lindaf

Hi I have a couple of friends who want to stay for about a week in Lake Garda next year to go walking & sightseeing.

Does anyone have recommendations for towns & hotels around Lake Garda? I think the whole area looks lovely. I've been to Desenzano and Bardolino - are these two quite representative of the towns right around the lake?

Thanks

Patty

I haven't been for a long time - but I remember we visited Sirmione and found it to be really lovely - really quaint. Its a tiny place and is at the end of a long thin piece of land that goes out into the lake. Theres a kind of walled moat area to access the place. If you go on google map and put in Sirmione you can see - its quite unique

lindaf

Thanks Patty

I think the south of the lake is the area I'll recommend to them - they'll have towns, Sirmione, the hills and the lake and they'll be close enough to get to a city if they want to.

I've seen pictures of Sirmione and it's still on our list 'to do'.

duffer

Sirmione is nice and pretty but you only need to spend a couple of hours there. A must is Bardolino just for the wine. I would also take in Peschiera and I went to Malcesine where you can take the cablecar up to Mt Baldo for some fantastic views of the lake and hiking around the mountain tops. Don't get caught out like a lot of the tourists in Malcesine: it was really hot down by the lake (when I went at the end of April) but when we got to the top of Mt Baldo in our t-shirts and flip flops we were stuck in snow, freezing our butts off!

lindaf

We really want to go to Monte Baldo -we plan to take our bikes up in the cable car and then cycle back down.

I've had another recommendation for my friend - Riva del Garda. I'll tell her about what's at the north and what's at the south then she can decide from there.