| Lake Garda | |
 | |
Location  | |
| Area type | The needle |
|---|---|
| State | Italy |
| Region | Lombardy-Veneto-Trentino Alto Adige |
| Territory | Bresciano-Province of Verona-Trentino |
| Surface | 368 km² |
| Tourism site | |
Lake Garda it is a lake that lies between the regions Lombardy, Trentino Alto Adige is Veneto.
To know
Geographical notes
Lake Garda or Benaco, is the largest lake inItaly. It is located between the territories of Brescia, Trento is Verona, its main tributary river is the Sarca river, the emissary is the Mincio. While the other large Lombard lakes are of glacial origin, for Lake Garda there is no certainty about its nature, whether glacial or tectonic. Tourism has always animated its shores, favored by a particularly mild climate.
Flora and fauna
The mild climate of the lake has given rise to the formation of a Mediterranean-type vegetation, in which there are crops of oranges, lemons, cedars, bergamots. Olive trees and vineyards have been cultivated here since ancient times.
When to go
The season runs from May to September in the northernmost towns, from March to December in the lower Garda towns, and the presence of tourists from all over the world is evident throughout the year.
Background
Interested in prehistoric settlements, the lake had settlements of Ligurians, Venetians, Etruscans and Gauls on its shores. The Roman conquest led to the birth of a city. the flourishing of agriculture and the development of trade in this particularly favorable area, thanks to the navigability of its waters, the contacts between the populations of the Po valley and those of northern Europe.
After the barbarian invasions and the dominance of Charlemagne, the lake became the target of the municipalities and the subsequent Lordships of the Scaligeri and Visconti. In the disputes between these two powerful ones, the Community of Garda, an alliance of Lombard municipalities of the lake that placed itself under the protection of the Republic of Venice. Armed clashes between the Serenissima and the Visconti - epic naval battles are also remembered - led Venice to secure total dominion over the lake up to the whole of the fifteenth century, maintaining the right of navigation on its waters until 1797. almost atmospheres lagoons of the numerous centers of its banks, with colorful buildings that line up along the lakeside and bring to mind glimpses of the centers of the Venetian lagoon such as Burano and Murano.
Having become Habsburg with the Lombardo Veneto in 1815, Lake Garda became Italian except for the northern part, now the territory of Trentino, which was annexed only with the end of the First World War.
Territories and tourist destinations
Lake Garda: full screen map.Urban centers
- Western and southern Lombard banks
- 1 Desenzano del Garda - Having become the most populous city on the lake, it has experienced a great building development favored by its location now on the plain. It is a destination for young tourists, attracted by the numerous entertainment venues such as dance halls and pubs.
- 2 Gardone Riviera - Small stately town, it enjoys considerable fame in the wake of the legend that was the man and poet D'Annunzio; its Vittoriale is the destination of a very large tourism.
- 3 Gargnano - In its mountainous territory, pastures and olive trees still support agricultural activities which, together with fishing, were in the past the cornerstones of its economy; now the town, on the shores of the lake, has also developed a good tourist activity.
- 4 Limone sul Garda - Squeezed between the lake and the high rocky walls behind it, Limone enjoys a particularly mild climate that allows the cultivation of olive trees, lemons and cedars not only on the shores of the lake but also on the mountain, so much so that it has been nicknamed Portofino del Garda.
- 5 Lonato del Garda - The town is actually a few kilometers from the lake, but its territory reaches its shores, where the center of the Lido of Lonato, thanks to which it benefits from the tourist resources of the Benaco.
- 6 Manerba del Garda - Cypresses, olive trees and vines (which produce the Garda red surround this quiet town located on a promontory in a beautiful position.
- 7 Moniga del Garda - With its picturesque harbor and numerous campsites and tourist villages, the place is a popular holiday destination. The country is nicknamed City of Chiaretto from the name of the typical rosé wine, characteristic of Valtenesi, obtained from grapes of the Groppello vine through a particular fermentation in rosé.
- 8 Padenghe sul Garda - An imposing fortified complex with a wide circle of walls, visible from afar, dominates the town from a height above the town.
- 9 Salò - The coastal center is home to supra-municipal administrative offices and is considered the capital of the Lombard shore of the lake. It was the capital, not only of Garda, in the final period of the Second World War, when the city was involved in spite of itself in events much bigger than it.
