Lake Garda : Bardolino
Discussion
Hi
Does anybody out there know Lake Garda well? Thinking about a holiday over end of Aug/beginning of Sept at a hotel in Bardolino.
I've done a lot of reading about the place and it looks fantastic - plenty to see and do and loads of nice towns dotted around the lake. What is Bardolino like?
Cheers
Does anybody out there know Lake Garda well? Thinking about a holiday over end of Aug/beginning of Sept at a hotel in Bardolino.
I've done a lot of reading about the place and it looks fantastic - plenty to see and do and loads of nice towns dotted around the lake. What is Bardolino like?
Cheers
Not sure about knowing it well, but I was in Garda for a week last October. We stayed in Riva, the northenmost town which was lovely. We visited most of the lake during our stay. The other towns, inc Bardolino seemed a little small & empty to me, but it depends what you want. Obviously I went out of season, and it whiffed a little of Saga holidays but it was pretty. I didn't rate the food very highly (catered for tourists, nothing special) and one lakeside town/village kind of blurred in to the other after a few days.
Riva was great as it was quite amtospheric with some nice bars, cafes overlooking the lake & shops & small cobbled streets to explore.
I wasn't bowled over the place, but it was pleasant enough. On the plus side, the nicest local wine I tried came from Bardolino!
Riva was great as it was quite amtospheric with some nice bars, cafes overlooking the lake & shops & small cobbled streets to explore.
I wasn't bowled over the place, but it was pleasant enough. On the plus side, the nicest local wine I tried came from Bardolino!
Just back from a fortnight in italy and drove up the east side of Lake Garda. Unfortunately that day it was really hazy, and even driving back down from the Dolomites on the autostrada a week later it looked fairly similar.
Nice enough area, but not sure I'd want to spend a week or more there.
Maybe a wee tour of Northern Italy? Bologna, Modena, Lake Garda and Bergamo?
PS Eurozone is pricey the noo, my wallet is still weeping.
Nice enough area, but not sure I'd want to spend a week or more there.
Maybe a wee tour of Northern Italy? Bologna, Modena, Lake Garda and Bergamo?
PS Eurozone is pricey the noo, my wallet is still weeping.
Been to Garda quite a few times (although staying in Villafranca di Verona about 20 minutes away).
Bardolino is a good central place to explore the surrounding areas, and I'd recommend visiting Lazise just down the road from Bardolino. It is an impossibly pretty town surrounded by castle walls with some good Trattoria and gelateria. You can also hire a speedboat from the harbour for about 50 Euro for an hour. Parking can be a problem though, as can......
.....Malcesine just up the road from Bardolino. Also very agreeable, and from there it's worth a trip up in the cable car to the summit of Monte Baldo. Riva del Garda has a lovely harbour area, but is a little busier with coach parties etc. Limone on the Western shore is worth a visit just to appreciate it's location, seemingly stuck to the side of a mountain.
Although we always drive down there, you can get a ferry from somewhere like Desenzano on the South shore that will stop off at all the main towns mentioned.
Not far from Desenzano is Sirmione, which on first impressions is again incredibly picturesque, but we found it an odd mix of designer shops and tourist tat. A little further afield, is Valeggio which, apparently, is the home of tortellini. Not sure if this is true, but Oscars Trattoria is worth seeking out (google it). And for a relaxing afternoon, just 'round the corner from Valeggio, is Borghetto. A village built over a river, small but perfectly formed.
Bardolino is a good central place to explore the surrounding areas, and I'd recommend visiting Lazise just down the road from Bardolino. It is an impossibly pretty town surrounded by castle walls with some good Trattoria and gelateria. You can also hire a speedboat from the harbour for about 50 Euro for an hour. Parking can be a problem though, as can......
.....Malcesine just up the road from Bardolino. Also very agreeable, and from there it's worth a trip up in the cable car to the summit of Monte Baldo. Riva del Garda has a lovely harbour area, but is a little busier with coach parties etc. Limone on the Western shore is worth a visit just to appreciate it's location, seemingly stuck to the side of a mountain.
Although we always drive down there, you can get a ferry from somewhere like Desenzano on the South shore that will stop off at all the main towns mentioned.
Not far from Desenzano is Sirmione, which on first impressions is again incredibly picturesque, but we found it an odd mix of designer shops and tourist tat. A little further afield, is Valeggio which, apparently, is the home of tortellini. Not sure if this is true, but Oscars Trattoria is worth seeking out (google it). And for a relaxing afternoon, just 'round the corner from Valeggio, is Borghetto. A village built over a river, small but perfectly formed.
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