Desenzano, Lake Garda

Desenzano castle on the hill

From the San Francisco campsite, we could reach Sirmione by turning left out of the campsite and Sirmione by turning right.  We cycled the 5km into Desenzano, on Lake Garda, which was a nice, easy ride on relatively flat pathways. It took about 45 minutes to cycle into town, and when we saw an interesting, winding road, we took a detour to discover what was at the end of it. We found either another view of the lake or parkland.

Although quaint and charming, Desenzano wasn’t as lovely as Sirmione.    Nevertheless, the shops were interesting and we enjoyed walking through the city streets. I loved looking in the shoe shops, but at 500 euros for some of the shoes, it was a little out of my price range – well, a lot.  Some of the heels on the shoes, too! It was nice looking though.

In addition to the shops, there is a wide harbour with dozens of yachts and fishing boats, a museum, and a Roman villa that was discovered in 1921. We spent a very relaxing hour outside one of the many cafes watching the Italians going about their regular daily routine.  There was a group of mothers with their buggies having coffee, and on another table, a small group of businessmen, suitably dressed, were having a late lunch. It was interesting just watching them.

Each little town along the lakes brings discoveries: ancient walls, churches, gardens, and flower-lined promenades.  Lake Garda is beautiful.

Desenzano Marina

Desenzano Marina

Desenzano Square

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Car Hire

We always find the cheapest and most reliable cars to hire while we are away with RentalCars.com here and we always take out a car hire excess insurance with insure4carhire