Once a stop on the so-called “Amber Road,” Lazise became one of Italy’s first towns granted independence from the Holy Roman Empire over a millennium ago by Emperor Otto II. Wander in its vineyards, explore its historic town center or lounge by the lake.
Start your day in the Piazza V Emanuele, the town’s charming central square, with cafés, checkerboard pavement and colorful buildings. Meander down the narrow streets on your way to the harbor, where you can watch boats unload their daily catch of tench and other fish. Visit the 14th-century Veronese customs office nearby, once the city-state’s form of control over this ostensibly independent town. Climb onto the walls of the Castello Scaligero, a 12th-century fortress that, ultimately unsuccessfully, protected the city from invasion.
Head outside the walls to tour the region’s villas, including the stuccoed white walls of the Villa Pergolana, which hosts an annual honey festival. Spots swans, tufted ducks and native flowers along Lungolago di Lazise, a lakeside path stretching 3 miles (5 kilometers) north to the nearby town of Bardolino and beyond. Visit the submerged remains of prehistoric pile dwellings in Pacengo. Rest on Lazise’s beach, one of the only sandy ones along the lake. Forget your troubles when you visit the natural Thermal Park in Colà.
Reach Lazise in 15 minutes by car or bus from the closest major train station in Peschiera del Garda, which has easy connections to Milan and Venice. Drive from either of those two cities in 1.5 hours. The closest international airport, in Verona, is 30 minutes away by car. Rent a car in Peschiera del Garda to explore the countryside or reach nearby Lake Garda amusement parks. Alternatively rely on the fairly reliable and extensive bus and ferry system.
Look for a piece of Lazise history from a boat on the lake. Peer down to the bottom, where many Venetian battleships rest, intentionally sunk so they couldn’t fall into enemy hands.
