Lake Garda (Italy) embodies the most incredible quirks of nature. It impresses not only with its enormous size, but also with an interesting combination of olive plantations, sandy beaches and alpine terrain. Perhaps this is why tours to Lake Garda are very popular. Natural beauty is complemented by local attractions, historical sites, health resorts. The climate here always has a wonderful and unforgettable vacation. Year-round hotels are ready to receive guests on Lake Garda. Italy is rich in beautiful places, but this pre-alpine pond deserves special attention.
general information
The lake is conveniently located between three regions: Trentino, Veneto, Lombardy. Scientists still do not have a unanimous opinion about its origin. Some believe that the reservoir formed from the glacier, while others argue that the version of the tectonic formation looks more realistic. Which of them is right, one can only guess. However, this is not so important ...
Lake Garda is easy to find on the map of Italy: it is located between Venice and Milan, and the closest tourist center to it is Verona, located just a couple of kilometers away. The body of water stretches 51.9 kilometers in length, and the largest width exceeds 16 kilometers. The northern part of Lake Garda (Italy) is surrounded by mountains, reaching a height of two thousand meters. The area of the reservoir is 370 square meters, the maximum depth is 346 meters, the length of the coast is 130 kilometers. This is the largest lake in the country. Verona is located on its right bank, and the province of Brescia on the left. The pond is very attractive for tourists, both Italians themselves and foreign travelers come here to rest. Tours to Lake Garda (Italy) are acquired by families with children and youth - for any category of people there is plenty of entertainment. 84 tents are located on the shores of the reservoir, there are 12 sailing schools, there are 24 high panoramic viewing platforms with the possibility of access.
Climatic features
It is a southern precalpine body of water with a unique climate. The mountain peaks of the Dolomites never pass a cold wind. In summer, the weather remains warm, but not too hot - the temperature does not exceed twenty-two degrees. In winter, the thermometer does not drop below zero. Garda is a lake whose water temperature on the surface does not rise on average above twelve degrees. Sometimes, as a result of a drop in atmospheric pressure, a significant rise in water occurs. Storms sometimes happen here, but meteorologists warn about them in advance. Tours to Lake Garda (Italy) are so popular due to their excellent fishing. This place is just perfect for fishing - there are a huge number of pike, cod, trout, tench, etc.
Natural conditions
The surrounding landscapes attract interesting landscapes and lush vegetation. The rocky northern mountains are replaced by gently sloping, green-covered southern hills. The mild climate creates excellent conditions for Mediterranean vegetation: here are abundant in orange, lemon, olive trees, bergamot, cypress, orchids, vineyards. Perhaps it was because of the natural features that the ancient Romans located here their rich villas and organized a settlement. Certainly not the last role in this was played by the presence of thermal springs, which are now famous for their healing properties.
A bit of history
People began to develop this territory back in the Bronze and Iron Ages. On fertile lands, tribes of Etruscans, Ligurts, Venets, Gauls replaced each other. The most significant part of history is the conquest of this area by the Roman Empire. Once Lake Garda was called Benacus. The pond has always been of interest because it acted as an important strategic place in which the Padinsky Plain and northern Europe communicated. Those who controlled the lake also controlled navigation, and for feudal lords in those days it was especially important. The Romans captured this territory in 963. The Dukes of Visconti of Milan owned the lake in the fourteenth century, and already in 1815 it became the property of the Austrian Empire (belonged to the Habsburg imperial family).
Entertainment
Holidays on Lake Garda (Italy) is remembered for first-class service. Tourists have the opportunity to have fun in water parks, visit historical monuments, take a walk in a variety of parks, among which is the beautiful Sigurta Botanical Garden. Lake Garda on the map of Italy is located in the best way, vacationers can easily get to the most famous cities of the country: visit romantic Venice, fashionable Milan and, of course, magnificent Verona, where no tourist has remained indifferent to the millennium-old Arena - an open-air opera stage.
Of course, there are all kinds of water activities. The most common are professional windsurfing and diving. Without a doubt, a canoe ride will bring a lot of pleasure, and fishing will give you the opportunity to feel yourself truly far from civilization. Tourists who come to Lake Garda (Italy) can do almost any sport: golf, cycling, tennis, horse riding. It also provides walks along mountain trails. It seems that Lake Garda never falls asleep. Italy is a country of cheerful people, and here it is felt especially brightly. At night, vacationers plunge into the atmosphere of bars and discos, and fireworks illuminate with colorful lights not only the sky, but also the water surface.
Wind
This phenomenon should be said separately. Lake Garda (Italy) annually attracts thousands of outdoor enthusiasts precisely because of its winds, allowing windsurfing. The most convenient for this water entertainment is the northern part of the reservoir, which is called Dyuza. There is always an even wind moving from the mountain peaks. It arises from the difference in temperature between land and water. A warm soft stream of air accelerates waves at a speed of up to fifty kilometers per hour. Every year in June, the stars of the world windsurfing gather for the King of Lake competitions. The most successful time for conquering the waves is considered the velvet season (September).
