A Week on Lake Garda

Fly from London to Milan (5 Oct 2024 - Verona airport) and transfer to Salò for seven nights at the 4-star Hotel Salò du Parc, with a pool and gardens meeting the lake, a private pier and dock, and lake views from every room.
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Sail from Salò to Isola del Garda, steeped in charm and legends, with a history dating back to Roman times, and the aura of a place where time stands still. A tour of the island takes you to the grand Venetian-style villa, set amid luxuriant greenery and exotic flora, and poised above terraces which stretch to the lake shore; and includes a guided visit to the English and Italian gardens, and time to explore the natural park.
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Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, a full day tour around the lake begins by road to Limone, on the north-western shore. With a little port, a lively centre, and characterful streets spreading out behind them, the town’s iconic landmark is the Lemon Garden. Enjoy time to explore before boarding a boat to cross to the eastern shore at Malcesine, a beautifully preserved medieval village, its castle tower dominating the skyline, is old-world lanes surfaced with small, smooth pebbles. Continue by road south to picturesque Bardolino, with colourful boats and buildings at the harbour, and a fine reputation for its red wines, which we taste during our visit here.
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A day at leisure, perhaps to take the ferry to ‘the pearl of the lake’, Sirmione, its picture-perfect peninsula jutting into the waters from the southern shore, and boasting Roman ruins, and a medieval old town of cobbled streets, dominated by the 13th-century Rocca Scaligera castle.
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Leave the lake and travel by coach to Verona, tucked within a bend of the Adige River. Landmarks viewed on a walking tour include the Piazza Brà, lined with cafés and focused on the famed Arena amphitheatre; the Piazza dei Signori’s grand monuments; Piazza delle Erbe, formerly the Roman Forum, now lined with market stalls, café tables and handsome palazzi; Juliet’s House, a triumph of romantic fantasy over historic fact; and the elaborate tombs of the Scaligeri family, the 13th-14th century rulers of Verona. Continue to Valpolicella, its vineyards producing the fruit for some of Italy’s best red wines, and tended with traditions handed down through generations. Enjoy a tasting of the finished product before returning to Salò.
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Relax at the hotel or explore at your own pace, maybe to see the treasures of nearby Gardone and, on the hill behind it, the beguiling village of Gardone Sopra (‘Gardone above’) with pretty courtyards, plenty of flowers, and a clutch of little eateries.
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Combine culture and nature on today’s excursion, with a morning visit to Mantua, renowned for its Renaissance architecture, framed with three lakes and topped with a skyline of towers and cupolas. The tour takes in the UNESCO listed old town, created by the Gonzaga family to become a musical and artistic centre-point, and offers an opportunity to visit the opulently frescoed Palazzo Ducale (Included for 2025). Return to Salò this afternoon via Lake Garda’s olive groves, with a tasting of the highly rated olive oil enroute to the hotel (2024 only).
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Time at leisure until transfer to airport for your return flight.
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