Best Towns to Visit in Lake Garda

Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake, with a ton of tiny Italian towns dotting the blue coastline. Although Lake Garda is a major vacation hotspot for Europeans, it’s still a relatively underrated and unknown travel destination to the rest of the world…oftentimes overlooked by it’s glamorous next door neighbor Lake Como. But I’m here to tell you that Lake Garda is an absolute must-visit when in Italy, offering low-key lakeside relaxation, charming Italian villages, and a ton of family-friendly and water-sports oriented activities. It’s also within easy travel distance of major cities such as Milan, Verona, Venice, and Florence. Read more about our romantic weekend getaway, and what I think are the best towns to visit in Lake Garda.

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When to Visit Lake Garda

Although the area enjoys a fairly temperate climate most of the year, winters can be especially cold, so I wouldn’t recommend visiting during that time of the year. The best time to visit Lake Garda is during the summer months of June through September, where you can expect warm summer temperatures and enjoy a nice lakeside swim and gelato. Although this is peak tourist season, because the lake is so expansive and there are several towns to choose from, accommodation can still be plentiful and reasonably priced.

Desenzano del Garda

Desenzano del Garda is a small but lively town on the southern shores of Lake Garda. Because Desenzano del Garda is home to the main Lake Garda ferry terminal and railway station, we decided to make it our main base when exploring Garda. It’s also one of the most convenient towns to visit along the lake due to it’s location to the A4 motorway (great for weekend or day trips to and from Milan, Venice, or Verona). We stayed at the Hotel Piroscafo, which is a charming and affordable hotel right along the harbor, within walking distance from the various transportation hubs.

One of the best things to do in Desenzano del Garda is to explore the historic area of the town and explore the countless piazzas and shops (it’s the best town on the lake if you’re looking to do some shopping). There’s also a nice promenade which takes you along the edges of Lake Garda, and access to some of Garda’s best beaches.

A great lunch spot in Desenzano del Garda is Bruschetteria Nose. We discovered this tiny café on our walk from Desenzano del Garda to Sirmione, and really loved the food. Go here if you’re a fan of carbs and are interested in trying a variety of unique bruschetta flavor combinations!

Sirmione

Sirmione was my favorite town that we visited in Lake Garda. The home to some of Garda’s most popular historic and cultural attractions, this historic little village shouldn’t be missed! And of course, even if you’re not interested in any of the below cultural sites, Sirmione is still a darling town filled with scenic corners, buzzing restaurants, and ice cold gelato that makes it a worthwhile stop!

Scaligero Castle

We visited the Scaliger Castle while in Sirmione, which is a 13th-century fortress and castle at the southern tip of the city. While there is not much to see within the castle itself, this site is not to be missed because of it’s beautiful turquoise moat, and 360-degree scenic views overlooking the lake.

GRotto di Catullo

Another must-see site in Sirmione is the Grottoes di Catullo, which are the ruins of a 1st century AD Roman Villa, and one of the best and largest preserved ancient sites in northern Italy. We explored the Grotto di Catullo at sunset and it was positively scenic – imagine…old olive trees scattered throughout a picturesque complex of ruined stone arches and walls, against the backdrop of the turquoise Lake Garda and a brilliant orange-tinted sky.

Parco Callas Arena

We spent a few hours wandering the lovely garden and park called Parcos Callas Arena, which features tall spruce trees, manicured gardens, and a little pathway to the beach.

Sirmione is set out on a peninsula that stretches into the lower lake, and is dotted with several beautiful pebble beaches, and walking around the peninsula and coastal path was one of my favorite things we did in the town.

Bardolino

Bardolino is located on the widest point of the lake, and is a relaxing town with a great city center and a long walking path along the lake shore. It’s also famous for it’s production of the red wine Bardolino, and there are numerous vineyards and wineries you can visit in the region. We spent the majority of time here walking along the promenade, enjoying the views of the marina. Bardolino is also a great base for those looking to do more active outdoors things, with a great selection of family friendly camp sites, and water sports centers.

Limone Sul Garda

Desenzano, Sirmione, and Bardolino are all towns situated near the Southern end of Lake Garda, but some of the more dramatic scenery around the lake is located on the Northern end. If you have time, I’d highly recommend booking a ferry boat ride to the Northern end of the lake to experience both sides of the lake. You can also drive around the lake (it takes around 4 hours of driving time to get from one side to the other), and hop around some of the villages.

Limone is a popular town on the North East side of the lake, and is especially picturesque due to it’s location near the more mountainous side of Lake Garda. Limone is famous for growing lemons and other citrus fruits, and visitors can tour lemon and olive groves while they are visiting the town.

TIP: Limone offers a pedestrian ferry to some of the other towns in the area, such as the town Malcesine, which only takes about 20 minutes to get to.

Malcesine

Finally, Malcesine is worth a stop when visiting Lake Garda. While there are several medieval castles around Lake Garda, one of the grandest castles is the Scaliger Castle in Malcesine. This hilltop castle offers sweeping panoramic views over the red rooftops of it’s historic center, the crystal blue waters of the lake, and the awe-inspiring slopes of nearby Monte Baldo. Although we didn’t have time to do this, you can get even better views of the area by taking the Malcesine Monte Baldo cable car.

We spent a few hours roaming Malcesine’s harbor and enjoyed a delicious dinner of fresh seafood. We ended the trip by witnessing a brilliant pink sunset while relaxing in the picture-perfect harbor.