I can recommend these travel guides for a trip to Lake Garda:
The little one for a short stay: Marco Polo Guidebook Lake Garda
The classic pocket travel guide is the Marco Polo. Of course, there is also one for Lake Garda. He provides you with the most necessary information for a long weekend.
In more detail: Baedeker Guide to Lake Garda and Verona
According to relationshipsplus, the Baedeker travel guide to Lake Garda and Verona offers you much more information and tips. Baedeker has been available in a new and very clear structure since 2018, which I think is really great.
It includes some tips and topics that you won’t find in any other travel guide about Lake Garda.
You should choose the Baedeker travel guide Lake Garda and Verona if you spend your holiday mainly on Lake Garda, but also want to make a detailed detour to Verona.
Hiking included: Lake Garda Travel Guide Michael Müller Verlag
If you are looking for detailed information about Lake Garda, but would also like to go on a hike, the travel guide from Michael Müller Verlag is the right one for you.
In addition to many insider tips and information about the lake and Verona, the book also includes eight hikes and tours including the associated maps and GPX data.
Language and understanding
Even though German is very common in South Tyrol, Italian is spoken on Lake Garda. However, the locals working in tourism speak at least some German.
However, you should not automatically assume that the other person understands German. But at the latest with English you will certainly get ahead.
Food and Drink
There are restaurants and cafes on Lake Garda like gravel on the lake shore. The food is naturally most expensive directly on the shore, in the alleys of the old towns it is somewhat cheaper. Now you might think that where visitors hang out, there are many tourist traps. But far from it!
Because Lake Garda has a large number of repeat offenders who come back every year, the restaurants also largely rely on regular customers. You won’t find really bad shops, but some places are still a bit better than the others.
In the alleys of the old town you will also come across stalls selling pizza slices from time to time. There you can get a snack without hesitation.
If you’re looking for a waterfront restaurant with a view, do a little research on Google Maps before you decide. You can use these reviews to orient yourself very well.
I personally prefer to eat in the old town. I think the restaurants have more flair and it feels more Italian.
My favorite specialty from the Trentino region is Carne Salada. The salty beef is sliced wafer-thin and served cold with lemon, olive oil and parmesan as a starter.
As a main course, the meat is fried for a few seconds in a grill pan and served with beans.
Treat yourself to a sweet Vin Santo Trentino for dessert. These include the rock-hard Cantuccini. I have to admit that I wouldn’t eat or drink either Cantuccini or Vin Santo without the other. But combined it is super delicious! You dip the Cantuccini in the Vin Santo until you can bite off it.
You can get both in any supermarket. A small supply for a mild summer evening on the hotel balcony certainly doesn’t hurt.
My shopping tip : You can get an Aglio Olio spice mixture in many souvenir shops. A real Italian mom would probably sneer at that, but I love her! You put a teaspoon of it with a little olive oil in a warm pan, briefly toss the cooked pasta in it – done! At home, this happens every two weeks at the latest. I occasionally add a few shrimp.
Weekly market on Lake Garda
In almost every town on Lake Garda there is a market once a week. Depending on how touristy the place is, the offer at the weekly market looks like. Nevertheless, I think that a visit to the market is always worthwhile.
All weekly markets take place in the morning. From 1:00 p.m. at the latest, the stands will begin to be dismantled.
What should you take with you for your holiday on Lake Garda?
What to pack for your holiday on Lake Garda depends a lot on what you have planned. If you are a surfer, biker or hiker, you probably know what to pack.
Otherwise, I can only warmly recommend taking a pair of light sneakers with you for exploring the city, even in summer. If you climb the towers of a castle or stroll over the cobblestones of the old town, flip flops can be really dangerous.
Bathing shoes are not bad at all for swimming in the lake with its many pebble beaches. But if you have to, you can get them anywhere near the beach in the tourist shops.
In the evenings you should always have something to wear with you. Otherwise it can get cold on the shore due to the wind.
In spring and autumn, the rain jacket should definitely not be missing in your luggage.
You don’t have to worry about sockets and adapters, it fits.
