Lake Garda | Holidays | Italy | Mountains and Lakes | From Ireland

Feb. 10, 2015 - PRLog -- The old fishing village of Garda on the eastern lake shore is surrounded by terraced vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees. Chic boutiques, open-air cafés and smart restaurants line the traffic-free promenade and on market days there are stalls selling everything from leather goods to exotic liqueurs. This is the heart of the town, where the shops, ice cream parlours, hotels and bars spill out on to the pavement with waiters rushing across the street to serve pizzas and pasta to hungry visitors enjoying the atmosphere and the amazing views.

The harbour buzzes with boats and ferries bringing people between this and other resorts across the lake. There is also a pebble beach which is perfect for sunbathing and, as the landscape is flat, it is very popular with walkers and cyclists who often take the lakeside path to the neighbouring resort of Bardolino.

As dusk settles, the town lights up with the sound of live music and conversation as people stroll along the streets and enjoy the atmosphere of the evening promenade.

Garda is a great place to enjoy a relaxing holiday and it provides a perfect base from which to visit nearby attractions. It is not far from the theme parks of Gardaland, Movieland and Aqua Paradise Park, all ideal for a special family day out.

Lake Garda has always been an extremely desirable holiday destination, so if you're planning to visit in the high season you should expect full hotels and reservations required for the most popular restaurants - but this is the place to see and be seen, and the bustle is part of the shining appeal.  Even if you're not hoping to visit in peak season it's still advisable to book several months in advance - and even then charm and diplomacy may be required.

Here are some popular village destinations:

Peschiera del Garda - Peschiera del Garda, is a town and comune in the province of Verona, in Veneto, Italy. When Lombardy-Venetia was under Austrian rule, Peschiera was the northwest anchor of the four fortified towns constituting the so-called Quadrilatero.

Riva del Garda - Riva del Garda is a town and comune in the northern Italian province of Trento of the Trentino Alto Adige region. It is also known simply as Riva. The estimated population is 15,151.

Bardolino - Bardolino is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 130 kilometres west of Venice and about 25 kilometres northwest of Verona.

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