Bardolino, situated on the east coast of Lake Garda, in the centre of the Riviera of Olives, is a oasis of relaxation because of the wonderful landscape and its climate, a charming place where you can spend your holidays in a natural environment, full of fascinating history and traditions. Surrounded by green morainic hills, covered by vines, olives and cypresses, Bardolino faces the lake like a comb with its port, between two points that lean out into the water. For many years it has been renown as a great place to stay and, furthermore, it is famous all over the world for the name given to the wine produced by the grapes of this area. The two villages of Cisano and Calmasino belong to the Community of Bardolino and are well worthy of a visit.

Out of town's boundary there are two rural quarters, built around the S. Severo and S. Zeno churches.
S. Severo is one of the most priceless examples of Verona Romanesque; dating back to the beginning of the 12th century, rebuilt and enlarged on the ruins of an antique pre-existing church (8th century), it was mentioned for the first time in a Berengario's diploma in 893; in 1932 it was completely restored and brought back to its former structure. Inside you can admire the 13th century frescos.
The little church of S. Zeno, which dates back to the 8th century and was mentioned in 807 in a diploma of King Pipino, is one of the most famous and admired examples of the carolingian architecture in Italy affording features pre-existing the Romanesque architecture. It owned lands and received great incomes before it was abandoned. Its architectural simplicity made it extremely charming.
The pieve di S. Maria, in Cisano was built in 12th century after an earthquake that damaged a former church, which was erected on the ruins of a pagan building between the forth and eighth century. It is another example of Verona Romanesque.
Many other antique, historically and artistically interesting, churches are situated in Bardolino, among these S. Vito (13th century) and S. Pietro (13th century) church.
A beautiful and panoramic road, which is lined with cypresses, goes to the Camaldolese Hermitage and to the "Rocca Vecchia", passing through the rural court of S. Colombano, seat of an ancient priorate since 862.
The Camaldolese Hermitage, erected between 1664 and 1673, is still maintained by a little community of friars, that nowadays allow to visit it.; it is a place of peace and serenity, where you can enjoy the unique landscape of the lake and inside you can purchase products like oils, jam and creams made by the friars.
The "Rocca Vecchia" is the rocky spur that rises precipitously over the lake and it characterises the Bardolino's landscape. Here Queen Adelaide of Burgundy was imprisoned; at the top there are the ruins of a medieval castle and a stone that legend says it had been the throne the imprisoned Queen set on.
The view from the "Rocca Vecchia" is an absolute breath taking experience!
The wonderful paths of the hills that rise behind the lake permit to find out the rupestrian inscriptions of Lake Garda.

A beautiful hilly road makes it possible for you to reach the "Rocca Vecchia" either by walking or by bicycle and the Hermitage, where you can enjoy a charming landscape.
You can even stop in one of the many cosy country inns, called "osteria", or cantinas, situated by the road-side of the hilly inland, to taste local Bardolino wine and typical dishes of Lake Garda.
The extremely pleasant walk along the coast of the lake connects Bardolino to Lazise and Garda and also as far as S. Vigilio point, the most celebrated and certainly the most enchanting place of the Lake Garda. The Wine Road begins in Bardolino and stretches to the innermost locations on the lake to find out cantinas, wine shops and art treasures of the Garda area.
The boat and hydrofoil services give you the possibility of cruising the lake to many towns on the Riviera, like Sirmione (where the Villa of the Roman poet Catullus, called "Grotte di Catullo", can be visited), Salò, Limone, Gardone (where the villa, which is just like a museum, of another poet, Gabriele D'Annunzio, called "Vittoriale degli Italiani", can be visited).
Not to be missed is the Mount Baldo (2200m), known for its flora but interesting for many other reasons too. It is easily reachable by car or taking a line bus to S. Zeno di Montagna, Ferrara di Monte Baldo and Spiazzi, where there is the characteristic "Santuario della Corona". It is possible to reach the top by taking the cablecar in Malcesine, transporting you to a height of 1700 m and giving fantastic panoramic views of the area. Using the local public transport line you can visit a number of interesting cities such as Mantova, Trento, Vicenza, Padova and especially Verona, the wonderful city of "Romeo and Juliet", where in July and August the famous Opera Season of the Arena takes place and Shakespeare's plays and tragedies are also performed in the Roman Theatre.
Verona is connected with the Lake by the "Verona-Lago" road (25 km), where you meet the lake in the resort of Lazise.
Bardolino is very close to the most famous Italian amusement park "Gardaland", many water park and zoo as well.
Venice (157 km) and Milan (140 km) are easily reachable by the "Serenissima" motorway or by train.

The morainic zone of Lake Garda has a climate not subjected to sudden charges in temperature because of the moderating effect of the lake's water and the protection offered by Mount Baldo. This mild, temperate and uniform climate supports the growth of a mediterrian vegetation: olives, cypresses, vines, oleanders, palms.

Nowadays Bardolino is a modern tourist resort, offering a wide choice of typical restaurants, bars, discos, ice-creams parlours making you stay on Lake Garda an enjoyable one. Nearby Bardolino there is the famous Italian amusement park "Gardaland", many aquatic parks and a safari zoo. On the streets of Bardolino you will find many clothes shops, local craft shops, typical Lake Garda and Italian food shops, stocks of vintage wine and houte couture boutiques for Your shopping. Furthermore, on Thursday there is a very popular weekly market.

Excellent sporting centres allow one to participate in many different sports, like swimming, sailing, windsurf, rowing, tennis, golf, horse riding.
Furthermore every year Bardolino is the setting for on of an International Tournament of Triathlon.

During the spring and summer seasons the programme of manifestations is jam-packed: outdoor classic music or jazz concerts, art exhibitions, sport manifestations, theatrical performance, conventions and traditional festivals, like the "Wine and Grape Festival", during which the street along the lake coast is full of gastronomical stands where you can taste Bardolino wine, outdoor concerts and conventions about wine are organised and folk-groups run along the streets of the town.
In Cisano, every year, on 8th September, the old "Sagra dei Osei" is celebrated; it is a festival made by birds song contests, concerts, popular amusments, dinners in gastronomical stands, fireworks.

The area where the Bardolino Classico DOC is produced is a hilly land that is in front of Lake Garda, covered by vines and olives. The particularly mild climate allows the vines to produce the excellent grapes (corvina, molinara, rondinella, negrara) which are the base of Bardolino wine, since long time ago. The typical Bardolino wine is a red table-wine, light ruby colored, with a delicate perfume and a dry taste, a little sparkling, moderately alcoholic (10.5 degrees). It is drunk during the production year. Among the different kind of Bardolino there are: Bardolino Classico DOC, obtained by the grapes from the oldest classic area. Bardolino Superiore DOC, aged one year. Bardolino Chiaretto DOC, rosè and produced by following part of the white wine making process. Bardolino Novello DOC, it is the first wine in its category to achieve the DOC mark. The Bardolino wine accompany the typical dishes of the area very well, like the "risotto con la tinca" (rice with tench), the "bigoli in salsa" (pasta with fish sauce), "polenta e osei", flesh and fowl. Bardolino Chiaretto, an extremely lovely aperitif, accompany "risotto", fowls, cold cuts and fish that, of course, is the most important dish of Lake Garda.