Perfect Italian retreat: Glories of Garda

George Clooney may have chosen nearby Lake Como as his summer residence, but Lake Garda, peppered with a mixture of elaborate hotels, pebble beaches and beautiful towns against a stunning mountainous backdrop, has plenty to offer the discerning traveller.

Thankfully, unlike other popular resorts, architects haven't dug into the spectacular hillside to create holiday apartments or commercial villages.

Gentle Plains

The scenery varies enormously, from the craggy mountains of the north, to the rich vineyards of the midlands and reaching down to the gentle plains which back the southern shores.

We were staying at Europa Silvella, a pretty campsite near Salo, on the south west of the lake, shaded by olive trees. Figs were also abundant and my children took great delight in picking ripe ones from a tree literally next to our mobile home.

Our drive north took us past Salo through tree-lined roads alongside picturesque towns including Gardone Riviera and Gargnano and, almost at the tip of the lake, to the more commercial town of Limone, where you can hire pedalos, go for a swim or even catch a car ferry across the lake to Malcesine, which was loved by many celebrated writers and artists, most notably Goethe.

Many of the campsites around Lake Garda are situated on the hillside giving you a stunning view of the lake.

Ice age

Lake Garda was formed by glaciers at the end of the last ice age and is divided between the regions of Lombardy, Trentino and Veneto.

It may have an Alpine setting, but the temperature is like the Mediterranean as the lake acts as a gigantic solar panel, with a ring of mountains retaining the heat.

Eating out in Lake Garda is not cheap unless you share pizzas. It is the Cote D'Azur of Italy, so expect to pay accordingly.

We found the Italians friendly, the water cleaner than a lot of the Mediterranean and the ambience stylish but relaxed.

All in all, a perfect Italian job.

Sirmione

This medieval hamlet was a spa destination in Roman times and even now has thermal springs and impressive Roman ruins.

Getting there

Lake Garda is 100km from Milan, 130km from Venice and 30km from Verona. You could fly to any of these major cities and then travel by road or rail.