake Garda is a magnificent part of Italy, which enchants the senses with its incomparable beauty and reveals itself, piece by piece, to be an enormous open-air museum with a history that is at once fascinating and highly evocative.

Close to Desenzano, you will find the true pearl of the lake, the peninsula of Sirmione, which has served as a source of inspiration for such poets as Catullus, Foscolo and Carducci. Sirmione is home one of the largest health spas in the Garda area. Moreover, the peninsula also plays host to the Scaliger Castle, which – surrounded by water and linked to terra firma by a drawbridge – is the perfect spot from which to admire the beauty of the lake. The paths around the peninsula are lined with shops and bars, while the main square is the ideal place in which to pass a few peaceful hours drinking the local wines or sipping an aperitif.

Further inland, stretching across the hillsides of the Upper Mantovano, the village of Castiglione delle Stiviere looks out over the lake like an immense balcony with the most breathtaking panoramic views. This was the birthplace of such illustrious historical figures as San Luigi Gonzaga, and as you walk amongst the monuments, palazzos and ancient churches of the centre of the village, you are sure to feel a sense of vitality resonating from the tangible signs of its glorious past. The 18th-century Palazzo Triulzi-Longhi houses the International Museum of the Red Cross.

Peschiera del Garda, situated on the south-eastern shore of Lake Garda, was built at the confluence of the lake with the outflowing River Mincio. The historical centre is delineated by surrounding walls that alter the natural course of the river. Alongside the walls, there is a cycle track that runs into the Mincio Park.

Further north, on the western side of the lake, there is the town of Salò, which has found itself at the crossroads of history on more than one occasion. In the 16th century, it became the capital of a confederation known as the Magnifica Parte, which was composed of several municipalities that were united under the protection of Venice. Subsequently, between 1943 and 1945, it became the capital of Mussolini’s short-lived Italian Social Republic. In addition, the town is famous as the birthplace of Gasparo Bertolotti, the master luthier who is considered to have been the father of the violin. Just a short distance away, in Gardone Riviera, you will find the Vittoriale, the imposing ‘shrine’ famous for having been the last residence of Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio.

Alongside these diverse towns and monuments, Lake Garda is also home to two famous theme parks: Gardaland and CanevaWorld.

Gardaland is internationally recognised as one of the world’s great theme parks, both in terms of its ever-evolving range of land- and water-based rides and in terms of the number of visitors who pass through its gates. The park is situated in the Ronchi district of the municipality of Castelnuovo del Garda. It is located adjacent to the lake but does not face out over it.

CanevaWorld is sited in Lazise and includes two theme parks: CanevaWorld AcquaParadise (one of Europe’s finest water parks) and Movieland Studios, a park focusing on the wonderful world of cinema. CanevaWorld plays host to one of the largest swimming pools with a wave machine in Europe and also offers a range of other attractions.

For golf lovers, the area has a large number of well-kept courses where you can partake of a relaxing round or two as the untainted beauty of the area takes your breath away. The hotel has entered into commercial agreements with the Arzaga Golf Club to enable guests to take advantage of a substantial discount. Other leading local courses include Gardagolf – a 27-hole course, created by British designers, that spreads out across the area between the Fortress of Manerba, Soiano Castle and the Valtenesi hills – and the Bogliaco Golf Resort, which lies sheltered behind the western slopes, at an altitude of 100 metres above the level of Lake Garda, and offers incredible views across the entire lake and the surrounding mountainsides.