Garda Lake
Affi
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Just a few kilometres from Affi opens up Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. This is a unique destination thanks to its blue waters, spectacular scenery, and charming towns. Lake Garda has always played a crucial role as a crossroads of peoples and cultures, dating back to Roman times. Rests of Roman villas have been discovered along its shores, including the famous Grotte di Catullo in Sirmione. The lake even had its own divinity, Benacus, worshipped by the Romans and sometimes associated with the cult of Neptune.
During the medieval period, the lake became a theatre of conflict among powerful local lordships. The Scaligeri, in particular, left an indelible mark on the region, building fortified castles in Sirmione, Malcesine, and Riva del Garda, and strengthening ports such as those at Lazise and Torri del Benaco.
The lake’s shores offer varied scenery: the northern part is more rugged and rocky, while the southern part features a gentler, hilly landscape. These hills, shaped by glacial activity, are home to natural parks and protected areas of great ecological value, such as the Parco Giardino Sigurtà.
The western and eastern shores are also distinct in character: the west is known for its citrus groves, while the east is characterised by its olive groves.
THIS PLACE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
Lake Garda is unique for its extraordinary combination of history, culture, and nature. Its geographical position amid the mountains offers breathtaking views, enriched by the millennia of history that have unfolded along its coasts. Historic villages, with their heritage, are disseminated around the lake, each with its own story to tell.
Torri del Benaco and Lazise, both of medieval origin, are charming towns with their own castles and harbours. Garda, the town that gives the lake its name, is another must-see destination, known for its beautiful lakeside promenade.
Overlooking the lake, the Giardino Botanico Heller is a natural paradise that stretches across a promontory and is home to a wide variety of exotic plants and flowers. The Vittoriale degli Italiani, once the residence of poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, is now a museum and national monument.
Dispersed around the lake are also five small islands, each with its own charm. The largest, Isola del Garda, is home to a magnificent 19th-century Venetian neo-Gothic palace, built on the site of a former monastery founded by St Francis of Assisi in 1220. Nearby lies the Island of San Biagio, also known as “Isola dei Conigli” (Rabbit Island), due to the well-known presence of numerous wild rabbits.