The beautiful lakeside towns around Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) have charmed foreign visitors for centuries starting with its first visitor and enthusiast Wolfgang Goethe, who visited it in 1786.Lake Garda (In Italian "Lago di Garda" or "Benaco") is the largest lake in Italy (370 km²). It is located in the North-East of the peninsula, about half-way between Venice and Milan and divides the
regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino Alto-Adige. It is in an alpine area and was formed by glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age. The Latin name of the lake, Benàco, is of Indo-European origin (perhaps meaning “strongly penetrated”) and it was surely already present at the moment of the roman conquest; the current name instead derives from the homonymous city, Garda, that lies 32 km from Verona and, during the Middle Ages, was the greatest exchange and trading center. The shape is typical of a moraine valley: it is probable, in fact, that this portion of the lake was created through the action of a Paleolithic glacier. The river Sarca is the main affluent among 25 tributaries, while the only outlet of the lake is the river Mincio.
Lake Garda measures 51,6 km in length, while the maximum width is 17,2 km. Its perimeter measures 158,4 km and the maximum depth is 346 m.
It is situated at the slopes of the Southern Retiche Alps, between the chain of Mount Baldo to the East and the Alps to the West, from Riva to Salò. Long and slim, the Southern section of the lake, embraced by the gentle slopes of the Riviera of Olives, looks decidedly Mediterranean, whilst, just a few kilometers North, where Monte Baldo rises, it completely changes character and turns into a narrow fjord. Rocks and steep cliffs surmounted by castles and ancient churches steeped in history stand guard over suggestive and graceful little ports.
Tourists are offered all kinds of trips on and around the lake and throughout the surrounding territory: cultural trips, nature walks, sporting activities and sight-seeing.
In order to fully appreciate the lake's beauty, it is possible to leave your car and take a trip on one of Navigarda ferries, preferably choosing the slower itineraries which include almost all the ports on the Veronese shoreline where you can take spectacular snap-shots of the scenery.
Once you've reached Malcesine, it is advisable to catch the cable-car (the new Malcesine - Tratto Spino rotating cable car) and from a height of 1760 metres you have a unique and breathtaking view of the lake.
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