We booked a Lake Garda holiday at short notice last September, and found ourselves at the four star Hotel Caesius on the outskirts of Bardolino. It was a nice Hotel and we were given a large suite which made it all the better. If I were to visit the area again I would happily stay there again and definately recommend it to others. The only downside of the Hotel was that it was about 30 minutes walk along the lakeside into Bardolino itself. Not a problem doing it once, but several times a day made it sometimes feel a long way. having said that, the Hotel provided a courtesy bus if you wanted it, although we never used it.
Bardolino itself is a very pretty little town, probably one of the nicest around the lake that we visited. Theres not a huge amount there but theres a good selection of cafes, Trattorias and Ristorantes to suit most tastes and budgets. There's also a great selection of Ice Cream shops with an unbeliveable choice of flavours.
The main pedestrianised street in Bardolino is well worth seeing (apologies for not recalling its name, but if you visit Bardolino, you'll be sure to see it.). The floor is more like a marble tiled bathroom than a street, with a fabulous black and white shiny tiled floor. It looks all the more impressive when illuminated at night. At the end of the street furthest from the Lake, theres a church with four tall marble columns at the front. Whilst we we there, there were several classical music concerts held there, sometimes inside, but also on the steps in front. The music created a great atmosphere in the town centre. The bars at that end of town get very busy in the evening when theres some music on, and the atmosphere is excellent, no animosity and very friendly.
We stayed half board so didn't have many large meals in town, but we found plenty of places to eat snacks and drink at reasonable prices, similar to what we pay in England. The food generally was as good as anywhere else I've stayed in Italy, but possibly this was the best Ice cream we have found in Italy.
There was a market held whilst we were in Bardolino (Tuesday I think), and it takes place on the which runs along the lake side. It must have stretched for about a mile. Typical market fare, but well worth a visit, and because it was more or less in a long stratight line on the road, it was a bit easier to get around that some markets are.
The evening Passeggiata experience is pretty good in Bardolino with the main street (described above) and the main promenade in front of the lake being the more popular areas.
We hired cycles from out Hotel and they were a great way of travelling around. We cycled up to Garda Town, which took about 30 minutes. The cycle track at the side of the Lake is great as there is no motorised traffic to worry about, plenty of places to stop and admire the views, and plenty of places to leave your bikes safely whilst you explore on foot.
Garda Town was similar to Bardolino, but then again most of the towns arond the like are similar is many respects. All a bit touristy in varying degrees. It was no suprise to discover that Garda Town was very touristy and a geared a little more towards German visitors. Nice place, very pretty in places, and well worth visiting. The same market also visits Garda Town, probably along with other places around the lake, but it was also at Garda when we visited.
Plenty of Italian food available in Garda, and also plenty of German influence there too. Some good beer to be had there, but with german and English tourists in abundance, I supposed they would have to.
We also ventured south to the next town below Bardolino, a small town called Lasize. This was probably our favourite place we found. It was not quite so touristy as some of the places we visited. Very pretty little centre with black and white floors in the central areas. Plenty of shops and bars but not quite as much obvious touristy stuff on sale. The entrance from the road into Lasize is through an Ancient gateway and part oif the town is walled which makes it look more impressive. You could easily get a bus from Bardolino to Lasize (5 to 10 mins), but cycling alongside the lake is great if you are fit and able. If you want, you can swim in the Lake from many spots along the route between Bardloino and Lasize - cold but clean an exhillerating!
Bardolino has a reasonable bus service for getting around on, and a ferry terminal. We took a service bus into Verona. I cant recall how much it was but it was not expensive. You buy tickets from local Tabacchi shops.
Verona is about 40 minutes away on the bus and it takes you right into the centre of town, about 10 minutes from the Ampitheater. Verona is a fabulous city, worth much more than a days visit but well worth a days visit if you in the area. The Ampitheater was fantastic but partly covered in scaffolding on the outside when we visted. You have to seen Juliets balcony of course and Romeo's house. For me, the Roman Theater in Verona was one of the best places we visited. You have to climb some steep steps but as you do, you are rewarded with some fabulous views of the city and the choppy River Adige.
Back to Lake Garda, we also visited several places using the ferries which are a great way to see different places. The ferries are quick and punctual. We visited Sirmione and went in the castle. Its another pretty little town and the castle there is worth a look - again some good views to be had. Plenty of similar style restaurants and cafes to eat and drink and again, some fabulous ice cream parlours to try.
Malcesine is a nice little town and if you venture up the cablecar up Monte Baldo, be prepared to be rewarded with some stunning views!. We only went half way up due to the weather. If we'd gone all the way up, we would have been standing looking at cloud formations. If I remember correctly, I think the cable costs about 15 Euros for the return trip weather permitting, well worth it.
I little further up the lake from Malcesine is Torbole, very popular with windsurfers but not a great deal to keep you there long otherwise. At the top of the lake is Riva. Riva is a nice town with some good eating places and some nice architecture. We didn't spend a great deal of time there but got the impression that there was a bit more to Riva than a few of the other towns around the lake.
To sum up our Lake Garda experience, I would say that it is a very pretty area and well worth visiting if you've never been. The towns are very pretty, but many of them area very similar to each other and you almost get a bit of deja vu when you visit them. Overall, I found it all a bit too touristy. I like Italy very much and have been to quite a bit of it, but Lake Garda is one of the few places I've been in Italy that I wouldn't be bothered about returning to. Apart from Verona, which was superb, there was something not quite Italian enough about the whole experience.
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