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We're bringing you to three of the beautiful villages along the shores of this lake: visiting Garda town, enjoying a stroll on the lakefront promenade and the little winding lanes of the Old Town; next to Bardolino, famous for its red wine, pedestrian lanes and waterfront promenade; then we'll visit Peschiera Del Garda, with a fortified harbor built by the Venetians 400 years ago.
:00 intro
:32 location map
1:29 arrive Garda town
2:03 pedestrian lanes
3:42 lakefront
5:30 history
6:53 Bardolino intro
7:52 map walk route
8:34 lanes
10:12 San Severo
10:47 to Peschiera
10:58 Venetian walls
11:23 walking tour
12:29 Roman ruins
13:05 views of walls
13:32 depart
Garda town is known for its beautiful lakefront promenade, which is lined with cafes, restaurants and shops. Visitors and locals alike can enjoy a stroll along this promenade while taking in the stunning views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. We'll see more of the promenade in a few minutes, but first, we want to dive into these wonderful pedestrian lanes. It's a tangle of shopfronts and restaurants and homes up above. It gets busier in the summertime, but our visit was in October when it was nice and quiet, and peaceful.
And now we're going on to Bardolino and Peschiera Del Garda. You can get from Garda to Bardolino in 5 minutes on the city bus, or you could walk it in 45 minutes. Bardolino's Old Town is a charming maze of narrow streets, picturesque squares and colorful buildings.
Visitors can wander through the streets and explore the local shops, restaurants and cafes. Bardolino is also famous for its namesake wine, which is made from the local Corvina and Rondinella grape varieties. Visitors can explore the town's many wineries and taste the delicious wines produced in the region. We have just walked into town along Borgo Garibaldi, which leads into a series of little twisted lanes and intersections and small piazzas, heading towards the waterfront.
It's quite easy to get around because this is a pedestrian zone and it's small, just about 400 meters long and 400 wide.
Next, we're heading down to Peschiera Del Garda.
During the 15th through 17th centuries, the old town was protected by a series of massive walls that were built by the rulers of Venice who controlled this area at that time. These walls are a World Heritage site as declared by UNESCO, which said they are of exceptional historical, architectural and technological significance. Upon entering town, your first impression will be this beautiful marina with its outdoor cafes. It was part of the Venetian fortified harbor.
Just next to the waterfront, you'll see Piazza San Marco with a beautiful building looking down on it. It's the Palazzina ex Finanza, built in the impressive neoclassical style in the early 20th century. The building was originally used as a barracks for the Italian finance police. Aerial view shows the piazza and the small cluster of little streets that we're about to wander through.
These three islands created a fortified harbor for the Venetian navy. At one time, Lake Garda was connected to the Adriatic Sea by canals that reached the rivers, Adige and Po. But that was severed by the Venetians to cut off trade competition from Mantua. Of course, the history here goes back much further, back to the bronze Age with those lake-dwellers, with their homes up on stilts and wooden piles.
00:00 Introduction
00:32 map
01:29 arrive Garda town
02:03 pedestrian lanes
03:42 lakefront
05:30 history
06:53 Bardolino
07:52 walk route map
08:34 lanes
10:12 San Severo
10:47 to Peschiera
10:58 Venetian walls
11:23 walking tour
12:29 Roman ruins
13:05 views of walls
13:32 depart