Gardone Riviera

Historical significance and development

In the 19th cen­tu­ry, Gar­do­ne Rivie­ra deve­lo­ped from a small vil­la­ge into a popu­lar spa and vaca­ti­on resort, espe­ci­al­ly for the upper clas­ses of Euro­pean socie­ty. At this time, doc­tors and natur­opaths dis­co­ver­ed the mild cli­ma­te and scenic beau­ty of Lake Gar­da as the ide­al basis for rela­xa­ti­on and reco­very. The com­bi­na­ti­on of fresh moun­tain air and Medi­ter­ra­ne­an vege­ta­ti­on was con­side­red bene­fi­ci­al and attrac­ted num­e­rous wealt­hy guests. To meet the gro­wing demand, magni­fi­cent vil­las, ele­gant hotels and luxu­rious pri­va­te resi­den­ces were built. The­se buil­dings were often desi­gned by renow­ned archi­tects and still give Gar­do­ne Rivie­ra an aris­to­cra­tic and sophisti­ca­ted cha­rac­ter that makes the town unmist­aka­ble. The heyday of the Bel­le Épo­que laid the foun­da­ti­ons for Gar­do­ne Rivie­ra as an exclu­si­ve desti­na­ti­on that deli­bera­te­ly set its­elf apart from other tou­rist resorts and attrac­ted the cul­tu­ral elite.

Tourism development and significance

Today, Gar­do­ne Rivie­ra is a major attrac­tion on Lake Gar­da and draws visi­tors from all over the world. The tou­rist infra­struc­tu­re is excel­lent­ly deve­lo­ped and the town is keen to pre­ser­ve its exclu­si­ve atmo­sphe­re and the charm of times gone by. In addi­ti­on to accom­mo­da­ti­on in various pri­ce ran­ges, the­re are num­e­rous restau­rants and cafés offe­ring both local spe­cial­ties and inter­na­tio­nal cui­sine. The regi­on also offers a wide ran­ge of acti­vi­ties: Boat trips on Lake Gar­da, hiking and cycling trails in the sur­roun­ding moun­ta­ins and his­to­ri­cal walks through the town. Gar­do­ne Rivie­ra knows how to com­bi­ne tra­di­ti­on and moder­ni­ty, appe­al­ing to both cul­tu­re lovers and acti­ve vaca­tio­ners. Num­e­rous events, inclu­ding con­certs and art fes­ti­vals, enli­ven the town and offer guests a varied pro­gram. Over­all, Gar­do­ne Rivie­ra has deve­lo­ped over the years from a spa town to a ver­sa­ti­le vaca­ti­on desti­na­ti­on that is app­re­cia­ted for its rela­xed atmo­sphe­re and the breath­ta­king back­drop of Lake Garda.