- 10 San Felice del Benaco - On a morainic promontory between the gulf of Salò and the gulf of Manerba, brings together the three small towns of San Felice, Portese and Cisano. TheGarda Island, privately owned.
- 11 Sirmione - It is one of the most known centers of the lake, a destination not only for climatic tourism, but also of the day, to visit its very famous Grottoes of Catullus, or to carry out curative treatments in its thermal baths.
- 12 Tignale - Thanks to its position overlooking the lake, it is a destination for international tourism.
- 13 Toscolano Maderno - The two centers of Toscolano and Maderno form a conurbation that occupies a shell-shaped promontory. Both centers have a beautiful lakefront, more developed that of Maderno which is touristically more lively than Toscolano, with which it forms a single administrative entity. Toscolano is the Roman Benacum which gave the ancient name to Lake Benaco.
- 14 Tremosine - It stands on a plateau overlooking the lake and is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
- Eastern and southern Venetian shore
- 15 Bardolino - The tourist activity is accompanied by the production of the esteemed wine of the same name Bardolino. On its lakefront the remains of the Scaligero castle and two gates. Its churches are important architectural works.
- 16 Brenzone sul Garda - The municipality does not have a main center and a periphery but is made up of 16 small hamlets distributed throughout the territory.
- 17 Castelnuovo del Garda - A small part of the town is bathed by the lake, separating the towns of Peschiera del Garda and Lazise.
- 18 Garda - He gives his name to the lake. Its medieval village overlooks the gulf enclosed by the foothills of Monte Baldo and the morainic hills.
- 19 Lazise - It was a military outpost of the Scaligeri; the Castle with its walls, the five towers and the towering keep reminds us of it in the medieval old town. Its economy is touristic, but it also makes use of the trade linked to agriculture and livestock.
- 20 Malcesine - The Scaligeri fortified it with a castle high above the town; in the historic center the Palazzo dei Capitani. A cable car leads up to the Spino stretch, a winter station at 1780 meters above sea level on Mount Baldo.
- 21 Peschiera del Garda - On the lower shore of the lake, where the Mincio is formed, its historic core is still surrounded by walls and four corner bastions; the Austrians made it one of the cornerstones of the so-called Quadrilateral with Mantua, Legnago is Verona. The portion of its territory that extends towards Sirmione takes the name of Lugana, where the famous wine of the same name is produced.
- 22 Punta San Vigilio - It is one of the most enchanting areas of Lake Garda. There Bay of the Sirens it is considered as one of the places for naturists in Europe [1]
- 23 Torri del Benaco - The towers are those of the Scaligero castle that dominates the town; its notoriety is also linked to the red and yellow marble quarries.
- Northern Trentino shore
- Ledro
- Riva del Garda - It was a Hapsburg holiday center, and still retains that elegant and somewhat aristocratic atmosphere that derives from that imperial past. Surrounded by high and dark peaks, it is the northernmost town on the lake.
- Torbole - Near the point where the Sarca enters the lake, the town is a well-known and very popular sailing and windsurfing center. Already in the fifteenth century the town was an important destination for travelers along the atesina road which connected Italy with Germany.
Thermal centers
- 1 Terme di Sirmione, Piazza Virgilio 1 - Colombare di Sirmione, ☎ 39 030 9904923 (spa reservation center), ☎800-802125. The Baths of the city of Catullus were already known and frequented by the Romans, and are still a cornerstone of tourism in this center of precious beauty that extends with its promontory over the waters of the lake.
Other destinations
- Islands
- 2 Garda Island, ☎ 39 328 612 6943, 39 388 497 1640 (Mon-Fri 08: 30-13: 00 - for groups).
From Sunday 9 April to Sunday 15 October 2017: on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, departing from different ports of the lake. Originally a Lombard Monastery connected to Brescia, belonging to Queen Ansa, it was also known as Schwaben, also known as the "island of Swabia of Frederick I Hohenstaufen known as Barbarossa", then Borghese or island of the Friars, is the largest island in the lake of the same name. Privately owned, it has been open to tourist visits since 2002. - 3 San Biagio Island (Rabbit Island) (Private property).
- 4 Trimelone Island.
- Dream Island.
- Island of Olives.
