Where else, apart from Italy, can you find a blend of great art, delicious food and wine and human warmth and welcome?
The Mediterranean country has made a profound contribution to Western civilisation, producing some of the world’s greatest thinkers, writers, politicians, saints and artists.
Impressive traces of their lives and works can still be seen in Italy’s great buildings and enchanting countryside.
Landscapes in Northern Italy range from small cities in the lush, sunflower-washed Tuscan countryside to bustling, big cities and sunny seaside villages.
Lake Garda has been a perennial attraction for travellers and writers alike. Even essayist Michel de Montaigne, whose 15 months of travel journals do not contain a single other reference to nature, paused to admire the view down the lake from Torbole, which he called boundless.
Lake Garda or Benaco is the largest in Italy. Its wider part to the south is surrounded by morainic hills, left as a result of the glacier recession, while the narrow northern part is enclosed by the mountains that create its fjord-shaped configuration and provide a very mild Mediterranean climate.
The luminous environment, temperate climate and flourishing vegetation – mainly olive and lemon groves, palms, cypresses, oleanders and orange trees – along with majestic landscapes are the background to the remarkable historical and cultural remains spread all around.
Given the intense colour of its water, with a marked shade of blue and matchless transparency, Lake Garda is a unique spot where visitors can enjoy a holiday either full of relaxation or one of sports, fun and the thrill of discovering new places.
For the family
Lake Garda and its surrounding areas offer the ideal family holiday, giving visitors endless possibilities to enjoy, especially its amusement parks.
You can choose between Gardaland, Italy’s first amusement park, with its rides and fairy tales, Movie Land Studios, a new theme park dedicated to the world of cinema and special effects, and for those who love the emotions of the past, the Medieval Times, a show featuring knight duels and rich food.
For a taste of typical American food and photos of famous singers and musicians, one must visit the Rock Star Restaurant. One can also go for a day of fun in one of the many acquatic parks like Canevaworld, Picoverde or Cavour in Valeggio sul Mincio.
For animal lovers, Parco Natura is truly a paradise. For a spot of relaxation, Parco Giardino Sigurtà offers one of the most extra-ordinary gardens in the world.
Culture
For art and history lovers, Lake Garda offers an attractive leap into the past: medieval villages clustered between walls and towers and Veronese and Venetian castles recalling memorable battles and great leaders.
Elegant royal villas take you back to times of royalty and wealth. In Gargnano, the stately Palazzo Bettoni, designed in the late 18th century, is one of the most beautiful villas overlooking the lake.
The Vittoriale degli Italiani, the monumental citadel Gabriele d’Annunzio furnished and lived in during the 1930s in Gardone Riviera, constitutes an extraordinary group of buildings, streets, squares, theatres, gardens, parks and streams.
Not to be missed is a visit to the remains of Villa Romana in Sirmione – known as the Grotte di Catullo, the Latin poet who died in 54BC.
Nearby must-see cities and attractions
Cities on Lake Garda: There are numerous small but pretty towns located all around Lake Garda. The north of the lake, which is narrow and surrounded by mountains, is well known for its water sports and outdoor activities.
The choice is endless – from sailing, kite surfing and windsurfing to mountain biking, hiking and climbing. The sider, southern part of the lake features gentle, rolling hills.
Venice: one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world, this sanctuary on a lagoon is virtually the same as it was 600 years ago. Although the city has decayed over the years and is packed with tourists, its romantic charm remains.
Verona: this city in the Veneto region is most famous for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet setting. Though close to Venice, many people consider Verona a more relaxed and pleasant place.
Milan: at the centre of Italy’s largest urban and metropolitan area, the city has rebuilt itself into a thriving cosmopolitan business capital. In essence, what makes Milan interesting, compared with other destinations, is the fact that the city is truly more about the lifestyle of enjoying worldly pleasures.
A paradise for shopping, football, opera and nightlife, Milan remains the marketplace for Italian fashion – fashion afficionados, supermodels and international paparazzi descend upon the city twice a year for its spring and autumn fairs.
Milan is also famous for its wealth of historical and modern sights: the Duomo, one of the biggest and grandest Gothic cathedrals worldwide, the opera house La Scala, the ancient, arcaded Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Brera art gallery, Pirelli Tower, San Siro stadium and Castello Sforzesco.
Dolomites: also referred to as the South Tyrol, this is the northernmost region in Italy, bordering Austria to the north and northeast, Switzerland to the northwest and the rest of Italy to the south.
Together with Trentino, it comprises the northernmost Italian autonomous, administrative region of Trentino-Alto Adige-Südtirol.
This Alpine region can offer a lot of cultural highlights, both large cities and small, picturesque storybook villages, huge areas of wild nature, and many more regional parks, lakes, valleys and mountains.
Here, one finds the famous Dolomites and large important ski resorts near the Austrian border. Once a place of ethnic conflict, the South Tyrol has emerged as an international model for interethnic cooperation.
Discover Lake Garda with ROCS Travel
ROCS Travel is offering two trips to Lake Garda this summer: July 8- 14 and August 12-18. These tours are ideal for those who want to explore the Lake Garda towns and also major renowned cities nearby, such as Venice, Verona and Milan.
There is also a one-day tour dedicated to the outstanding South Tyrol Dolomites and two days at Gardaland Park and Movieland Park and Aqua Studios.
Accommodation is offered at the four-star Parchi del Garda Hotel on the lakeshore of Lacize, within 500 metres’ walking distance of the largest fun park in Italy – Gardaland. It also offers a children’s playground on site and animation organised throughout the whole day.
Package rates for all the above start from €479 per person.
For more information, call ROCS Travel on 2015 1515, visit www.rocsholidays.com or e-mail travel@rocsgrp.com. Check out the ROCS Travel 2013 World Holidays Brochure for more ideas.