‘I visited a picturesque Italian lake town that’s much quieter than its crowded neighbour’

When you’re keen to get away on somewhere warm, sunny and relaxing, but also boasts plenty to see and do, you really can’t get much better than Lake Garda in .

The biggest lake in the whole of the country, this gorgeous area in the north of the Mediterranean hotspot has long been loved by tourists who want to live that Italian life – even if it’s just for a week or two. 

The lake is easily reachable by if you fly into a bigger city like Milan or Verona, but with the body of water spanning 370 square kilometres, you might be keen to know the best lakeside town to stay in. 

After a recent trip visiting several of these, there was one that definitely stood out the most.  We spent just under a week staying in Peschiera del Garda, a pretty resort town at the south of the lake. 

This place had come highly recommended from others that had stayed there, and it was definitely easy to see why.

First of all, the scenery took your breath away. The first thing you see when coming into the town is the lake itself stretching out almost impossibly far, before flowing into a stunning canal topped with a historic fortress that dates back to the Roman times. 

Flowers lined the railings of each bridge that crossed over the water, and the views from here were made even more spectacular at sunset. 

The town itself was packed full of delectable Italian restaurants, bars, cafes, gelaterias and wine shops, as well as plenty of supermarkets where you could pick up food and any other essentials that you needed. 

Despite it being the height of summer, the town didn’t feel too crowded, and we were easily able to get a table at every place we decided to eat. 

And we certainly took full advantage of the amazing cuisine that was on offer. Pasta and pizza were consumed multiple times each day, one of the highlights being Pasta Salame, a small eatery tucked away from the busier main area that served up delicious fresh pasta with a huge array of different sauces. 

Of course, no Italian meal would be complete without a tiramisu to finish it off, and the one from here was spectacular. One of the waiters had even made his own limoncello – a process that takes weeks – and after trying some, it was clear to see that the effort was well worth it. 

Aside from eating and drinking, there’s plenty to do in Peschiera del Garda and the surrounding areas that people of all ages are sure to love. If you’re a fan of theme parks, you’ll want to check out Gardaland, which boasts the biggest rollercoaster in Europe. 

We decided to spend one of the days at Caneva, which is the water park close to the town, and it turned out to be the perfect interlude to a week of eating, drinking and culture. Described as ‘the Caribbean island on Lake Garda’, there are plenty of fun things to do, as well as several eateries including an amazing Mexican spot serving up nachos and margaritas. 

And a short car journey away is a beautiful small lakeside town called Lasize, where we spent a couple of hours before heading to the Le Ginestre vineyard for a spot of wine tasting. 

Here, you get the opportunity to taste six delicious wines accompanied by bread, meats and cheeses, with the helpful guide explaining the history behind each bottle. 

A very friendly cat aptly named Barolo even joined us at the table, and a small donkey was grazing in a neaby field too who was very happy to pose for some pictures. 

One of the great things about Peschiera del Garda is how easy it is to visit other lake towns via boat. One day we decided to head to Sirmione, one of the other popular holiday spots in the region. 

But as pretty as this was, you couldn’t move for tourists, and it was difficult to find a quiet enough place to eat and drink. So if you’re looking for a more relaxed destination on the lake, then Peschiera del Garda is well worth the trip.