“A lake as beautiful as the beginning of creation” – D.H. Lawrence
Lake Garda, the largest lake of Italy is simply a world apart. It’s full of olive groves, lemon trees, colourful architecture and promenades lined with palm trees, not to mention the ever beautiful lake itself against the stunning backdrop of mountains. It’s just breathtakingly divine.
Either side of the lake is lined with pretty towns and villages. There are quite a few options to choose as your base i.e Lazise, Malcesine, Limone, Sermione, Peschiera Del Garda and Garda town itself. We chose Garda town as our base. As we were arriving from Rome, Lake Garda appeared as a stunning change of scenery.
A thrilling train experience
The train journey from Rome to Peschiera Del Garda was quite an adventure with a change in between at Verona. It was the last train of the day and we had to board it anyhow. We just had two minutes to change the train, disembark, rush to another platform, board the train, lugging our suitcases (WE KNOW, will surely work towards travelling light) and a six year old boy. It felt quite like a movie scene when two random men started running along with us, picked up our luggage (without even asking us..haha) and dropped them in the train just seconds before it started moving. Then they started asking for some cash. We initially felt that they might be some thugs, so I quickly put my hands in my pocket to find some euros for them. I could only find 8 euros (haha) in a hurry and gave them. They jumped off the moving train. To be honest, we would have missed that train if those men wouldn’t have helped us.
Hotel La Vittoria
Our stay was booked at Hotel La Vittoria, situated right by the harbour. Our room was lake facing and we could not ask for more. The breakfast was decent with loads of options and an amazing open restaurant right by the lake. Their staff was extremely friendly and helpful. They even served us dinner in the room quite late in the night when we came back knackered from a day trip. We won’t ever forget that kind gesture. The restaurant menu was quite extensive too. Plus they have a wonderful location and that’s always a bonus.
The Garda Town
The Garda town has a very mediterranean feel to it. It’s shaped like a cove with a beautiful bay. The walk along the lake, colourful souvenir shops and buildings lend a very old world charm to this place. We loved our directionless jaunts, taking shelter from the sudden downpour and deciding on a place to eat. A cheesy rendezvous later, we loved spending time at the bay. The memory of that overcast sky and fresh breeze is still fresh in our minds.
Lively Garda Nights
The town itself comes alive and the scene completely changes when it gets dark. It gets quite happening when open restaurants are set up and live bands start playing. We walked down the pier (near European Flags) to have a glimpse of the dazzling town in the night. The view from there was simply amazing. I would let pictures speak for themselves.
Up in the Italian Alps: Monte Baldo
Monte Baldo is about 37 km away from Garda town. We boarded the bus from the Garda bus stop, which was right outside our hotel. It took us around an hour to reach there. We hopped on a cable car to reach the top. Monte Baldo is a pretty alpine attraction with some amazing panoramic views. There are plenty of hiking trails to choose from. There’s a nice restaurant at the top with laid out sun loungers and beanbags gazing over the alpine scenery. There are some active sports for kids too. There’s something for everyone at Monte Baldo. It’s a perfect half day excursion.
Sunset at Garda
We enjoyed the beautiful sunset at Garda town in its full splendour. It feels as if everything stands still except the rowing boats on the water which lend a very serene touch to the scene.
Finally..
Next day, we checked out from the hotel, picked up the rented car and started driving towards Val Gardena. On our way, we spotted a very lovely beach from the car itself. Our stay at Malcesine was only for a couple of hours. The location itself was simply outstanding and our little one had a fabulous time swimming there. There was a cafeteria near the car park and we had a perfect lunch with the most insane view.
Lake Garda has plenty to offer for everyone. Hope this post will inspire you to visit Lake Garda. After all, if a place like this could inspire such iconic poets right from Virgil, Dante to Lord Tennyson, then we are sure it’s bound to connect to your Yūgen Vibes too. Do tell us about your experiences if you have already visited. See us later 🙂
