Culture

Garda Lake and environs

The ancient hamlet of Lazise and the nearby towns of Bardolino, Garda, Sirmione and Malcesine are just some of the characterful little settlements around the lake, notable for their ruined Scaliger castles, ancient villas set in the midst of great gardens, and breathtaking views overlooking Lake Garda. Discover the culture and art of cities such as Verona, Mantua, Padua and Venice: cities with a wealth of history and abounding in architectural splendours and monuments. The nearby city of Verona will charm you with its Roman remains, its enchanting churches from various historical eras, and its abundant works of art. If your visit coincides with the opera season, you could watch a performance in the stirring and uplifting setting of the ancient Roman Arena of Verona.

Points of interest around Lake Garda:
Lazise
Peschiera del Garda
Bardolino
Malcesine
Sirmione
Desenzano del Garda
Salò
Gargnano
Limone sul Garda
Tremosine
Riva del Garda

Borghetto

One of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Borghetto is undoubtedly the best-known village in the Valeggio sul Mincio municipal district. Famous for its history, landscape and monuments, it recently joined the highly exclusive “club” of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy “Borghi più belli d’Italia”. .

Standing in happy relation to the Mincio river, Borghetto is a small walled town whose historical fortifications date back to the Middle Ages. It owes its charm to its harmonious relationship with the natural world, a relationship that has remained almost intact over the centuries, and has endowed the little town with a uniqueness which makes it worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.

Distance: 16km

Punta San Vigilio

A renowned beauty spot that captures the character of Lake Garda.

A traveller berthing his boat at the little harbour of San Vigilio in the year 1500 would have seen a marble slab engraved with an inscription exhorting him to “leave your business and your anxieties in the city,” and to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this place.

Napoleon, Tsar Alexander II, Winston Churchill, Prince Charles of England, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh are just some of the people who have found relief and succour from the trials and tribulations of life in San Vigilio. This place has inspired artists, reconciled humanists and philosophers to their lot, and sealed many a love affair, both old and new.

Distance: 9.5km

Isola del garda

Surrounded by crystal clear waters, Isola del Garda is a deeply storied island of superlative beauty, immersed in a magical and unforgettable landscape. Over the centuries, this strip of land has been visited by great historical figures such as St Francis of Assisi, St Anthony of Padua, and Dante Alighieri. Scene of many fascinating events, the island has served as a refuge for pirates, a hermitage for monks, and a headquarters for the Savoy garrison during the campaign for the unification of Italy.

Visitors to Isola del Garda can opt for guided tours of the island. In addition to telling visitors about the history of the island, the guides will bring visitors to the most panoramic and scenically beautiful points.

Distance: Reachable only by boat

Vittoriale degli italiani at Gardone Riviera

The Vittoriale (‘victory shrine’) is a walled citadel that occupies around nine hectares of hillside. Several hundred metres away is a little harbour surmounted by an impressive tower. The Vittoriale is a complex containing various buildings and architectural features: a 1500-seat amphitheatre (the largest on the lake), avenues, piazzas, hangars, gardens and parks with fountains, waterways and a pond.

The house that the Italian poet Gabriele d’Annunzio called the “Prioria” (‘priory’) has remained as it was when he lived there. The numerous rooms contain thousands of objects, works of art and relics that recall the heroic life of D’Annunzio.

Distance: 19km

Verona

Verona is a city whose story is of wealth and power.

From Lazise, the distance to Verona is about 20 km . It is a city abounding in monuments, castles, villas and buildings dating all the way back to Roman times. Piazza Brà provides a beautiful setting for the Arena, an ancient Roman amphitheatre now used to stage opera performances in the summer. Along the banks of the River Adige stands an ancient Roman theatre. A stroll through the centre will bring you to the magnificent Piazza delle Erbe and to Piazza dei Signori, with its breathtaking Scaliger palaces and beguiling churches, including the Duomo (cathedral). Torre dei Lamberti (the Lamberti tower) offers a magnificent vantage point from which to admire the city below. As the city of William Shakespeare’s famous two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, Verona is visited by people from all over the world keen to see the setting for the famous play, the epitome of a romantic tragedy.

Places worth visiting:
The old town (historical centre)
Piazza Brà and the Verona Arena
The Roman Theatre, Ponte Pietra and Castel San Pietro
Piazza delle Erbe
Piazza dei Signori
Ponte Scaligero with Castel Vecchio and the Civic Museum
Palazzo della Ragione
The Duomo (cathedral)
Basilica di San Zeno
Juliet’s house and tomb
The Scaliger Tombs (Arche Scaligere) and the adjoining Church of Santa Maria Antica
Church of Saint Anastasia
Church of San Fermo and Rustico

Distance: 25km

Venice

A city like no other in the world, Venice is easily reachable by car (150 km) or by train from the nearby station of Peschiera del Garda. The whole city is to be explored on foot. Starting from Piazzale Roma, walking through the narrow streets (calli), you eventually come to stupendous St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) with its the Byzantine-style basilica, clock tower and the series of arcades of the Procuratie Vecchie. Numerous bridges cross the Grand Canal, the most famous of which are the ancient Ponte di Rialto, Ponte degli Scalzi and Ponte dell’Accademia. A trip by vaporetto will bring you to the picturesque islands of Murano and Burano, famous for their blown glass work.

Places worth visiting:
The old town (historical centre)
St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) and the Bell Tower
St Mark’s Basilica
The Rialto Bridge
The Grand Canal
The Clock Tower (Torre dell’orologio)
The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei sospiri)
The Guggenheim Collection

Distance: 150km

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