Lake Garda

Enjoy a self-drive holiday to Lake Garda

The beautiful scenery of Lake Garda and the many opportunities for a wonderful family holiday at your own pace have long attracted Danes to this beautiful destination. Lake Garda is also Italy's largest lake and lies almost halfway between Brescia and Verona, in northern Italy. The whole region was formed by glaciers at the end of the last ice age, which ended around 12,000 years ago, and they have helped shape the beautiful and varied landscape. There's also a lovely temperate climate all year round, where both olives and lemons thrive, even though it's nicely north of their usual latitudes. The area around Lake Garda has also had a somewhat turbulent history, and the many fortresses bear witness to how important it was to be able to defend oneself. There are also several Roman ruins that can be visited.

If you're planning a driving holiday, the area offers great opportunities and it's easy to get around to the many beautiful natural attractions and sights by car. The south coast has many lovely beaches and is surrounded by low hills while the northern part of Lake Garda has cliffs and mountains down to the lake, especially on the west coast, so remember to bring your swimsuit. The terrain itself is part of the lake's charm, and sports-minded tourists have plenty of opportunities to indulge in everything from sailing trips to rock climbing, rappelling, mountain biking and more.

Kids will love a trip to 'Gardaland', Italy's largest theme park, located between the towns of Peschiera del Garda and Lazise in the southern part of Lake Garda. There's everything from carousels to wild roller coasters. Also visit the 'Fantasy Kingdom' where there are fun games and fantasy animals and rides for the little ones or watch the dolphins perform in the large water pools of 'Il Palablu'.

Drive to Parco Rocca Manerba and make sure to stop and enjoy the beautiful views of the coast and also visit the ancient ruins of the medieval fortress.The many beaches around the lake are mostly pebbled but there are also several lovely sandy beaches and beaches with lawns right down to the water. Try Lazise or Val di Sogno, where you can hire windsurfing equipment and book sailing trips, and Catullo's Caves also has a very popular beach that can only be reached by sea. The beach at Torbole is known as a paradise for windsurfers because of the constant winds. Take the trip to Tremosine sul Garda in Voltino and try some rock climbing with SKYclimber or explore the deep gorges of Torbole. There are a host of exciting outdoor activities for the active.

The coastline is dotted with idyllic towns, and in the south the picturesque town of Sirmione sits on a promontory overlooking Lake Garda. The town's fortress was built in the 12th century by the Scaligeri, Verona's ruling family, and served as part of the defensive network against its neighbours in Milan. But the Romans also came to the area to use the healing springs, among other things. Visit the Roman villa, which was built more than 2000 years ago and rebuilt several times. The villa is not far from Desenzanino Seaside Resort and gives a good impression of the Roman lifestyle.

At the northern end of Lake Garda, the beautiful town of Riva del Garda lies between the mountains and the water. Here you will find medieval-style streets, sunny and beautiful waterside areas and pretty promenades. The Rocca del Riva is the town's castle, also built by the Scaligeri between the 12th and 15th centuries, and which today houses the excellent 'Museo Civico' which has fascinating exhibits of prehistoric finds, each with a story to tell.

There's no chance of running out of things to do around Lake Garda, so start packing your trunk and planning a self-drive holiday to Italy's beautiful lake.