On Monday the 23rd September 2024 we left Camping Bella Italia and walked out of the front of the park to catch a bus to Bardolino. This arrived and the bus is quickly packed. We are standing room only. It made its way slowly into Peschiera picking up more passengers as we went. In town the driver stops and decides to check everyone has a ticket and squeezes up and down the bus. We continue on and stop at the train station, where quite a few got off and more got on. Back to full we continue on and stop at Gardaland where the bus almost empties and all the noisy kids get off. The bus is far more comfortable now, that was a tense noisy journey so far.
We pass through Lazise on our way to Bardolino.
We get off the bus at Bardolino after quite a journey, and stop for a coffee at Cognento Drive-in before walking into town.
We walk into Town.
Located on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, Bardolino borders the following municipalities: Affi, Cavaion Veronese, Costermano, Garda, Lazise, Manerba del Garda, Moniga del Garda, Padenghe sul Garda, and Pastrengo. The economy is mostly based on tourism and production of wine (including the Bardolino DOC).
Archaeological excavations have proven the presence of humans in the area since prehistoric times, in the area of Cisano. There are also traces of ancient Romans, though the modern settlement dates to the early Middle Ages, when Berengar of Italy (983) had a castle built here. In that period the area was under the suzerainty of the Bobbio Abbey.
In the 12th century Bardolino is mentioned as a free commune, and later was under the Scaliger of Verona, who enlarged the fortifications to encompass the whole village. After their fall, it became part of the Republic of Venice which had a marine base here. In 1526 it was sacked by the Landsknechts. Under the Lombardy-Venetia, it was an Austrian administrative center: in 1848 it revolted against them in the wake of the first Piedmontese victories in the First Italian War of Independence. However, later the Austrians retaliated with ravages and shootings. It was annexed to the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
We stroll along the Lake front and the port.
Photo Point "I love Bardolino"
Lake Garda , and therefore Bardolino, is part of that large climatic zone which includes the Po Valley and the first Alpine valleys and which denotes a humid temperate climate , but which locally manifests conditions which are considerably mitigated by the mass of water: this climate can be defined as sub-Mediterranean . Spring and autumn are the rainiest seasons, while summer is of the Mediterranean type, therefore dry but interrupted by intense thunderstorms, especially in the month of August. In winter the temperatures are less rigid than in the surrounding areas and precipitation is rather scarce, while fog only on a few occasions manages to invade the lower lake .
In the municipality of Bardolino the average annual temperature is approximately12-13 °C , with minimum averages of8 °C and average maximums of 18-18.5 °C, while annual precipitation varies from a minimum of 650 mm to a maximum of 800 mm .
We know from reliable sources that the first defensive structures might date back to the ninth century, when king Berengario allowed the inhabitants to build fortresses to protect the villages of Lake Garda.
At that time Bardolino featured square city walls open towards the lake, with two doors and four towers, one for each side.
The city walls maintained their structure up to the eighteenth century, except for some widening during the Scaliger Era (including the turret); heedless of the ancient fortresses, private citizens started introducing new buildings.
In the nineteenth century further destructions only spared a few walls, that is the ones that currently exist. The port holds the tower that is placed against a seventeenth century building (the current Hotel Catullo); it is sloped due to sinking.
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| Fast ferry arriving in Bardolino. |
We stroll about looking in the many shops here.
We walk up Borgo Giuseppe Garibaldi and reach an old church called Sala Della Disciplina.
"Sala della Disciplina" represents one of the most interesting buildings of Bardolino. Initially it was the local church but nowadays it has become an exhibition, conference and concert hall.
A unique and unmissable moment to immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere of the Italian Opera. In the enchanting BARDOLINO, on the Veronese shore of LAKE GARDA, from May to October we will welcome you in the refined Baroque setting of the "SALA DELLA DISCIPLINA" where you can attend concerts and musical events performed by our excellent professional musicians and opera
singers, present in the best theaters of the great Italian panorama.
A careful selection of the most famous Arias and duets of Italian Opera, taken from the repertoire of great Masters such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vincenzo Bellini,
Gaetano Donizetti, Pietro Mascagni, Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and many others.
Emotions will not fail, night after night, in this enthralling journey through the most important titles of Italian Opera, from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century, always introduced by a short presentation in both Italian and English by our President Eduardo, creator of all programs of the festival, always different and elaborated after a careful and accurate selection and research that also involves precious unknown masterpieces: this, to give the listener the most engaging and unique experience possible to carry with him forever.
We walk back to the lake shore and stop for a rest and take in the amazing views.
The Ferris wheel returns to Bardolino: 30 meters high, it is positioned in Lungolago Cornicello, from which you can enjoy unforgettable sunsets over the lake.
The Ferris wheel is also pet-friendly: two carriages are equipped for the transport of your little four-legged friends.
Open every day from 10.00 to 24.00
Adults: € 7,00
Children 2 - 14 Years old: € 5,00
In the past Lake Garda was the holiday destination of rich tourist elites. The aristocratic families have always been interested in this Region.
In particular the western shore already held numerous villas during the Roman Empire; some centuries later the Renaissance culture boosted the construction of magnificent buildings all along the lake.
The area was definitely charming due to the beauty of its landscapes, the lush vegetation, the healthy climate and the serenity of the place, before tourists gradually crowded it.
Bardolino also holds thirteen Venetian Villas; they were aristocratic residences dating back to the Republic of Venice, between the fifteenth and the nineteenth century.
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| Villa Terzi-Cristanini |
This noble residence is also known as “Villa delle Rose”, due to its beautiful garden full of plants, hedges and green paths visitors can admire while walking on the lakefront towards Garda.
The building features gothic elements such as the trifore and it consists of several sections: the linear façade on the lakefront held the country house and it features several trifore and a bifora.
