Welcome to Bardolino

There isn’t a best time of year to visit Bardolino. Every season has its delights and much depends on the kind of holiday you want to have.

Summer is the busiest tourist season, ideal for people who enjoy the hot weather, days on the beach, sunset aperitifs and outdoor sport.

But if you prefer to visit when it’s quieter, the mid-season is best. Spring will bowl you over with its mild weather perfect for days in the lush green countryside or on boat trips. You can enjoy the lakefront in bloom with more than 50,000 tulips and go along to the local rosé wine event, Palio del Chiaretto di Bardolino.

Autumn stays with the wine theme, featuring Bardolino’s historic grape and wine festival. This is the ideal time to taste wines in the cellars and you can immerse yourself in nature with its splendid greenery.

What about winter? Don’t miss the Christmas markets on the lakefront, unveiling a new, shimmering look for Bardolino to delight everyone including children.

Find out about other events you can enjoy in Bardolino>>

Bardolino offers so much to do in the good weather, especially in the summer months. Bad weather does happen though, and you then wonder what to do.
Here are some indoor activities to spend an equally enjoyable and interesting day:

• Visit the Olive Oil Museum with its wealth of old tools and equipment used to produce olive oil.

• Visit the Wine Museum Bardolino is famous for its wines, so on a rainy day you can visit this museum and immerse yourself in region’s winemaking history.

• Visit the San Severo Church This Medieval church has plenty of history and art to offer, located in the historic centre of Bardolino.

• Unwind in a wellbeing centre If you’re staying at a hotel with a spa, this is the perfect time to give it a try. Or you can find wellbeing centre and thermal spas in and around Bardolino.

• Shopping Bardolino’s shops and boutiques offer many local products, souvenirs and clothes.

• Local produce tasting Take shelter in one of the many restaurants or bars, or even visit one of the area’s wine cellars. What could be better than watching the rain outside as you enjoy a glass of Bardolino!

Lastly, you could opt to visit other indoor places outside Bardolino such as shopping centres, cinemas, gaming halls and others listed on our around Bardolino page.

Bardolino is the perfect place for a family holiday with children. There are so many fun, interesting activities to do with your little ones. Here are just a few ideas:

• Stroll and ice-cream A simple activity that’s always fun. There are plenty of ice-cream parlours to choose from in Bardolino. And a lovely cone to enjoy as you walk is just what you need to cool down on the warmest days.

• Trip on a boat or pedalo Children will love doing this.

• Cycling trip out together The cycle route along the shores of the lake is easy and very scenic.

• Go up on the Ferris wheel to enjoy Bardolino from 30 metres up for a stunning view by day or night.

• Take a trip on a little train through the town’s lanes and alleyways.

• Visit the Sisan Museum to find out about Lake Garda’s ornithological and fishery heritage. Children can find out about the bird varieties in Lake Garda along with other facts.

• Skate park is where the “Rivalunga” walk starts. There’s a space designed for young people with a skate park and basketball pitch. Alternatively, if you want to spend the warmer hours in the shade of tall trees, head for “Bassano” playground.

• Discover the Lake’s castles. Children love castles, so why not explore the ancient forts around Lake Garda? From Bardolino, you can easily get to Malcesine, Sirmione, Lazise and Torri del Benaco.

If you plan to explore Bardolino’s surrounding area, children will love the idea of spending the day at one of the many amusement parks around Lake Garda.

There are a variety of accommodation options in Bardolino, depending on your preference and budget.

• Hotels Bardolino has a large selection of hotels, from the more affordable to the luxurious with spas and pools. You can find hotels in the historic centre or in the quieter hillside area, surrounded by greenery.

• Bed and breakfast options are ideal for a more friendly, homely feel.

• Holiday farm Bardolino is surrounded by vineyards and hills, so you can stay on a holiday farm to try out life in the countryside and its produce.

