Map of Lake Garda Italy + best places to see
Map of Lake Garda Italy: see where Lake Garda, is, layout of Lake Garda region and the best places to visit on Lake Garda.
Lake Garda is the the biggest lake in Italy and a popular tourist destinations for locals and foreigners alike.
Blessed with beautiful views, pretty towns and excellent tourism structures, it is a wonderful destination to add to your Italy itinerary but where is Lake Garda? And what are the best places to see there?
In this article, we share a map of Lake Garda region and mark the places we believe you should not miss!
Map of Lake Garda – where is Lake Garda?
Lake Garda is in the North West of Italy and its shores are in the regions of Veneto (on its East and South East Coast), Trentino Alto Adige (North East) and Lombardia (West/South West).
The closest big cities are Venice, Verona and Milan. Verona is the nearest airport to Lake Garda and the main getaway towns to visit the area are Peschiera and Desenzano, east to reach from Verona by train.
Map of Lake Garda with best places to see
There are many beautiful towns on Lake Garda that are the perfect base to enjoy the lake and explore the area.
Best places to see on Lake Garda
Riva del Garda
On the northern shore of Lake Garda, in the Trentino region, this is a lovely small town with a distinctive Austrian charm to it.
Close to the mountains and offering stunning views over rocks plunging into the lake, Riva is perfect if you want easy access to the mountains especially.
A lovely lawn allows easy access to the water.
Not to miss in Riva: the pretty town center, the bastion and its stunning views
Canale di Tenno
Canale di Tenno is a small, delightful village close to Riva, again in Trentino. listed as one of the ‘most beautiful villages in Italy’
A medieval hamlet with stone arches, alleys and towers, it is one of the best places to immerse yourself in the Middle Ages and the evocative architecture of those times.
Limone sul Garda
Limone is on the Western shore of the lake, in the Lombardy region.
Its name means ‘lemon’ and this is because this town has a long tradition of growing lemons that is still very much part of its identity.
As you stroll in the village’s beautiful ancient streets, you will notice plaques with street names decorated with lemons and you can still visit the ancient ‘limonaie‘ (lemon groves) growing on the slopes above the lake!
Not to miss in Limone is also the ‘suspended’ cycling path on the lake (ciclovia del limone), which is very scenic.
Malcesine
Malcesine is a small town on the north-east shores of the lake, in Veneto, with a wonderful castle that gives the town a distinctive skyline.
The town is pretty, peasant and it is also where you get access to the Monte Baldo cable car, that is wonderful to catch views over the lake.
Torri del Benaco
Torri del Benaco is a lovely small village on the Eastern shores of Lake Garda. The village has a lovely medieval center, a pretty castle, pleasant lakeside promenade and it is a quiet and atmospheric place to call home for a few days and enjoy the lake.
You can find our travel guide to Torri del Benaco here.
Peschiera sul Garda
Peschiera is one the Eastern shores of lake Garda, in Veneto and it is a beautiful fortress-town so peculiar, that it entered the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2017.
The town has a beautiful walled center which you access via a beautiful bridge across the canal surrounding the city and fantastic bastions open to visitors from where to catch views of the city and the lake.
Peschiera is one of the getaway towns to the lake and it is easy to reach by train from Verona: perfect if you are visiting Lake Garda without a car.
Good to know: Peschiera is close to the area’s theme parks such as Gardaland, which makes it one of the best places on Lake Garda for families with kids.
Lazise
Lazise is on the south-eastern shore of the lake, in Veneto, and it is a lovely small town with colorful houses overlooking the water.
Not to be missed here is the historical city center, the lovely Piazza del Comune, castle and, more in general, the pretty and laid back atmosphere of the town, one of the most popular in the area from visitors from all over the world.
Bardolino
Bardolino is a nice small town on the eastern shore of the lake, close to Verona, in Veneto.
The town has a pretty town center and a nice lake shore that make it one of the best beaches on Lake Garda and a popular destination for families especially.
Sirmione
Sirmione is one of the most beautiful places on Lake Garda and a town like no other.
Located on the southern shore of the lake, in Lombardy, Sirmione has a peculiar position on a promontory stretching into the waters of the lake, which surround the town on three sides and it is famous for its incredible Scaligero Castle, whose turreted walls now surround water!
Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda is the biggest town on Lake Garda shores and it is located on the southern shores of the lake, in the Lombardy region.
Very popular with visitors to the area and very well equipped in terms of facilities and accommodation, Desenzano has a lovely historical town center, a nice Castle, a duomo worth seeing and it is also a good place for boating, sailing and water sports in general.
Salo’
Salo’ is a beautiful town on the western shore of Lake Garda, in Lombardy.
The town has a lovely lakeside promenade, a pleasant historical center, nice beaches and it is a good place for sailing and cycling thanks to the presence of the local sailing school and cycling path along the lake
Garda Town
Garda (Garda town) is a town on the southern shore of the lake, in Veneto, close to Verona.
The town is pretty but what makes it unique is its proximity to pretty Punta San Vigilio and Baia delle Sirene, one of the most beautiful beaches on Lake Garda!
Tremosine
Tremosine is a town on the Lombardy shore of the lake and it is famous for being one of the most scenic locations on Lake Garda.
Here, you find an incredible panoramic terrace that makes the most of the rocky promontory Tremosine is perched upon yo offer breathtaking views of the lake!
I hope you enjoyed this overview of the best places to see on Lake Garda and found the map of Lake Garda useful. Safe travel planning!
Marta Correale
Marta Correale is an Italian mama of two. Born and raised in Rome, Marta has a passion for travel and especially enjoys showing off Italy to her kids, who are growing up to love it as much as she does! A classics graduate from the University of Rome, Marta channeled her passion for culture and travel into the creation of family travel websites that inspire, support and help curious visitors to make the most of a trip to Italy and learn about Italian culture on the way. Marta also manages the thriving online community of parents 'Italy with kids' who turn to her for expert advice and competent Italy travel planning support. She is the author of the travel guides 'Best of Rome with kids' and 'Best of Florence with kids' available on Amazon and of an array of kids printables (scavenger hunts, info booklets etc) available on her Etsy shop 'Mama Loves To Print'
