Lake Garda

Lake Garda, the most popular and largest of the lakes in northern Italy, borders three regions: Trentino to the north, Lombardia to the west and south, and Veneto to the south and east. The low-lying countryside around the southern stretches becomes increasingly dramatic further north, until impressive rocky cliffs, sometimes swathed in pines, hug the shoreline of the northern tip. The numerous sporting facilities, country-style resorts, and splendid scenery of snow-capped mountains help make the lake a favorite summer playground. Hydrofoils, catamarans, and steamers that use the lake offer glimpses of villas and gardens that cannot be seen from the coastal road.

Located in northern Italy, about mid-way between Venice (Venezia) and Milan, Lake Garda was formed by glaciers at the end of the ice age and is an alpine region. With its temperate and mild climate and unusual vegetation, Lake Garda has much in common with the southern regions of Italy. These features have contributed to flourishing civilizations, from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, and from the Bronze Age to the first settlements of the Gauls, until it became a Roman cartel.

Today, it is a major tourist destination with numerous hotels and resorts along its shore.