Italy
Lake Garda: Sirmione, Malcesine, Riva and the hotels on the water
A castle standing in the water, terraced lemon gardens and mountains plunging into the lake. Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake, and every town has its own personality. Here are the towns, what to see and the hotels we recommend.
The ferry pulls away from Sirmione while the sun is still low over the water. Behind you stands the castle with its swallow-tail battlements, ahead the lake stretches north towards the Alps, narrow and blue between the mountainsides. Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake, and every town along its shore has a personality of its own.
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Short answer: Lake Garda
Where: Between Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino, half an hour from Verona.
South: Sirmione and Lazise, with beaches and wine villages.
East: Malcesine and the cable car to Monte Baldo.
North: Riva del Garda and Limone, with mountains, wind and lemon gardens.
Where to stay
At the tip of Sirmione: Villa Cortine Palace. See rooms at Villa Cortine Palace
On the west shore: Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone Riviera. See rooms at Grand Hotel Fasano
In the north: Lido Palace in Riva del Garda. See rooms at Lido Palace
Sirmione: the peninsula in the south
Sirmione sits at the end of a narrow peninsula, and you enter the old town through the gate of the Scaligero castle, which stands right in the water. At the tip lie the remains of a Roman villa known as the Grotte di Catullo, and the town also has thermal baths.
Malcesine and Monte Baldo
On the east shore lies Malcesine, with a castle above the harbour and a cable car with rotating cabins up to Monte Baldo. From the top you can see almost the whole lake, and in summer many hike on the mountain.
Riva del Garda and Limone
In the north the landscape grows steeper. Riva del Garda is known for its wind and water sports, and Limone sul Garda for its old lemon houses, limonaie, terraced down to the water.
Villa Cortine Palace in Sirmione.
Gardone Riviera and the Vittoriale
On the west shore lies Gardone Riviera, with villas and gardens from the days when Lake Garda drew Europe’s upper classes. Here stands the Vittoriale degli Italiani, the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio’s eccentric home and museum.
Wine, ferries and Verona
The east shore is known for Bardolino wine, and ferries link the towns across the lake. Verona is half an hour away and easy to combine with a stay on the lake. Read more in our guide to Verona and about Borghetto, the medieval village just south of the lake.
Where to stay
Villa Cortine Palace: in the park on Sirmione
A historic hotel set in a large park on the peninsula, with its own jetty and lake views.
Book your stay: See rooms at Villa Cortine Palace
Grand Hotel Fasano: on the water in Gardone
A 19th-century grand hotel right on the water, with a spa and garden.
Book your stay: See rooms at Grand Hotel Fasano
Lido Palace: on the lake in Riva
A luxury hotel in Riva del Garda, with a park, spa and the mountains right behind.
Book your stay: See rooms at Lido Palace
Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone Riviera.
Frequently asked questions about Lake Garda
Where is Lake Garda?
In northern Italy, between Milan and Venice, around half an hour from Verona.
Which town on Lake Garda is the prettiest?
Sirmione for history, Malcesine for the mountain and Limone for the lemon gardens.
When is the best time to visit Lake Garda?
May, June and September bring warm days and fewer people than July and August.