Italy's Largest Lake, Where Alps Meet Olive Groves
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, about 50 kilometres long, set between Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino in the north of the country. Its character changes along its length: at the northern end steep Alpine walls drop into deep blue water, while the southern shores soften into rolling vineyards, olive groves and wide, sunlit bays. The lake's mild microclimate allows lemons, olives and even palms to flourish this far north, which gives its villages a Mediterranean look beneath the mountains and explains why visitors have favoured it since Roman times.
The towns are as varied as the shoreline. Sirmione, on a narrow peninsula at the southern end, is crowned by the medieval Scaligero Castle and edged by the Roman ruins known as the Grotte di Catullo. Malcesine on the eastern shore climbs towards another Scaliger castle, with a cable car rising to the heights of Monte Baldo. Limone sul Garda is known for its terraced lemon houses, Salò for its elegant lakefront, and Gardone Riviera for the Hruska Botanical Garden and the Vittoriale gardens above the water.
Sailing Winds, Olive Oil and Lugana Wines
Garda is among Europe's favourite places for sailing and windsurfing, thanks to reliable daily winds that the locals know by name. Torbole and Riva del Garda at the northern tip are the centre of the action, with schools, regattas and long, bright days on the water. On land, cycling and hiking routes thread through olive terraces and up into the hills, and the ferry network links the main villages. Gardaland, near Castelnuovo del Garda, makes the lake a convenient choice for family holidays too.
The table follows the landscape. Garda olive oil, delicately fruity, is pressed along the shores, and the vineyards around Bardolino and Lugana produce light red, rosé and white wines that suit lakeside lunches of freshwater fish, risotto and tortellini. Towns such as Peschiera and Desenzano offer waterfront cafes and lively markets. A tourist board on the lake could present Garda as three destinations in one: the sporting north, the historic south and the garden-lined western shore, each reaching a different audience.
Read the full Lake Garda guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitLakeGarda.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.