Lake Garda

Sirmione

The lake’s southernmost point is the charming little town called Sirmione which is located on a long cape. Entering the town through the town walls by car isn’t possible. After entering through the town walls, which is only possible by crossing a drawbridge, the beautiful 14th-century Scaligero Castle immediately caught our interest. There’s a tower standing next to it which offers a picturesque view of the town. We explored around, winding our way through narrow little streets and past shops, restaurants and hotels. We searched for the “Kiss ... please” sign at the beach and then went for a walk along the nice lakefront all the way to the park. There’s the former villa of the Latin poet Catullus in the northern part of the cape, about 1.5 kilometres higher. It’s now an archaeological site of the Roman Baths called Grotte di Catullo. Sirmione is a wonderful town, so you should definitely add it to your itinerary – you won’t regret it.

Padenghe Castle

When we were driving along the lake’s western coast, we saw walls on a hill. We quickly googled it to find out which castle it was and how we could get to it. We found out it was a medieval castle that encircled old stone houses within its walls. People still live in these houses, though some are rented as boutique accommodation. We went on a walk around the walls and stumbled upon a wonderful view of the lake.

Moniga del Garda

We continued our journey through the village of Moniga del Garda, which was surrounded by greenery and olive groves. We spotted another set of walls and a tower, so we stopped. And yet again discovered a charming little village that consisted of colourful houses that were close together within the castle walls. The entrance is underneath the large clock tower. The houses are well-maintained and most of them have gentle earthy tones. It must be really interesting living in such a community within the walls! And we found the idea of beautifully decorated manhole covers especially creative. Outlines of lizards were drawn around them.

Gardone Riviera

When we were driving along the lake’s coast and through Gardone, we saw a beautiful Villa Alba on the right side, nestled between cypress trees and other greenery. It had Ionic order columns, gorgeous ornaments and graphics, and a stupendous stairway. We parked the car and took a look around. Villa Alba was built at the beginning of the previous century. It’s surrounded by a beautiful garden and there’s the charming San Marco Tower across the road. We couldn’t see much from the road, but the path leading to the tower was wonderful and so was the view of the lake. Both the villa and the tower were closed to the public, though.

Toscolano Maderno

The route took us through Toscolano Maderno, a small harbour town where, upon seeing the docked yachts and experiencing sunny weather, we were convinced to make a short stop for some coffee out in the sun. We parked the car by a church and walked along the lakefront to a café in the harbour.

Limone Sul Garda

Limone Sul Garda is one of the most beautiful and largest towns on Lake Garda and it consists of terraces, slowly climbing up towards the mountains. There used to be lemon plantations here once. We went for a walk along the promenade and through streets which were leading up and were full of little shops selling lemon products, salami and olive oil, and visited the La Limonaia del Castel museum, a former plantation of lemons and other citrus fruits. We ordered pizza rolls in one of the small bakeries and had lunch on a bench by a fountain where we could enjoy the view of the lake.

Riva del Garda

Riva del Garda is the region’s most important centre. It’s a Mediterranean oasis at the foothills of the Dolomites. Since it was a beautiful and sunny day, we cycled along the well-maintained bicycle trails along the lakefront. There were lots of playgrounds, parks, places to sit down and enjoy the view of the lake full of kayakers, and overall pleasant spots that are perfect for simply chilling. We drove past the “La Rocca” Fortress, which was surrounded by canals and boats, and to the main square, the Piazza III Novembre, and its colourful little house, palaces, hotels and the observation clock tower, Torre Apponale. Then we continued through the narrow medieval streets.

Malcesine

Malcesine is a town on the north-eastern coast of Lake Garda. It’s one of the most beautiful and most popular towns by the lake. It was formed around Scaligero Castle and the Palazzo dei Capitani. The old centre has a special charm thanks to the small harbour, small squares, narrow little streets and numerous small shops, restaurants and cafés. We walked around and then headed for a cup of coffee in the sun. We visited Palazzo dei Capitani. There’s a gorgeous fresco on the ceiling of an empty room and an exit to a garden and the sea on the other side. This is where the captain used to sail back to his palace. You can use the cable car if you want to get to the castle.

Lazise

We also stopped in Lazise and were fascinated by the town because it has preserved walls and a 9th-century castle. The town began to form in the Middle Ages and has a beautiful old centre with narrow little streets and picturesque squares, a harbour and a customs office. Right next to the lake is Villa Bernini with its towers. There are lots of restaurants and shops on the ground floors of the town buildings, and there’s a promenade by the lake and the harbour.

We were amazed by Lake Garda. We explored wonderful medieval towns with walkways, car parks, squares and small streets all three days of our trip. People spoke perfect English and German in all the places we visited. They were also nice and ready to help. Since we didn’t have any expectations or a well thought out plan, we made the latter up as we went.