Around Lake Garda – Desenzano del Garda
Attractive Desenzano (population c. 25,000) is the largest town on the gentle southern shore of Lake Garda. Its excellent boat, bus and train connections make it the gateway to the region and hence the ideal base for further exploration.
The town
Desenzano is a working town of charm and style. Tourism blends easily into its day to day life, with its many cafés, bars and restaurants creating a relaxing atmosphere. Although a rather busy road runs alongside the waterfront, the main shopping street is pedestrianised.
Desenzano is a fairly up-market commercial town and the shops reflect this. In the Piazza Malvezzi, for instance, there is a shop selling quality cashmere garments, above which is a gallery selling fine works of art, including paintings by important Brescian artists. If you choose to wander around the many fascinating side streets and alleyways, you will probably soon find a tiny café, well used by locals, where you can enjoy a cappuccino or an aperol at a price significantly less than that charged by more glitzy establishments.
Desenzano has two harbours. Ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans leave from the impressive large harbour. Most will dock at the jetty by the ticket office, but beware – some leave from a jetty 100m or so away. The tiny, old harbour is a delight by day and magical by night. Only small boats can moor there as entrance is under a low bridge. Cafés and restaurants line the sides of this harbour, and at the back, housed in an old building is the spacious tourist information office.
Main attractions
At the end of the main street sits the imposing 16 century Duomo, which boasts a fine Tiepolo painting. The town’s Roman connections are revealed by the Villa Romana, now a small open air museum exhibiting some very impressive mosaics. You can watch an informative film about the site: several language options are offered via a touch screen facility. Close to the old harbour is the Piazza Malvezzi, home to some interesting buildings including the 16 century town hall. On some Sunday mornings a flea market is held here. The Museo Civico Archeologico houses prehistoric and Bronze Age artefacts, together with what is claimed to be the oldest known wooden plough. Its opening hours, however, are rather restricted.
