Sea or mountains? If you are in Garda, the question will not even touch you. Because between water and wind, lakefront, beaches and small villages, hills and dream villas, trekking and amusement parks, the possibilities double, with the advantage of being able to choose your destination without covering impossible distances, agreeing on tastes with family and friends, fulfilling your passions and trying new experiences. Garda is the perfect base for a week discovering the town, the lake and the province of Verona.
DAY 1
IN THE HEART OF GARDA, FROM FISHING VILLAGE TO DOLCE VITA
Start sweetly, taking time for breakfast in one of the downtown pastry shops or sitting at a lake-view table in Piazza Catullo. Accompany your coffee with typical sweets such as fogassa or San Vigilini, the shortbread and raisin cookies favored by Winston Churchill.
Stroll through the narrow streets and alleyways of the historic center, among the hidden and most picturesque glimpses, following the traces of the past, among the noble palaces and historic stores. The style of architecture is reminiscent of Venice, but Garda retains the atmosphere of the old fishing village.
It’s time to take a break in the sun, amid the colors and scents of Garda’s lakefront. From the shade of the Losa arcade stroll to the harbor, where small fishing boats snooze alongside pleasure craft and elegant sailboats.
You can continue following the Garda lakefront in the direction of Punta San Vigilio.
After a snack on the beach at Al Corno or a lunch of local flavors at Piazza Catullo, you can spend the early afternoon at the delightful Lake Garda Territorial Museum. Get up close to the memory and roots of the area among old-fashioned nets and hulls, black-and-white photographs, archaeological finds, and a faithful reconstruction of the Pal del Vò.
It’s time to experience the lake; to see the bay from a different perspective, hop on one of the fishermen’s boats that offer guided tours with all the amenities on board. Enjoy the breeze, the scents of the water, the views of the coastline, the views of the noble villas and their gardens at the water’s edge, to enjoying a sunset aperitif on the water.
The experiences of the day are found at the table, in the flavors of Garda recipes, the authentic ones of the taverns and inns of tradition and those interpreted by the great chefs of historic and starred restaurants.
DAY 2
IN NATURE, AMONG THE MORAINE HILLS OF GARDA
If you were regenerated on the first day, today it’s off to discover the nature that surrounds Garda. Follow your own pace, whether it be walking or cycling, because on foot or by bicycle you will be greeted by an area with gentle features and intense colors. Leaving the lake behind you, the landscape becomes green, the hills are designed by vineyards and shaded by olive trees, and by walking along white paths and roads little traveled by traffic you will reach vantage points from which to enjoy the most beautiful views of the Gulf of Garda. Dedicate the morning to an outing in nature. If you want to move on foot, choose the path between Val Longa and Le Colle, a walk among the vineyards, or walk the Pignoi-Beati loop. With a little more climbing, from the Valle degli Ulivi, walk through the village of Canevini to reach the Rocca Vecchia, to gain one of the most striking viewpoints of the lower lake and discover the origins of ancient Warda, which gave its name to ancient Benacus. After a light lunch overlooking the lake, the afternoon is instead perfect for dedicating yourself to wellness and body care: let yourself be welcomed in the regenerating environments of the Gardacqua Spa, among saunas, pools and personalized treatments. Want to experiment? Then choose your element first. If you prefer the water the advice and try a SUP session at Al Corno beach, where you can set off on a free excursion or rely on a school that will give you the right advice to take off on a Stand Up Paddle. The sunset in Garda colors the evening, so to enjoy it to the last the perfect place is Punta San Vigilio, where you can sip a spritz by the lake.
DAY 3
GARDA, BETWEEN BIKING, GOLF AND SAILING
If biking is your thing, you can choose gravel routes between the gulf, Rocca and Monte Luppia to admire a postcard view of the lake in the morning light. If you prefer a route suitable for everyone, you pedal on the bike path that connects Garda to Bardolino and Lazise. Two golf courses await you in the afternoon, depending on your level. The manicured greens at Cà degli Ulivi Golf Club, amid olive groves and small ponds, offer 18 holes plus 9 holes that overlook the Gulf of Garda from above.Alternatively, Poiano Golf Resort, with its brand new two holes and driving range, is the ideal place to take your first lesson with a Golf Academy instructor. To rejuvenate and enjoy the sunset over the lake from one of Garda’s most beautiful spots, sit at the elegant and casual clubhouse terrace, perfect for nibbling and toasting the day away. But the evening has just begun, and the Gardesana, a gentle thermal breeze, blows over the bay. It’s time for a night sail with a skipper from the Garda Naval League. Just make a reservation to enjoy a night offshore. On shore the evening lights, above those of the stars.
