7 nights from £395
Lying between the Alps and the Dolomites, Lake Garda is the largest and most ‘Mediterranean’ of the Italian lakes. Beautiful villas and gardens line the south-western shores and semi-tropical flowers flourish in the mild climate. Vines and orchards of olive trees and lemons fringe the region and the vineyards of Bardolino and Valpolicella, amongst others, are nearby. Hydrofoil, catamaran and steamers ply the lake with possible destinations including Bardolino, the harbour and fortress of Peschiera, the elegant resort of Gardone Riviera with its fine villas and parks, Garda and Desenzano. Sirmione is a charming, historic town renowned for its thermal baths, the Rocca Scagligera castle and the Grotte di Catullo, the largest Roman villa in Italy. The northern part of Lake Garda is truly a cultural and geographical meeting point. Here the Dolomites rise dramatically as one enters the Italian South Tirol with steep cliffs over deep water. To the southwest one moves through Lombardy and the Italian lake district whilst to the east the Venetian plain leads past historic and medieval Verona to La Serenissima – the Serene Republic.
