Garda on Lake Garda: Paths, Water and History

On Lake Garda, Garda reveals an unusual combination of lakeside landscapes, paths, water activities and culture. The local examples differ in terms of terrain, difficulty and theme.

Lakeside shores and paths with different rhythms

Al Corno Beach is a shoreline area characterised by white pebbles, set amid the greenery of the Gulf of Garda. It stretches for four kilometres to Punta San Vigilio. A 700-metre section marked by buoys is used for open-water swimming and training. The beach can be reached on foot from Garda harbour in ten minutes.

The walking path from Garda to Punta San Vigilio runs along Al Corno Beach. The first two kilometres have a paved surface, after which the path consists of pebbles. The walking path between Garda and Bardolino has a different layout: it follows the disused Garda–Caprino railway line and is an easy, flat five-kilometre circular route with lake views. The area around Garda and Costermano sul Garda also offers walking paths as well as more demanding hiking and cycling routes on wooded trails with panoramic views.

Holiday Apartment in Garda: Water and Connections

There are also various options on the lake. The Garda section of the Lega Navale Italiana offers sailing courses and sailing activities on Lake Garda with Optimist dinghies, dinghies and cabin boats. At Al Corno Beach, you can set off on independent SUP excursions or seek advice and instruction from a SUP school.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Garda, the connections from the town are also a straightforward factor to consider when planning. The regular bus service connects Garda with the main towns on Lake Garda, Verona, the Valpolicella area and Monte Baldo, as well as with the railway stations in Peschiera del Garda and Verona and Verona Airport. From Garda harbour, boats operated by Navigazione Laghi Garda connect with important towns on the lake, including Lazise, Peschiera del Garda, Desenzano, Salò, Gardone Riviera, Limone sul Garda, Riva del Garda and Malcesine.

Rock Carvings, Churches and Historic Paths

In the municipality of Garda, there are more than 250 rocks bearing over 3,000 carvings dating from the 13th to the 7th century BC. Rocca Vecchia bears traces from the Palaeolithic, the remains of medieval fortification walls and trenches from the two world wars. The chronological range of these impressions therefore extends from very early human traces to more recent history.

The parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore has Early Christian origins that may date back to the Lombard period. Its cloister was built in the 15th century. One of the churches also contains a 16th-century painting by Paolo Farinati depicting the martyrdom of Saint Stephen.

Another path leads to the Eremo dei Camaldolesi through meadows and woods. In the final section, it runs alongside olive groves and vineyards before reaching the path leading to the hermitage monastery. The former Benedictine monastery was founded in 1663.

Fishing and Local Tradition

The Sagra di San Bernardo takes place every year for three days around 20 August. In Garda, fishing is an old tradition that connects nature, the landscape, the local population and its stories. The upper floor of the museum displays historic fishing equipment and large fishing nets that were used at the end of the 19th century to catch trout and local carpioni, which were particularly prized.

For further comparisons of destinations, you can also view Palù Dei Mori, Dossobuono, Vigasio, Dolcé, Lugagnano, Moschina, Nassar and Sommacampagna.

For the broader travel overview: Verona.