At the top of the structure the eaves with its dovetail battlements give the building a defensive nature. Inside the villa there are numerous frescoes and eighteenth century decorations.
View across the Lake is amazing with the mountains backdrop.
We stop for an ice cream here, the gelato in Italy is amazing!
We walk back the way we came along the shore.
The whole promenade from Lido Mirabello (towards Cisano) to Lido Cornicello (towards Garda) is decorated with 72 tulip beds; both residents and visitors have caught it in thousands of pictures over the years.
The work is the outcome of a partnership with Parco Giardino Sigurtà. Thanks to the care the district gave to the greenery and its maintenance, in 2008 Bardolino was awarded with the national prize called “Comuni Fioriti” (cities in flower) rewarding the commitment of Italian local managements to embellish the city centres.
The same care is given to order and cleanliness; in 2011 Bardolino indeed gained a further recognition called “Borgo più felice d’Italia” (happiest Italian village).
Numerous villas look out onto the lake, such as Villa delle Rose with its gothic style and its enchanting garden or Villa Bottagisio Carrara with its wide park open to the public.
The old town is made of tiny streets that are perpendicular to the coast; the houses, built one behind the other, offer a jump back into the past, when Bardolino was a village of fishermen.
Nowadays the alleys and their balconies in flower offer enchanting views while tiny shops and cafés create a happy holiday feeling.
Walking around Bardolino means to enter a world in which past and present meet each other. Bardolino means not only beautiful landscapes, good wine and entertainment, but also discovering an important historic and artistic heritage.
While walking around the streets you will enjoy the remains of the medieval walls dating back to the twelfth century if not even before.
Its a while to wait for our ferry to Lazise. We decide to ferry it back rather than endure another bus journey!
We say goodbye to Bardolino and hello to Lazise.
Lazise has many attractions: a thermal spring situated in Colà, two amusement parks (Canevaworld and Gardaland, the latter situated partly on the territory of Castelnuovo del Garda, where it is based, and partly on the territory of Lazise) and an extensive hilly agricultural landscape. Lazise records about 3.5 million tourist visits every year, figures that place it at 12th place in Italy among tourist destinations, and the first Italian lake destination.
We rush and buy some umbrellas due to its now pouring down with rain!
The name Lazise comes from the Latin word lacus that means ‘lakeside village’, as some documents of Early Middle Ages seem to confirm, referring to the settlement as Laceses. Another hypothesis, later ruled out, put the name of the town as originating from Antonio Bevilacqua di Loncis. Loncis, from his castle in Bavaria, became governor of Lake Garda and the forefather of a major family that then changed its name to Bevilacqua-Lazise. The last hypothesis was lately ruled out and it comes from Lazica Kingdom.
Its name derives from the Latin "lacus" which means lacustrine village. Lazise in fact was originally a group of stilt houses beyond that Roman village and market. Between 888 and 961, during the reign of Berengar II of Italy and his son, the town was subject only to the monarch, that is, it was a "free villa" not subject to some feudatary. In 961, Italy was invaded by German troops, who descended the valley of the Adige to camp on the shores of Garda.
In 983, the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I granted Lazise the right to fortify itself and establish trading rights. It is considered as the first and oldest comune in Italy, and perhaps all of Europe. The medieval Church of Saint Nicolò has frescoes dating from the 12th century, by the school of Giotto. The customs house from the 16th century was constructed to control trade on the lake. During the 13th and 14th centuries, Lazise was occupied by the Scaligeri of Verona who built the castle and encircled the town with walls.
In 1405, it came under Venetian Republic rule until Napoleon conquered northern Italy in 1796.
After the Congress of Vienna (1815) when it entered a period of Austrian rule, until in 1866, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.
The 14th-century La Pergolana villa, a kilometre north of Lazise, hosts a honey festival during the first weekend of October.
The most imposing building of Lazise is the Scaliger Castle and the city wall that surrounds the historic centre. The castle was built during the domination of the lords of Verona Bartolomeo II and Antonio della Scala, or maybe just before the father Cansignorio della Scala (considering that Porta Nuova bears the date 21 May 1376). The city has always had three gates equipped with drawbridges: Porta Superiore, today known as Porta San Zeno, for the access on east side; Porta Lion (so called because it determined the coat of arms of the Serenissima), for the access on south side; Porta Nuova (so named because it was the last to be built), today widely called Porta Cansignorio, for access on north side. The castle suffered damages during the siege of the Venetians in July 1438, and then again in May 1528 due to the work of the army of Charles V. In the 16th century, with the progress of new technologies and war tactics, the castle lost importance and was purchased firstly by the community of Lazise and later by private families.
We walk around the castle, not having a good look due to the weather being so miserable!
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We for coffee at Vela Biamca by the waterfront, whikle we wait for the ferry back to Peschiera. I order a Caffè corretto. It is an Italian caffeinated alcoholic drink, consisting of a shot of espresso with a small amount of liquor, usually grappa, and sometimes sambuca or brandy. It is also known (outside Italy) as an espresso corretto.
Anyway its bloody awful and I couldn't drink it all, but you have to try new things!
We board the ferry to Peschiera and say goodbye to Lazise.
Traditional events are the Regata delle Bisse, using traditional Venetian rowing boats (with four standing rowers and no helmsman), whose stop in Lazise takes place between July and August, and the Cuccagna del Cadenon, which takes place at the end of August in conjunction with the Festa dell’Ospite, in which an eight-metre pole is placed horizontally on the waters of the old port, abundantly coated with fat, and is won by the one who, slipping on the greasy pole, manages to take the flag to the bottom.
Final views of Scalinger Castle as we sail away.
We arrive back in Peschiera and have a long soggy walk back to Camping Bella Italia, still was a good day out despite the rain!