- Location: Provinces of Trento, Verona, Brescia
- Area: 369 sq km
- Max Length: 51.9 km
- Max width: 16.7km
- Currency: Euro
- View Climate chart
Lake Garda for holidays and short breaks
Whatever the season there is plenty to make your holiday around Lake Garda memorable; diving , skiing, sailing, walking, shopping or just plain relaxing - and all with fantastic scenery and food. Lake Garda is surrounded by a belt of evergreen vegetation, such as olive trees, cypresses, oleanders, holms oaks and laurel trees, as well as fig and almond trees and due to the mitigating effect of the great mass of the lake the climate is rather mild with high temperatures and low rainfalls.
Brenzone & Castelletto on the eastern shore of Lake Garda is a location for great sunsets and panoramas. From the Lake to the slopes of Mount Baldo you'll find an abundance of activities for your holiday whilst enjoying a selection of local product including fish, olive oils and cheeses in the local restaurants.
Riva Del Garda, on the north shore where the lake ends and the Brenta Dolomites start, you can enjoy a splendid holiday full of opportunities: history, art, sports and nature,
Malcesine, "Pearl of the Lake", provides opportunity for walking, hiking, sailing, windsurfing, tennis, paragliding and scuba - plus more. On the eastern side of Lake Garda Malcesine is centered around the castle and retains much of it medieval origin and charm.
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Lake Garda is surrounded by a belt of evergreen vegetation, such as olive trees, cypresses, oleanders, holms oaks and laurel trees, as well as fig and almond trees and due to the mitigating effect of the great mass of the lake the climate is rather mild with high temperatures and low rainfalls. Rainfalls are concentrated mainly in the spring and autumn months. Sports lovers can practice sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, mountain biking and tennis in the area. |
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The area of Lake Garda is also rich in a wide-ranging fauna, particularly the micro fauna: there are almost one thousand species of butterflies, some of which live only on Mount Baldo, as well as various kinds of beetles and insects. Among the few bigger animals there are some birds such as ptarmigans, black grouses, capercaillies and golden eagles to be found. Mammals include roedeers and chamois (recently re-introduced), foxes, beech martens and badgers. |
Some of the most common rodents are marmots, edible dormice, various kinds of squirrels and many more. Wolves and bears used to live here up until 1800, while adders, common buzzards and choughs are still widespread. |
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Fresh water fish occupies a prominent position in th local gastronomic fare. In the costal villages from Porto to Assenza to Magugnano and castelletto fishing is still a reality with deep traditional roots. The typical recipes of the villages around the whole of Lake of Garda are almost exclusively fish based, particularly with eels, carp, pike sardines and trout. As you leave the Lake and climb the mountains, you find dishes based on meat, game, cheese and also woodland produce such as mushrooms, truffles and chestnuts in autumn. But as mentioned the lake fish is the star of the local cuisine. Worth a mention is the rare "noble" carp, a salmonid endemic to the lake of Garda. The less noble fish such as sardines, chub, bleak, pike and perch, also occupy a leading role at the dining table. |
Typical fish recipes of Brenzone: Pickled bleak, called agole salae or aole salè, gives rise to a wonderful dish tipical of Brenzone, the bigoi co le agole. Besides being an excellent first course, the agole can form the basis of starters, such as in "sisam", an ancient dish with strong flavour with vinegar and sugar. One of the main features of the landscape around the lake are the olive trees that grow at a height of 300 metres. Lake Garda is the northernmost region in the hemisphere where olive trees grow and olive oil is produced.
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On the picturesque hills surrounding Lake Garda there are numerous wine-growing houses. To explore the wine regions of Lake Garda in all their variety we recommend excursions along the wine routes which, past numerous wine producers, lead you through all the cultivated areas. Wine cellars in the Valpolicella: Azienda Vinicola Vantini Luigi & figli; Azienda Agricola Nicolis Angelo e Figli; Società Agricola Antolini Wine cellars in the region of Bardolino: Cantina Caorsa; Azienda Agricola Cà Bottura; Cantina Vinicola F.lli Zeni ; Tenuta La Presa Wine cellars in the Valtenesì: Azienda Agricola Zuliani; Azienda Agricola Delai |
Wine Festivals: Wine Festivals 2007 04/2007 05/2007 06/2007 Festa del Chiaretto - Moniga del Garda 09/2007 Festa della Vendemmia - Desenzano del Garda 10/2007 Festa dell'Uva - Bardolino 11/2007 |
