The amazingly beautiful Lake Garda, located in the north of Italy, is a favorite vacation spot for tourists from all over Europe. The southern part of the lake, whose area is 370 sq km, lies in the Padan Plain, the northern one is adjacent to the Alps. There are many places on Lake Garda that deserve attention - these are islands, resort towns, and amusement parks. But it is impossible to cover everything within the framework of one article; we selected 5 of the most interesting ones.
Bardolino
Located on the east coast of the lake, the tourist resort of Bardolino is famous for its magnificent wines, as well as unique architectural monuments. The favorable climate and fertile lands of this town are ideal for growing the best grape varieties from which local winemakers produce excellent wines.
A special “Wine Route” is organized for tourists here - during the tour they have the opportunity not only to get acquainted with the history of Bardolino wines and the technology of their production, but also to taste the best varieties of this divine drink.
The climate of the town is ideal for growing grapes
The architectural sights of Bardolino are no less interesting - the medieval churches of Santa Maria, San Zeno, Nicholas the Wonderworker, decorated with ancient frescoes, the monastery of St. Columbus, palaces and villas of noble nobles. Bardolino museums are also worthy of attention - the Museum of Hunting and Fishing and, especially, a favorite of tourists, the Wine Museum.
A bright and picturesque tourist train runs through the town, the route of which covers the main city attractions.
Sirmione
The resort town of Sirmione is located on a long and narrow peninsula in the southern part of Lake Garda. The main attraction of this ancient city is the fort, located right on the coast.
The building with majestic battlements of gray stone was erected in the XIII century to protect the port from the lake. Previously, it was possible to get to the castle only via a suspension bridge, later a stationary bridge was built. Today, within the walls of the castle is a museum dedicated to the history of the city.
Today, the castle houses a museum of the history of the city
Another historical attraction of Sirmione is the Grottoes of Catullus, which are the ruins of a villa that belonged, presumably, to the family of the Roman poet Guy Valery Catullus. Noteworthy are the medieval churches - Santa Maria Maggiore and San Pietro in Mavino.
Sirmione also comes for the purpose of healing - the local thermal spring of Boyola, whose waters are saturated with many minerals and trace elements, has unique properties. Healing waters are used to combat respiratory diseases, rheumatism, diabetes, and obesity.
Garda Island (Borghese)
The largest of the five islands of Lake Garda has changed many names in its history - it was known as the island of Lecki, the island of Borghese, the island of de Ferrari, the island of Scotty and the island of Monks.
During the Roman Empire, the island was used as an imperial hunting ground, and later, in 1220, at the initiative of Francis of Assisi, a famous religious figure, a monastery was founded in the northern part of the island.
Garda Island - the largest of the five islands of the lake
At first it was a modest monastic monastery, a couple of centuries later turned into a full-fledged monastery complex. By the sixteenth century, the religious life of the island began to decline, and in 1778 the monastery was closed.
In the 20s of the last century, the island of Garda became the property of the Cavazza family - the owners built a luxurious villa here, richly decorated with all kinds of architectural elements, both outside and inside.
In one of the rooms is a painting by Carlo Carloni dating from the 18th century. Near the villa is a picturesque garden with exotic plants and incredibly beautiful flowers.
Malcesine
The cozy resort town of Malcesine with winding cobblestone streets, medieval buildings, many cafes and an excellent beach area is located on the east coast of the lake.
Its main attraction, around which, in fact, the settlement arose, is the medieval Scaliger castle, built on the site of an even more ancient fortress.
The resort town of Malcesine is located on the east coast of the lake
At all times, the picturesque castle was attractive to artists, poets and other creative personalities, but the great Goethe brought him the greatest fame, who wrote about it in his "Italian Travels" and accompanied the description with his own sketches.
Today, a bust of Goethe is installed in the castle and a museum is organized in memory of the poet. The Scaliger Castle also houses the Natural History Museum of Lake Garda and the Monte Baldo Mountains.
The historical center of Malcesine deserves no less attention than the famous castle - here are the old churches of San Stefano and Santa Maria di Navene, the Palazzo dei Capitani with magnificent painted ceilings and wonderful frescoes, as well as the Pariani Museum, which contains valuable historical documents.
Limone sul Garda
The small town of Limone sul Garda, so popular with tourists, at the beginning of the last century was a small fishing village, which could only be reached by lake. The land road, which gave impetus to the development of the tourism industry, appeared only in 1932.
In the historical part of the city, ancient buildings are well preserved - the churches of San Benedetto and San Rocco, as well as the medieval palaces located on Piazza Garibaldi.
The calling card of Limone sul Garda was citrus trees
The visiting card of Limone sul Garda was citrus trees, which appeared here in the XIII century thanks to the Franciscan monks.
Along with tourism, the economy of the town is based on the cultivation of citrus fruits and the production of high-quality olive oil.
Photos by: Jane drumsara, Ştefan Jurcă, Navacho, Christian, Babo Style, Yilmaz Oevuenc.
