Garda Lake

Stroll along the lake in the quiet of the sunset, discover small villages rich in history, taste traditional dishes with lake fish, ride on cycling paths overhanging the water, navigate on a small sea nestled in the mountains, on which castles and fortified ramparts overlook: once in Verona, visiting Lake Garda is a must-do. The distance is very short: from Verona you can reach Peschiera del Garda in half an hour, by car. Remind that on sunny weekends the driving time to the Lake can be very slow and it is not uncommon to find queues exiting the highway.

From Verona you can reach Lake Garda by train, with frequent daily connections offered by Trenitalia, Trenord and Italo train. Trains depart from Verona Porta Nuova station and arrive to Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano del Garda / Sirmione stations, on the south coast. If you wish to reach the north coast, the closest station is Rovereto, about 18 km far from the lake.
The Cartafreccia owners (loyalty program) who purchase the trip to Peschiera or Desenzano are entitled to a discount of 20% on the Navigarda navigation services, which connects the towns on both sides of the lake by ferry or fast connections.

The boarding tickets can be purchased on the same day, at the ground ticket offices located close to the piers or at the official sales points. Free circulation cards are available for the full day, these cards allow you to take advantage of fast services too. For information on lines and timetables: www.navigazionelaghi.it

Another option from Verona to Lake Garda is to travel by bus. Lines 162, 163, 164, 165 and 185 of the Verona Transport Company (ATV) connect Verona (departures from Porta Nuova station) with Peschiera del Garda, Lazise, Bardolino, Garda. From Garda, lines 483 and 484 continue to Torri del Benaco, Brenzone sul Garda, Malcesine and Riva del Garda. For timetables and more information: www.atv.verona.it

If you plan to take several trips between Verona and Lake Garda, better to consider the ATV Pass which allows you to travel freely on the urban and suburban network for 1, 2 or 7 days at the cost of 10, 20 and 40 euros respectively. From April to the end of October, the daily ATV pass can be combined with the return ticket for the cable car that goes up to Monte Baldo from Malcesine (for timetables www.funiviedelbaldo.it ). This mountain is known as the botanical garden of Europe for the richness of its flora. The cable car reaches the intermediate station of San Michele at 552 m above sea level and that of Bocca Tratto Spino at 1780 m, where it is possible to walk among the high mountain pastures. For the more experienced, this is the perfect starting point for trekking to the Brenzone area.

In summer, ATV activates a bus tour service for Lake Garda – Valpolicella, an excursion to savor the natural beauty and food and wine products of this area. Departures on Tuesday and Thursday at 9.30 am from Peschiera del Garda. The program includes a visit to the Forte Wohlgemuth in Rivoli, the ancient Pieve di San Giorgio di Valpolicella and a renowned winery for wine tasting.

With its 370 sq km, Garda is the largest Italian lake. Its physiognomy is hard and mountainous: powerful and expressive in its north side; sweet and surrounded by green hills in its south side. The mild climate supports the development of Mediterranean vegetation, the cultivation of orange, lemon, cedar, bergamot and, since ancient times, vines and olive trees. It is a territory rich in food and wine excellences such as the extra virgin olive oil of Garda DOP, the Bardolino and Lugana wines, the truffle from Monte Baldo, the Tremosine cheese, the Garda and the Morainic salami. Lake fish is the protagonist of the Garda cuisine.

The tourist activities are countless: Gardaland ( www.gardaland.it ) and the Caneva Aquapark water park ( www.canevaworld.it ) attract thousands of visitors every year. But if you want an adventure surrounded by greenery, the best choice is the Park Jungle Adventure of San Zeno di Montagna and, for the little ones, the Rimbalzello Adventure Park in Salò and the Flying Frogs Adventure Park in Tignale. Finally, if you wish to connect with nature the most, it is worth visiting the Parco Grotta Cascate del Varone, a perfect example of a rare geological phenomenon, the regressive erosion of the falls.

For sports lovers, there are plenty of opportunities: hiking, windsurfing, sailing, rowing, mountain biking. Cycle on the first stretch of Garda by Bike, the 190 km cycle path that is being built and that will circumnavigate the lake, with spectacular panoramic points hooked to the rock. At the moment, you can cycle from Limone del Garda to border with the autonomous province of Trento.

Finally, Garda is an area rich in history. There are numerous remains of Roman villas that testify to the development of urbanization and the road network that was built around the second century; while castles and medieval fortifications tell of the succession of dominations over a territory that has been disputed for centuries.

Our advice is to visit the Garda area in late spring, to appreciate the flowering of the vegetation and enjoy long walks in the sun. In summer, you will have to move away from the most popular places, to find a bit of tranquility and appreciate all the shades of color that the lake assumes as the evening approaches.