One day is not enough on Lake Garda.
The Western Gardesana: the road carved into the rock
You’ll wish the western Gardesana never ended: every curve holds a surprise: the coastline plunges steeply into the blue waters; cypresses, olive and lemon trees evoke the Mediterranean; the lake alternates with tunnels, where you pass from shadow into the brilliant sunlight.
Even James Bond has driven along this road, all curves and wonder.
Carved into the rock by hand, by courageous men who hung suspended from the cliffs, it is a masterpiece of human ingenuity and the drive to push beyond limits.
Along the road, the villages of the lake: elegant Salò with its lakefront promenade and fashion boutiques, Gardone with the Vittoriale degli Italiani, D’Annunzio’s villa, the delightful garden of Villa Bettoni Cazzago, charming Gargnano and picturesque Limone.
Not-to-be-missed stops along the Gardesana:
- The Salò lakefront
- Villa Bettoni Cazzago
- The Limonaia La Malora in Gargnano
Discover the history of the most beautiful road in the world:
Punta San Vigilio
Leave behind the business and worries of the city — that’s the inscription that greets those arriving from the lake at Punta San Vigilio. A place to lose yourself in peace and serenity, far from everything and everyone: that was the retreat Count Agostino Brenzoni envisioned when he built his beautiful Renaissance villa here, with loggias offering views of the lake from every angle, and an Italian-style garden with cypresses, lemon trees and statues.
Nearby, you can still find the old lemon house, the small church dedicated to San Vigilio, and, in the romantic little harbor, a small inn where you can enjoy an aperitivo at sunset.
The beauty of this place has always attracted kings, queens, tsars, artists and politicians, such as Emperor Alexander of Russia, Winston Churchill, the painter Edith Junghans, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Prince Charles of England.
Right here lies one of the most beautiful swimming spots on Lake Garda, the Baia delle Sirene (Mermaids’ Bay).
What not to miss:
- Villa Guarienti-Brenzone
- The Baia delle Sirene
- The small harbor
Sirmione and its castle
You arrive and are welcomed by a castle complete with drawbridge, looking as if it stepped straight out of a fairy tale book. Once past the bridge and the entrance gate, you find yourself in the heart of the village, with a romantic little church on one side and the castle entrance on the other: this is Sirmione, the pearl of Lake Garda.
You can climb all the way to the top of the keep and look out over the lake and the town below, or walk along the walls like a medieval sentinel, or peek into the dock, imagining it once full of boats and small sailing vessels finding shelter within its walls.
Walking toward the point, you’ll cross through the village, admire the large pink bougainvillea that shows off in one of the small squares, and discover the Aquaria thermal spa, famous for its thermal waters.
Finally, once you reach the very tip of the peninsula, you can lose yourself among the ruins of the ancient Roman villa, with its columns and mullioned windows framing some of the most beautiful views of the lake.
Just below lies the spectacle of Giamaica, with its smooth white stones, one of the wildest beaches in Italy.
Three treasures in Sirmione:
- The Rocca Scaligera
- The Roman villa, the Grotte di Catullo
- Giamaica beach
How to reach the three wonders
From Park Hotel, you can reach the three wonders comfortably by car, or you can take a journey through time aboard a vintage car.