"Welcome to Lago Land" a Lago di Garda Travel Page by iandsmith

In fact, it's a garden. Unsure what to open this page with I thought I'd share one of the treats I found simply driving along. You don't have to look hard to find this, it's right on the main road in Gargnano. The old palace is on one side and the gardens, shown here, are on the other.
When Count Carlo Bettoni got his titles in 1751 he thought he should have some edifice befitting his station and so it was that he commissioned noted Viennese architect, Adrian Cristifoli, to commence proceedings in 1753.
Though the rest of his siblings decided to settle elsewhere in Bogliaco, Carlo continued with his splendid palace and I, for one, am grateful.

Without the lake, life would be different. I realise that's stating the bleeding obvious but it has shaped the way the towns have grown and their uses have varied.
The largest of Italy's lakes, La Garda is also the easternmost of those with any reasonable amount of water. In the south, the surrounding countryside is flat and agriculture still is a main industry but the unmistakeable signs of tourism and leisure are everywhere, personified by Garda Land, the Italian lake's version of Disneyland, hugely popular in summer, closed when I was there (what did you expect!).
There are many historical buildings, none more famous than the castle at Sirmione, a town on the southern shore situated on a narrow penisula. It has access to the land and sea. The Rocca Scaligera dominates the northern tip of the town and attracts tourists by the thousands.
Beside it there are pleasant lakeside walks and tourist shops.

Up north, the scenery is nothing less than dramatic, as these cliffs above Sarche clearly demonstrate.
Sports like snow skiing can be found nearby towns that you would normally associate with water sports. Sailing is very popular up here due to the catabatic winds that consistently fall from the towering mountains above and hiking is another popular activity.
The western side has more population but eastern towns such as Malcesine, where I stayed, certainly have much to recommend them