Bardolino Lake Garda promenade walkway

From Bardolino, the beautifully designed promenade "Passegiata lungolago Europa" leads to dreamy Garda, to which lake Garda owes its name.

Directions to Garda on the Bardolino promenade

The starting point of this short walk is the lively wine town of Bardolino on the eastern shore of lake Garda.

Leaving behind the charming old town with its multitude of stores, restaurants and cafés, you walk along the beautifully laid out promenade along the shimmering lake Garda to the village Garda in the north. On the way, you will pass several cafés and small stretches of beach that invite you to "dolce far niente", to blissful idleness.

After less than two kilometers you reach the picturesque Garda, nestled in the bay, in whose winding, Venetian-style old town numerous stores, boutiques, ice cream parlors, cafes and restaurants have settled. Garda is also known for its elegant Venetian palaces and its lush vegetation of cypresses, magnolias, pines or oleanders, which give the picturesque place on lake Garda its unique charm.

The return from Garda will be on the outward route.

How Lake Garda got its name

For the Romans, lake Garda was called "lacus Benacus", which was derived from the local Celtic god "Benacus".

The name Garda a itself derives from the castle on the higher Rocca promontory, which watched over Garda and its surroundings from the 5th to the 16th century. The word Garda can be traced back etymologically to the Germanic word "wardon" or "wardo", which meant "to watch" or "to wait". Today, however, only a few remains of the fortress that gave it its name can be seen.

Infos Bardolino Lake Garda promenade walkway

• Duration:02:00 h
• Length:7.5 km
• Height gain:25 m

• Min. elevation:65 m
• Max. elevation:75 m