From Sunday 9 April to Sunday 15 October 2017: on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, departing from different ports of the lake. Originally a Lombard Monastery connected to Brescia, belonging to Queen Ansa, it was also known as Schwaben, also known as the "island of Swabia of Frederick I Hohenstaufen known as Barbarossa", then Borghese or island of the Friars, is the largest island in the lake of the same name. Privately owned, it has been open to tourist visits since 2002.How to get
By plane
The closest airports are the G. D'annunzio of Montichiari and the Valerio Catullo of Verona. The airport of Orio al Serio it is only one hour from the lake but offers opportunities for low-cost flights.
By car
From the Trentino Alto Adige there is the A22 Brenner motorway, from all the rest ofItaly the lake can be reached thanks to the A4 motorway, exit toll booths Desenzano del Garda, Sirmione is Peschiera del Garda.
On the train
On the railway line Milan-Venice there are stations of Desenzano del Garda and of Peschiera del Garda
By bus
There are suburban services offered by ATV and from Brescia Transport.
How to get around
The most practical and most suggestive way to visit the coastal centers and experience the lake from within is to move using the numerous boats and ferries that make service between its banks.
- Lake Garda navigation[2] to consult lines, timetables and ticket prices.
For those who prefer to walk along it to also take a look at some towns set back from the shore, on the slopes of the mountains that surround the lake:
- By car, the S.S. 45 bis connects the towns of the Lombardy and Trentino shores up to shore while the S.S. 249 from Riva to the south it runs along the Trentino and Venetian shores. There S.S. 11 connects the towns south of the lake.
What see
- Grottoes of Catullus (to Sirmione).
- Scaliger Castle (to Sirmione).
- Roman villa (to Desenzano del Garda).
- Varone waterfalls (to Riva del Garda).
- Malcesine-Monte Baldo cableway.
Museums
- Museum of the battle of Solferino and San Martino.
- Vittoriale degli Italiani (to Gardone Riviera).
- Scaligero Castle Museum (to Torri del Benaco).
- Wine Museum (to Bardolino).
What to do
On the lake there are numerous amusement parks, among these we remember:
- Gardaland.
- Movieland. theme park about cinema
- Paradise water. water park
- Jungle Adventure.
- Parco Natura Viva.
- Sigurtà Garden Park.
Shopping
The area of the lake produces a prized one on all its shores olive oil extra virgin from a quality of native olive trees; the Garda oil has a Protected Designation of Origin - DOP - with the following specifications: Garda Bresciano, Garda Trentino is Eastern Garda. Its characteristics are the delicate flavor (light fruity) and persistent taste.
Annually, in June, a San Felice del Benaco a specific event is held to promote this product which makes use of a Consortium for the protection of Garda DOP oil Official site of the Garda DOP oil protection consortium
The lake also boasts a large production of wines a "Garda" designation of origin
Where to eat
Where stay
- Agriturismo Fontanelle, Loc. Fontanelle, 2, ☎ 39 045 6261084, fax: 39 045 6261084, @[email protected].
from 40 € to 60 € per person per room. Farmhouse among vineyards and olive trees not far from Lake Garda
from 40 € to 60 € per person per room. Farmhouse among vineyards and olive trees not far from Lake Garda- 1 Boutique Hotel Villa Sostaga (Hotel on Lake Garda), via Sostaga, 1 Gargnano (In Gargnano take the signs for Navazzo), ☎ 39 0365 721218, @[email protected]. The Boutique Hotel Villa Sostaga offers an ideal stay for your romantic holiday on Lake Garda with a panoramic view
- 2 [link not working]Agriturismo Macesina (Agtriturismo on Lake Barda), Via Borghetto, 22 Bedizzole (BS). Farmhouse with educational farm
Safety
Thanks to Community of Garda, Lake Garda has obtained - the only lake in Italy - the service of the Coast Guard, a precious tool for the safety of pleasure boating and the tourist population. The Coast Guard Unit of Naval Vehicles of Lake Garda has also been equipped with a stable and suitable headquarters in Salò, in collaboration with the Municipal Administration. As part of the Garda Safety Pact, the Community has obtained an absolute ban on large trucks on the Gardesana Orientale and the approval of the Storm Warning project.
How to keep in touch
Around
Excursions
- Monte Baldo - It is also called the garden of Europe because of the great floristic heritage. Thanks to its very varied morphological characteristics, it has different climatic zones. Each of these bands has a diversified vegetation.
