Lake Garda’s scenery is enormously diverse, from the sea-like southern basin, fringed by beaches, to the fjord-like north, where the Brenta Dolomites drop sheer into the water. This full-day cruise takes in Riviera-like shores, lakeside villages and historic castles and harbours.
DISTANCE: Hydrofoil from Sirmione to Malcesine: 60km (37 miles); return trip: 120km (75 miles)
TIME: A full day
START/END: Sirmione
POINTS TO NOTE: Make an early start and take one of the fast routes (marked in red on the timetable – www.navigazionelaghi.com) to get to Malcesine for lunch. The boat will make several stops en route, but you will only have time to disembark at one destination other than Malcesine. Recommended are either Gargnano or Bardolino. If you are limited to half a day, concentrate on the lower lake only. This trip starts at Sirmione, but you can also go from other resorts on the southern shore, such as Desenzano del Garda or Peschiera del Garda.
Cruising the lake is far more relaxing than coping with traffic-filled lakeshore roads and dimly lit tunnels. It is also the best way to admire the scenery.
Approximately 51km (32 miles) long and 17km (10.5. miles) wide at its maximum point, Garda is Italy’s largest lake. Apart from some spectacular scenery, it offers fine beaches and clean, warm waters. The area enjoys a wide range of climatic conditions, from chilly Alpine glaciers north of the lake to Mediterranean warmth.
In the Middle Ages, ruling dynasties built splendid defences around the lake’s shores; in the 19th century European aristocrats and literati came for the healthy climate. Although picturesque villages still dot the shorelines and medieval castles rise from the waters, it is nowadays the most crowded of the Italian lakes, with large numbers of German and Austrian holidaymakers, sailors and windsurfers descending on its shores. The south in particular has seen major commercialisation.
From the ferry landing stage off Piazza Carducci in Sirmione 1 [map], take the fast service to Bardolino 2 [map] on the Veneto shore, framed by rolling hills and vine-clad slopes. Bardolino Superiore now has DOCG status; to learn more about the delicious cherryish-red wine, visit the excellent Museo del Vino (Wine Museum; Via Costabella 9, Bardolino; www.museodelvino.it; free). In the adjoining Zeno winery, you can taste whites and rosés as well as the reds, and purchase bottles from two or three euros.
Touring the lake by boat
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Lake Garda cruise
A half hour walk will take you to the Museo dell’Olio di Oliva (Olive Oil Museum; Via Peschiera 54, Cisano di Bardolino; www.museum.it; free), with a shop selling olives, honey and pasta, as well as olive oil. Wine and food aside, the town has a ruined castle, two Romanesque churches and a medieval quarter.
The lake took its name from the town of Garda 3 [map], which shelters in the lee of a huge rocky outcrop. Lake Garda was once called Benacus (Beneficient) – and it is occasionally still referred to by the Latin name. The former fishing village is now a popular resort, with a long café-lined promenade that you can see from the boat, and narrow alleys packed with trattorie and souvenirs.
From Garda the boat crosses the lake to Gardone Riviera 4 [map] and Salò 5 [map], two prestigious resorts on the Lombardy bank, whose elegant promenades you can admire from the boat. (If you have time another day, they are covered in detail on tour 16; ).
Shaft of sunlight over the waters of Garda
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Several boats, including a car ferry and private excursion boats, link Malcesine with the busy resort of Limone on the Lombardy shore. Less self-consciously cute than Sirmione, Limone is caught between lush Mediterranean vegetation and sheer rock faces that cower under snow-clad peaks. D.H. Lawrence adored Limone, which, he wrote, overlooked ‘a lake as beautiful as the beginning of creation’. What was once an old fishing port is today very touristy. You might assume the village is named after the citrus fruit, but it is more likely that the name derives from the Latin limen (border), referring to the former frontier here between Austria and Italy.
Lemon terraces
The boat now skirts the loveliest stretch of coast, where wild Alpine terrain stretches all the way to Riva del Garda. Despite the cliffs, the area is a hothouse for Mediterranean shrubs and citrus fruits as a result of the balmy microclimate.
Gargnano sailing centre
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Citrus fruits, introduced by medieval monks, used to constitute the lake’s cash crop. To protect the lemons from rare but catastrophic cold spells, the terraces were traditionally south-facing, covered with wooden supports in the colder months, and watched over by gardeners who would light fires if the temperature dropped suddenly. Citrus cultivation went into an irreversible decline in the 19th century, with competition from cheaper citrus fruits grown in the hotter climate of southern Italy. These distinctive but mostly defunct limonaie (lemon terraces), with their rows of white stone pillars, still dot the lakeshore from Gargnano, north of Gardone, to Limone sul Garda. The Limonaia del Castel in Limone (www.visitlimonesulgarda.com; Nominal charge) and the Limonaia Prà de la Fam in Tignale (www.ecomuseopradelafam.com; Nominal charge) are two of the few that have been preserved and can be seen in operation.
Gargnano
From Gardone it is a short hop to Maderno, twinned with neighbouring Toscolano, and used mainly by tourists for its car ferry service across to Torri del Benaco on the opposite side of the lake. Going north, Gargnano 6 [map] is one of the main sailing centres on the lake. Remarkably unspoilt, it has a lively little port, a promenade of orange trees, some charming hotels and several gourmet restaurants. With time in hand, alight here and take a leisurely stroll before boarding the next boat to Malcesine.
Drinks at Limone sul Garda
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Alight at family-friendly Malcesine 7 [map], the loveliest resort on the Veneto shore, with a café-lined waterfront, balconied Venetian-style houses and a maze of cobbled alleys. Choose from one of the many restaurants, ranging from simple osterie, such as Osteria Santo Cielo, see 1 [map], to gourmet haunts such as Trattoria Vecchia Malcesine, see 2 [map], and Ristorante Re Lear – surely the only restaurant in the world to be named after King Lear. .
Scaligero Castle
The village clusters below the crenellated Castello Scaligero (www.visitmalcesine.com/en/the-scaliger-castle-of-malcesine; charge), whose battlements and tower command fine views of the lake. Within the walls is a natural history museum.
Monte Baldo Cable-Car
Behind the resort you will find Malcesine’s state-of-the-art funicular (www.funiviedelbaldo.it; charge), which links the resort to the summit of Monte Baldo (2,218m/7,275ft). The panoramic rotating cable-cars whisk you up there in a matter of minutes, stopping en route at San Michele. The mountain ridge offers spectacular views, scenic walking trails and a profusion of flora. In winter the cable-car goes up to the ski slopes.
1 [map] Osteria Santo Cielo
Piazza Turazza 11, Malcesine; 348-745 1345
An excellent spot for a light lunch, with salads, salamis, tapas and cheese, plus a good choice of wine. The setting is simple and rustic, with a cellar-like interior and tables outside. €
2 [map] Trattoria Vecchia Malcesine
Via Pisort 6, Malcesine, www.vecchiamalcesine.com
A tiny gourmet trattoria tucked away on a scenic terrace in the old quarter with wonderful views of the castle and lake. The Michelin-starred cuisine includes local delicacies such as duck confit with Parmesan and truffles, ravioli with snails, and prawns with garlic butter. Book in advance. €€€€
Cruise back to Sirmione, alighting, if you haven’t already, at Bardolino en route.
In late September and early October Bardolino hosts the Festa dell’Uva (Grape Festival) where corks pop nonstop.
Rock faces beside the town
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications