Lake Garda - a journey along the shore

Salò

Salò on Lake Garda lies in a narrow bay on the southeastern shore of Lake Garda. The town is not very large, so you can easily explore everything on foot. The beach promenade is beautiful, and the scenery is breathtaking. In the narrow alleyways with colorful houses in the old town, you’ll also find many boutiques and shopping opportunities.

Right on the waterfront, you’ll also find the Palazzo del Podestà. Today it is the city's town hall. A beautiful building in Venetian style.

You should definitely visit the Doumo di Santa Maria Annunziata - also known as the Duomo di Salò. It is the most important religious building in the city. I was particularly amazed by its size. The floor is decorated with an eye-catching 3D mosaic, the altar with gold, while the dome is adorned with stunning frescoes.

When I go on holiday, I usually do some research beforehand. I read about the place, browse through travel blogs, and think about it. So, it's even fun when I discover something completely spontaneous. Just arrived at Lake Garda, I bought a painting for my apartment. The artist Giuliano Christofoli had an exhibition and immediately convinced me. He mentioned that he exhibits around Lake Garda regularly. So, if anyone else likes his paintings, check out his website. Maybe it can be combined it with a holiday.

We discovered a really great restaurant in Salò - so fantastic that we ate there twice. The restaurant Lungolage 64 serves delicious pizzas. I highly recommend them.

Limone sul Garda

Limone sul Garda with its historic center is a small pearl on Lake Garda, situated at the foot of imposing mountains - and for me personally, the most beautiful place on Lake Garda.

Limone lies on the west side of the lake and is famous for its lemon groves. The picturesque lemon gardens stretch out in terraces above the village. In Limone sul Garda, the lemon takes center stage. No matter where you look, everything revolves around lemons. Even on the town signs, a lemon is depicted.

We parked down by the harbor. There is a large parking garage there, offering many spacious parking spots. This is not so common in Italy, and with my large car, I sometimes had a bit of trouble. From the harbor, you can quickly walk to the old town and the beautiful narrow streets, which are completely car-free.

I recommend you a visit to the Limonaia del Castèl. It is said that the first lemon trees were brought to Limone back in the 13th century. In the 17th century, the first lemon greenhouses were built to protect the trees in winter. These greenhouses consist of beams and walls that are covered during the winter months. In 1995, the municipality aimed to bring these lemon gardens back to life and replanted lemon trees at the Limonaia del Castèl.

A little above the old town, along the main street, you will find a wonderful shop called Fra Luca, where you can buy souvenirs. Naturally, lemons take center stage here as well. There are delicious sweets, from candies to lemon-flavored chocolate, hygiene products with lemon scent and of course the famous drink Limoncello. We bought a small lemon tree as a souvenir, hoping to take a little piece of Lake Garda home with us.

Peschiera del Garda

Peschiera del Garda is a picturesque little town on the southern shore of Lake Garda. The town is characterized by its charming old town, which is surrounded by historic city wall and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. And I think the monumental fortress is the most important sight in Peschiera del Garda.

Within the narrow streets of the old town, you’ll find antique buildings along with cozy cafes and restaurants. However, we discovered a fantastic restaurant on the lakeside that I would definitely like to recommend to you. The restaurant is called Tortuga and the food there is simply outstanding. Particularly the avocado toast with poached egg was very impressive, and of course a Caprese salad couldn’t be missing, as is customary in Italy. The salad was delicious - and I can say that with certainty, because Caprese blood flows through my veins.

Cisano

Although we didn't explore the town itself, the place holds a special spot in my travel blog because of the Museo dell'Olio. Even before I spent my holiday at Lake Garda, I ordered my olive oil directly from there - simply because it's the best I've ever tasted. If you find yourself at Lake Garda, make sure you make a short stop there and grab a few bottles of oil. Trust me, it's simply delicious.

And if you have a little more time, it's worth taking a tour of the museum. There you learn a lot about traditional manufacturing techniques and the exhibition showcases a variety of old original tools.

Garda

The Lake Garda also invites you to take wonderful walks along the extensive lakeside promenade in Garda. The surrounding landscape is characterized by rich Mediterranean vegetation, which harmoniously blends with the vineyards and olive groves.

Although unfortunately I couldn’t explore much of the place, I still want to mention it here because it is beautiful. I could easily imagine spending a holiday in Garda itself. This place had that certain something for me, something that cannot be put into words but only felt.

However, I don't want to withhold the pictures I took there.

Sirmione

When travelling to Lake Garda, the small town of Sirmione is a must-visit, of course.  It is in the very south of Lake Garda. What I must mention in advance - the town is enchanting, but many other people feel the same. Unfortunately, the narrow streets are very crowded. We were lucky, we were there in March - but it can get crowded in summer.

Sirmione is a car-free zone, please keep that in mind. However, there are plenty parking spaces outside the town gate. Sometimes, it happens that a car still tries to get through between the crowds. These are hotel guests who are allowed to drive through the town. Personally, I wouldn't choose a hotel within Sirmione as it's a bit tiring by car, and I enjoy being on the road with my car.

Directly at the small harbor basin lies one of the most spectacular sights of Lake Garda. The landmark of Sirmione - the Scaliger Castle (Italian: Castello Scaligero). It is very well preserved and architecturally extraordinary. It was built at ground level at the southern exit of the old town to be able to control both intruders and the population of the peninsula.

Those who enjoy shopping will also find plenty to do in Sirmione. The old town is filled with many small boutiques and ateliers that produce unique pieces. I particularly liked the chess shop L'Artigianato Sirmione. Beautiful chessboards are made there. Whether small, large, in Harry Potter-style or classic, you'll find everything there. I also loved the lavender shop, Lavanda del Lago. It smells wonderful of lavender and has fantastic accessories. Just the way the store is decorated alone makes a visit worthwhile.

One of the most beautiful photo motifs in Sirmione is the Flower House. You can find this floral attraction in the old town at the intersection of Via Vittorio Emanuele, Via S. Salvatore and Via Giuseppe Piana. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of it as there were no flowers in March.

Our accommodation

We rented a small apartment in Salò, called Cantina Castello, located in an old castle. The accommodation was extremely beautiful, lovingly furnished and, above all, newly renovated, which was especially evident in the spacious bathroom. Our host Cristina was very friendly and responded promptly to our questions. The location proved to be extremely advantageous for us, as we could quickly reach the city center and the apartment was also ideally located for trips around Lake Garda. The approach was a little difficult due to the steep and narrow road - especially with a car like mine. Nevertheless, I would stay here again anytime.