Garda

The town that gave its name to the lake. A holiday resort on the central part of the Riviera degli Olivi (Olive Riviera), where the lake opens on the edge of the bay named after it, beyond the enchanting promontory of S. Vigilio and the Baia delle Sirene (Bay of Sirens). The former Roman settlement is located in the suggestive bay with a panorama and is reflected in its waters. Garda is overlooked by the ancient monastery of the Camaldolese and the legendary fortress surrounded by woods, from which Queen Adelaide, imprisoned there, fled to Canossa to marry King Otto I of Germany. The town is rich in villas and parks and preserves Gothic and Renaissance buildings, some of which are attributed to Sanmicheli. Garda has 60 hotels with 4,200 beds, villas and flats, as well as a congress hall, port, bathing and sports facilities with qualified schools; typical restaurants, wine cellars, taverns and dance halls. In the surroundings: rock engravings.