3 Towns to visit when at Lake Garda
As the largest lake in Italy, Lake Garda or Lago di Garda is a popular holiday destination. The lakes’ location is in Northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. Around Lake Garda there are 26 comuni, which roughly translates to the equivalent of a township or municipality. With 26 towns around the lake there is enough to explore on the shore.
Lake Garda is not only fun on the shore, the lake is an ideal scenery and a perfect place to practice water sports as windsurfing, sail boating and canoeing. Also for motorboat trips and for other disciplines as for example fishing and diving is Lake Garda a perfect place.
But Lake Garda’s large size means navigating to the various towns dotted along its shores can be more difficult. So whether you are looking to for a day trip from Milan or are organizing the stops on your northern Italy itinerary, you will benefit from this guide to the best towns on Lake Garda to know which one fits your trip best!
Sirmione
While the instagram pictures are what originally drew me to Sirmione, its charm and views are what convinced me that Sirmione is one of the nicest towns along the lake. Sirmione is located on a peninsula on the south side of Lake Garda. This means that the center of the village has relatively limited accessibility.
The striking Castello Scaligero is the centerpiece of Sirmione and an absolute must to admire. As you wander over the bridge to Castello Scaligero from where you parked your car or vespa (we can all dream,) you will meet the bright town center abundant with shops, restaurants, and people. Castello Scaligero is open from 8:30 AM to 7:15 PM Mondays are closed.
However, on the north side of the peninsula lies the main attraction of Sirmione: the caves of Catallus. Here you can admire the remains of an old Roman villa (Villa Romana) and visit the Antiquarium museum. This is the most beautiful museum on Lake Garda. You can travel part of the route to the Catallus Caves with a tourist train. You can also choose to walk the panoramic route along Lake Garda.
Limone Sul Garda
From the lemon-adorned house numbers to the relaxation chairs on the marina, Limone Sul Garda, on Lake Garda’s western shore, evokes a positive and relaxing ambiance. Until the middle of the last century, growing lemons was the largest source of income in Limone. Ascending the town, you’ll notice on the ground another local and endearing touch – a tile with brightly painted lemons leading you to the Limonaia del Castel, a playground for citrus lovers.
Limone boasts another surreal attraction nearby, which is the Ciclopista di Garda a panoramic, elevated cycling and walking path alongside the mountain. You can walk from Limone sul Garda starting at Capo Reamol to reach the path. This is quite a walk from the town to the beginning of the path, the street that leads to the ciclopista weaves up and down and takes around 20 minutes. After walking around 20 minutes you will be at the start of the ciclopista now you can start the walk above the lake and along the mountain.
Another option is to rent a bike in Limone and bike the way there and along the ciclopista. There is also tiny parking lot on the side of the road right at its entrance, but the limited spots are snatched up quickly. The down side is that you can also park here for just 2 hours. We discovered the parking lot after walking the whole way from the town to the start of the ciclopista.
Riva del Garda
The city of Riva del Garda is located in a strategic position, on the northern tip of the lake. Due to its northern location, Riva del Garda has a different climate and appearance than many other places on Lake Garda. Because the area around Riva is much more mountainous, the weather is a lot more fickle.
Riva del Garda has a few sights worth mentioning. For example, there is a castle on the water that can only be approached via a bridge: the Rocca. The most unique one is the Bastilion on the mountain that is reachable by panoramic elevator up the mountains providing a birds-eye view! My favorite part of Riva del Garda is its mini riviera and the large parks along the lake. Some are framed by the characteristic carved stone railings and delicate potted flowers you may have seen floating around Instagram!
Visiting Lake Garda: How to Get Around
Renting a car is the easiest way to reach anywhere you’d like on Lake Garda. Most of the towns are prepared for a lot of car visits and have big carparks or car garages. The scenic roads along the lake or in the mountains make it absolutely worth the road trip and will have you enjoying the journey just as much as the destination. Lake Garda was the second stop on our Itlay Itinary after Lake Como, so we also drove to all the cities.
If renting a car isn’t an option for you, then you will be more limited where you can visit. You can travel by train to Lake Garda to stations at the south including Desenzano sul Garda/Sirmione station and Peschiera del Garda station.
Paking
Best Parking Sirmone: Piazzale Monte Baldo, 25019 Sirmione, Province of Brescia, Italy
By car you can reach the entrance to the center. There are three paid parking lots where you can park your car. The main parking at the service of the old town is the parking in Piazzale Monte Baldo.
Best Parking Limone: Parcheggio Multipiano, Via Lungolago Guglielmo Marconi, 50, 25010 Limone Sul Garda BS, Italy
I would recommend the parking garage at the lakeside. The parking garage has (for Italian standards) quite large parking spaces and is perfectly located for a stroll through the small town. For parking here you pay and average of 2,50 Euro for the first hour and 1,50 Euro for each additional hour.
Best Parking Riva del Garda:
The center of Riva del Garda is the limited traffic zone (ZTL), which means that cars are not allowed there if you do not have special permission, usually given to residents. There are many parking spaces on various streets, as well as parking garages.