DAY 4
BY CABLE CAR FROM MALCESINE TO MONTE BALDO, THE LAKE FROM UP THERE
A trip not to be missed. Breathtaking views of the lake and the experience of a cable car that gives 360-degree views await you. From Garda to Malcesine is a little more than 25 kilometers by road and not even 45 minutes by car or bus, skirting the Veronese shore of the lake in a northerly direction. Malcesine is a pretty village, gathered within its crenellated walls and dominated by the castle that watches over it from a spectacular spur of rock. The morning can be spent strolling unhurriedly through the tiny streets of its historic center, colored by the pastel of the houses and the green of the vegetable gardens and orchards. Take time for a visit to the Castle and the Palazzo dei Capitani, then a coffee at the marina and you’re ready for the day’s adventure, a ride on the Malcesine-Monte Baldo cable car. After a few minutes’ ride you will be in mid-air, at your feet the blue expanse of the lake, and above you the mass of Baldo, at an altitude of 1760 meters. Now comes the best part, because between departure and arrival the cabins turn on themselves for 360 degrees. Thrills and wonder! From the arrival of the cable car, there are several trekking routes lasting an hour or more, through flowering meadows, alpine pastures and pastures, scents and colors that have given Baldo the nickname “Europe’s Botanical Garden.” Before heading back to the cable car, stop at one of the alpine huts on Baldo’s ridge to enjoy a snack with alpine flavors. It’s time to head down to the valley. If you want to have an unforgettable experience, the opportunity is at hand. Baldo is a natural training ground for paragliding. The instructors of the local school are equipped to organize a tandem lift for a spectacular flight over the blue and a breathtaking landing. The less adrenaline-pumping, but equally scenic alternative is the outward flight-not bad, right?
DAY 5
VERONA, BEAUTIFUL AND POSSIBLE
Verona, beautiful, painted, recounted in letters and celebrated in masterpieces of art. From Garda you can reach it in an hour to spend an intense day of beauty. Already the panorama that announces it is postcard-perfect, among the last slopes of the pre-Alps, the hills drawn by the vineyards, the bends of the Adige. And once in the city you walk with the pleasure of discovering the intertwining of the characteristic streets of the ancient city, the bridges over the Adige, the elegant avenues and jewels such as Castel Vecchio, San Zeno and of course… the Arena, the Roman amphitheater with perfect acoustics that welcomes classical musicals and pop. On a day in Verona you aim straight for the heart of the city. In the space that once housed the Roman Forum, here you are in Piazza delle Erbe, the city’s oldest square, enlivened by the market in the stalls of the piassaroti, crammed with small tables and tourists from all over the world. From here move on to the sight of the world-famous Arena, Italy’s third-largest amphitheater. The Arena known worldwide for hosting the best of world opera and international pop and rock concerts. Scenic, here gladiators fought in Roman times and then over the centuries it hosted events, fairs and markets of all kinds, until the debut of opera with a famous Aida dated 1913. A day may be short, but make the most of it for a “best of” the city of lovers: Juliet’s House, Castelvecchio, Ponte Pietra with the Roman Theater and San Zeno maggiore. And why not, experience it as a Veronese, “going to Bastioni,” relaxing in the green spaces that follow the nineteenth-century walls or “going for cicchetti” for aperitifs, among the old taverns in the center where small tastes of Veronese and Venetian tradition are served, sipping a good glass of Valpolicella or Soave. Let the curtain close on the day with an evening of music at the Arena di Verona, the summer schedule is packed and you can appreciate opera in the “most beautiful theater in the world.”
DAY 6
EXCITEMENT AND FUN AT GARDALAND
From Garda with a little less than 30 minutes you can reach Peschiera. And if Garda is the intimate and cozy village, Peschiera is a landing place for merry companies and parents who want to have fun with their children. After a walk on the walls of its UNESCO World Heritage fortress, an ice cream or a coffee, the destination to plan for at least one day is, of course, Gardaland. Perhaps the forerunner of amusement parks in Italy, Gardaland has had the merit of remaining even in the virtual age a hotbed of irresistible attractions, including water games and 4D animations, callbacks to cartoon stars, enchanted journeys and the tightrope roller coaster… you’ll return to Garda with your heart in your throat and photos of a lion’s day.
DAY 7
WELLNESS SUNDAY BETWEEN SUNBATHING AND SPA
If the week was a bundle of excitement, including nature culture and fun, we can devote Sunday to recovering mental energies and regenerating physical ones. Garda’s beaches are perfect for half-eyed sunbathing, reconciling with the sounds of the lake. Ideal for accommodating the desire for festive rest is the enchanting La Cavalla beach. Access is free, but for enveloping relaxation, the advice is to rent a deck chair and let the weather flow by without caring too much. For an all-around wellness experience, even when the weather is not particularly generous, you can choose Gardacqua instead: a park with a splendid panorama, with whirlpools, saunas and biosaunas, salt and Turkish baths, Kneipp path and the dream-room, for dreaming in color.
Do you have more days available? Discover all the itineraries.