Garda Lake Italy Attractions
This place is especially attractive for those interested in the history of Italy. Here are collected stunning, not yet fully explored attractions. Perhaps the most famous of them is the castle in the city of Sirmione, located directly above the water surface. It was erected by the lord Mastino back in the eighteenth century to guard the entrance to the city. The castle is 35 meters high and can only be reached inside via a drawbridge. The vaults of the building contain unique collections of medieval and ancient Roman tombstones. A small passage crossing the castle connects the Christian ancient temple with the ruins occupying a two-hectare space of an ancient Roman villa, which is the largest structure of this type in northern Italy.
Another remarkable place of Sirmione is the Boyola thermal springs, reaching the surface from the eighteen meter depth of the lake, in which the water temperature exceeds sixty degrees. These sources have glorified the city as one of the best thermal resorts in the country.
Desenzano del garda
This city was once founded by the Romans, it was a prosperous fishing port of the Roman Empire, and began to develop as a resort only in the twentieth century. Now, many who come to Lake Garda (Italy) stop here. The city has something to see. What is only worth an ancient villa towering above Desenzano, having the appearance of a real castle. Not far from it is the Cathedral of St. Maria Magdalena, where the original of the painting “The Last Supper” by Janbattista Tiepolo is stored. In the cathedral for viewing are other works of art.
Wine Museum
Be sure to visit this place. Here, in 1870, the first wine cellars appeared. Many photographs presented at the museum will demonstrate how winemaking has developed in the region. Going down, you can taste the best samples on your own. The drink made in the valley of Lake Garda is rightfully considered one of the best in Italy and is exported to many countries. These are the famous brands Lugana, Novello, Bianco di Custoza, Chiaretto and others. The museum provides an opportunity to purchase wine on tap and directly from the manufacturer.
Gardaland
Those who want to get vivid impressions and unforgettable sensations need to look into the Gardaland amusement park, spread out on the very shore of Lake Garda. There are all kinds of entertainment facilities that are not inferior to Disneyland. However, the park presents completely different attractions (mostly water), characters and performances. This place will be interesting not only for children - adults in Gardaland become children and enjoy turning into pirates, take part in excavation of Egyptian pyramids, shake with fear in the Dead Loop, travel along the underground river, tickle nerves, hang upside down in The Bat. The amusement park gives both small and large what is so lacking in everyday life: the feeling of a real holiday in which every person is not just a spectator, but a direct participant.
Other interesting places
On Lake Garda is one of the most modern and largest water parks in Italy - Caneva World, you can also visit another large water park offering many types of water attractions - Cavour. Do not disregard MovieStudios Park - a place where you can meet the most popular heroes of world cinema.
Those who want to hide from everyday hustle and bustle are advised to visit the Sigurta park, where rare species of flowers and plants are collected. This is the only park in all of Italy that is allowed to ride a bicycle or car. At the same time, it is an ideal place for hiking. The territory totals fifty hectares and represents a truly green corner of Italy. Sigurta Park is recognized as the best example of park architecture. Grottoes and lakes created by artificial means are intertwined with picturesque alleys and various compositions of shrubs, flowers and trees.
Another amazing place is Natura Viva. This is an open-air safari park, which contains a variety of animals, including the inhabitants of the terrarium.
Often, tourists come to Lake Garda to improve their health. In this case, you just need to visit the thermal park Villa dei Cedri, which is a kind of natural hospital with thermal springs, which have special grottoes designed for swimming. It also provides hydromassage services.
How to get to Lake Garda
The largest airport in the lake area is the air port of Verona named after Valerio Catullo. You can also get to the pond from the airports of Milan: Malpensa, Linate and Bergamo, Venice Marco Polo Airport, the small Brescia Montichiari Airport. From Milan and Venice, you can get to Lake Garda by train Trenltalia, running between these settlements (you should leave in the city of Desenzano del Garda, which we already mentioned). Getting to the pond by car is also not difficult: if the destination is the southern part of the lake, you should go along the A4 highway (Venice-Milan), and if the northern one - along the A22 (Modena-Brenner) highway; SS 45 bis Gardesana Occidentale runs along the west coast, and SS 249 Gardesana Orientale runs along the east.
Moving around the lake
Transport navigation began to develop here at the very beginning of the nineteenth century. The possibility of movement is currently represented by several transport lines connecting Riva del Garda, Torri and Maderno with Peschieu and Desenzano del Garda, Malcesine with Limone. There are also special ferry services on the route from the central part of the reservoir to the top. In the summer, motor ships and speedboats ply the lake, allowing you to move at such a speed that you can see most of the sights in one day.
Ultramodern catamarans are considered a feature of the transport system, they can accommodate up to three hundred passengers, and the power is average between the boat and the ship. Without leaving the car, you can cross the lake on the ferries "Mincio" and "Adamello". The cheapest way to travel between coastal cities is with buses running along both the east and west coasts.
Finally
Now you know a lot about such a wonderful place as Lake Garda (Italy). The photos presented in the article will help to feel the atmosphere of this attractive resort. But, of course, even the best pictures will not make the impression that tourists who came to the lake and personally saw all its beauty get. Having been in this wonderful place at least once, you will gain an unforgettable experience and forever keep a piece of Italy in your heart. There is a legend that the water of Lake Garda prolongs people's lives so that they can still return there. The sea of positive emotions and excellent health will be the best souvenirs that you will surely take away as a keepsake of this beautiful reservoir. Do not miss the unique opportunity to relax from everyday life, improve your health, recharge your batteries with energy and vigor. Have a good travel!