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The western Lombard shore of Lake Garda is the most beautiful, lined with historic towns, stately villas, mountain-backed roads and frothing flower-filled gardens. North of Gardone, much of the shore is encompassed within the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano (www.parcoaltogarda.net), where it's easy to escape the summer crowds and find yourself amid some truly stunning scenery.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Lake Garda West Bank.
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Poet, soldier, hypochondriac and proto-Fascist, Gabriele d'Annunzio (1863–1938) defies easy definition, and so does his estate. Bombastic, extravagant and unsettling, it's home to every architectural and decorative excess imaginable and is full of quirks that help shed light on the man. Visit and you'll take in a dimly lit, highly idiosyncratic villa (for which the tour is guided), three distinct museums and tiered gardens complete with full-sized battleship.
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Opened in the mid-2010s and housed in an old monastery a block back from Salò’s ferry dock, Musa’s exhibits are split between a permanent collection that tells the town’s history through art and sculpture, and a temporary gallery that has – so far – pulled in several artistic heavy-punchers (exhibitions on Mussolini’s personality cult and ‘madness in art’ have recently featured).
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In 1943 Salò was named the capital of the Social Republic of Italy as part of Mussolini and Hitler's last efforts to organise Italian Fascism in the face of advancing American forces. This episode, known as the Republic of Salò, saw more than 16 public and private buildings in the town commandeered and turned into Mussolini's ministries and offices. Strolling between the sites is a surreal tour of the dictator's doomed mini-state. Look out for the multilingual plaques scattered around town.
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It's not often you get to explore such a stunning private island, villa and grounds. Anchored just off Salò, this speck of land is crowned with impressive battlements, luxuriant formal gardens and a sumptuous neo-Gothic Venetian villa. Boats depart from towns including Salò, San Felice del Benaco, Gardone Riviera and Sirmione, but in typical Italian fashion they only leave each location one or two times a week, so plan ahead. See the website for the precise timetable.
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Gardone's heyday was due in large part to its mild climate, something which benefits the thousands of exotic blooms that fill artist André Heller's sculpture garden. Laid out in 1912 by Arturo Hruska, the garden is divided into pocket-sized climate zones, with tiny paths winding from central American plains to African savannah, via swaths of tulips and bamboo.
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Protected by Unesco, the gorgeous 'rock of Minerva' juts out scenically into the lake just north of Moniga del Garda. The park contains the remaining low rubble walls of a medieval castle, a restful nature reserve of evergreen woods, orchid meadows and walking trails, and some of the best beaches on the lake. There's also a small archaeological museum close to where you can park just outside the village of Montinelle.
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A 300m stroll north from the ferry landing brings you to a beach where gleaming white pebbles fringe shallow crystalline waters. The shore, bar and restaurant are backed by olive groves that look out directly at the craggy heights of Monte Baldo opposite. If you're here in late spring, the mountain often still has snow clinging to its tip.
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The Toscolano torrent upstream fed numerous paper mills in the Middle Ages and you can follow the riverside road up the wooded Valle delle Cartiere and explore their peaceful ruins. The largest of them is now the Paper Museum where you can see how Toscolano-Maderno's top-quality paper was made and learn about the history of this local industry.
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Limone's top attraction is this renovated Lemon orchard where you can learn a bit about the region's lemon-growing traditions, sample lemon-infused products and admire the views across Lake Garda. There's lots of info in English and parking opposite.