- Alto Mantovano - Borderland of the Duchy of Mantua, which pursued the dream of obtaining an outlet on Lake Garda without ever realizing it, developed the courts of cadet branches of the Gonzaga family. Castel Goffredo, Castiglione delle Stiviere, Carpenedolo retain the urban layout and monuments of that era. The post-war period saw good employment development, with a consequent increase in well-being and population.
- San Martino della Battaglia - Contemporary to that of Solferino, the Risorgimento battle linked in the toponym to the town saw the defeat of the Austrians during the second war of Independence. On the hill of the confrontation there is a commemorative tower; an ossuary holds thousands of remains of fallen soldiers from the opposing armies.
- Solferino - The famous battle of the Risorgimento on June 24, 1859, which saw the Austrians defeated, handed down the name of the town to history, like the nearby center of Saint martin. The Risorgimento Museum recalls the epic of those years, together with the Ossuary which houses the bones of 7,000 fallen from that carnage. The town also preserves a fortress and a Gonzaga castle.
- Brescia Vast and modern, the Lioness, second city of the Lombardy by population, it climbs with some neighborhoods on the first hills, and expands more and more in the plains. In its ancient part, however, it retains many traces of Roman Brixia, of the Lombards who made it the capital of a prosperous and vast Duchy as well as of the over three hundred years of Venetian rule, during which it was a quiet and flourishing city of the Mainland. The museum complexes of Santa Giulia are of great importance.
- Mantua - Capital of the Gonzagas, it still exudes its subtle charm of a great city of art for which it appoints it a UNESCO World Heritage Site it was not so much an acknowledgment as a necessary acknowledgment. Its ancient atmospheres are incomparable, the profiles of the palaces and domes that stand out in the Po Valley mist enveloped by the mirror of its lakes, its endless Gonzaga palace that incorporates numerous buildings in the city center.
- Trento - Capital of the Trentino Alto Adige, its symbol is the Buonconsiglio Castle, the largest and most important monumental complex in the region. It hosted, from the thirteenth century up to the eighteenth century, the prince bishops of Trento.
- Verona - Known throughout the world for being the city of the Shakespearean events of Romeo and Juliet, Verona boasts a monumental heritage of exceptional stature. The Roman Arena, temple of opera, and then the monuments of the Scaligeri lordship (Castelvecchio, San Zeno, Arche Scaligere), the refinement of Renaissance town planning make it one of the most important cities of art in northern Italy.
Itineraries
- Busatte Tempesta trail
- Romanesque churches of the Riviera del Garda
- In the lands of the Gonzagas - An itinerary through the centers, large and small, which were the capitals of the Gonzaga cadet branches: principalities, marquisates, duchies which, within the Mantuan state structure, enjoyed real independence, often minted coins and held refined courts that rivaled that of Mantua, embellished their urban centers by equipping them with elegant architecture - churches, squares, palaces, walls, towers - and characteristic urban views such as the typical Gonzaga arcades.
- Morainic hills of Lake Garda - On the first corrugations of the Po valley that becomes a hill, where the great lake basin of Lake Garda begins, the route touches villages and cities that were dominated by Gonzaga, Venice, Scaligeri, and then became the scene of the bloody battles of the Risorgimento the prelude to the unification of Italy. To the tourist, historical and naturalistic importance the area combines an oenological interest as an area of production of wines from the hills, tokai, merlot and claret.
- Places of the battle of Solferino and San Martino - The itinerary runs through the places where the historic one took place on 24 June 1859 battle of Solferino and San Martino.
- Walled cities of Veneto. An itinerary to discover the strongholds and the history of Veneto.
- Garda cycle path - A breathtaking 2.5 km course under construction overlooking the lake between Limone sul Garda and the border Trentino, to Riva del Garda.
- Ponale road - Route of about 10 km and with a difference in height of 550 m. on a stretch of coast overhanging the lake.
- Via Carolingia - European itinerary that crosses the places traveled by the court of Charlemagne between the 8th and 9th centuries to travel from Aachen to Rome, where Pope Leo III crowned the Carolingian sovereign emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas night in the 19th century.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Lake Garda
Commons contains images or other files on Lake Garda
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Lake Garda