• Apartments. Flats to rent are plentiful in Bardolino, particularly near the beach and the old town.

Find more accommodation ideas on our hospitality page. We do recommend booking well in advance though, especially if you plan to visit Bardolino during the summer season.

Bardolino is famous for its delicious variety of food, with many regional specialities from the Veneto and the Lake garda area.

Some of Bardolino delicacies you really must try include the lake fish. Try them fried, grilled or in dishes like risotto with tench or bigoli pasta with aole, pike in sauce and marinated local fish “en saor”. All accompanied with Bardolino wine.

Events featuring gourmet food and wine stands are an opportunity to discover some of these delicacies, or there are many other places to eat Bardolino.

The centre of Bardolino is a restricted traffic zone so you need to have a permit to enter with a vehicle. If you are not staying in a hotel or disabled and you are arriving by car, you can park along the road or use the signposted parking areas.
There are some carparks right outside the restricted traffic zone, including some of these larger carparks:

– Gardesana dell’Acqua carpark near the Rivalunga walkway. Capacity – 380 car spaces.

– Prandini carpark, 219 spaces. Located opposite the San Severo church.

– Piazzale Aldo Moro, very close to the centre. Capacity – 70 cars

– Cisano carpark, along the Gardesana road, with 138 spaces.

Details of other carparks shown on a map are on our useful information page.

The beaches at Bardolino are pebbly or grassy. The best-known places are:

– “Rivalunga” beach There are public beaches with plenty of green areas and refreshment kiosks along the walkway that runs from Bardolino to Garda.

– Punta Cornicello beach A small, public, pebbly beach.
– Lido Mirabello is a private beach with services and swimming equipment as well as a bar and restaurant.

– Lido di Cisano is a short distance from the centre of Bardolino. Well-suited to children as it has a grassy area and the water is shallow.

How you get around Bardolino depends on your needs and preferences, along with the duration of your stay and the activities you want to do.
Here are the options for getting around Bardolino and its surrounding area:

– On foot It’s easy to walk around the centre of Bardolino and the best way to explore the town and its views. And you can get to the neighbouring towns of Garda and Lazise using the cycle and pedestrian path.

– By bike Bardolino offers cycle paths and more demanding routes through the hills, letting you explore the area in a stress-free, sustainable way. There are lots of places to hire bikes.

– By ferry The public water transport services are good for getting to other lakeside locations on Lake Garda.

– By car The car can be handy when visiting neighbouring areas. But, traffic during the summer months can be very heavy.

– By bus Good for getting to nearby cities, like Verona and Brescia.

There are many events over the course of the year in Bardolino. The most well-known are:

– Palio del Chiaretto the festival dedicated to the local rosé wine that takes place at the end of May.

– The Bardolino Grape and Wine Festival began in 1929 and takes place between September and October.

– Christmas in Bardolino To celebrate Christmas, Bardolino is transformed into a magical village with wooden houses, gourmet food stands and countless events for all ages.

Then there are the sports events, such as the Bardolino Triathlon and the historic Regatta delle Bisse, where Venetian rowing boats race, along with cultural events like the artists exhibition, Un due, Tlè, music concerts and more.

The weekly Bardolino market is held every Thursday morning on the lakefront, with many food and clothing stalls as well as, artisan and local produce stalls.

The two other villages near Bardolino have their own market days – Tuesday mornings in Cisano throughout the summer, and Saturday mornings in Calmasino offering local food produce.

There are plenty of options not too far from Bardolino to explore on Lake Garda and its splendid countryside.
If you are visiting with children, the must-visit entertainment parks are Gardaland and Movieland, or the Caneva water park and if you’re looking to unwind, there are thermal spas at Villa Dei Cedri in the nearby Lazise.
If you’re a nature lover, visit the Sea Life Aquarium, the Parco Giardino Sigurtà gardens and the Parco Natura Viva safari park and zoo. Just some of the ideas we have listed on our “surrounding area” page.