What town on Lake Garda is similar to Bellagio

We stayed in Malcesine last year. It is a lovely town.

There are a few on the north lake. Limone or Malcesine or also Garda, to name a few.

I thought Bellagio was Lake Como. Nevertheless, Lake Garda is lovely.

What did you like about Bellagio- the lake views, high end shopping, mountain vistas? We went to Lake Garda- Garda and Bardolino- and both were quaint with lakesides views, walking paths, nice shops. They were distinctly different from Bellagio, but very beautiful in their own right with a much calmer pace.

I liked that Bellagio had a town to engage with --- shops, restaurants, enough to walk around a of couple days and still have new things to see. The convenience of the mid-lake boat to get to the other towns was great. We found the other towns too small but fun to visit... and Varenna too sleepy. I know Bellagio is touristy but to me it just means there are lots of things to do. We walked the gardens and over the hill to Pescallo the little fishing village.

Malcesine is about the same size as Bellagio and probably more to your liking. Limone is smaller and in many ways more similar to Varenna. Riva is a bigger town. All are connected by boat. There is a lot to do on lake Garda so you won’t run out of things to explore.

Thanks Roberto. I was hoping you would comment.

I've been to Lake Garda a couple of times. It was ok. Lots of Germans and I felt it was a bit tacky.

If you like quaint and small, like Varenna, stay in Limone.
If you like quaint and a bit bigger, like Bellagio, stay in Malcesine.

Whether you will like it more or less than Lake Como, is a matter of personal preference, which is often influenced by very subjective factors, one of which is the first love syndrome. People tend to like a place they visited first, maybe when they were young. Or sometimes by accidental factors. Like some people might dislike a place because they had an unpleasant encounter with a waiter or with a taxi driver.

Emily didn’t like having so many German people around at lake Garda (which Italians call Il Mare dei Tedeschi, or German People Sea). Many Austrians can probably relate to that.

Yup. I don't go to Italy to eat schnitzel (even though, technically, schnitzel is Italian). I am not Austrian, though.

We all know about the love shared by the various European groups.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/3n219p/what_nationality_was_otzi_the_caveman/

I loved Lake Garda this past September. Spent 5 days there. Got some great advice from Roberto above. Malcesine and Limone were our favorites. Spend a half day exporling around Sirmione and the fast hydrofoils made the trip quick. Also we loved Bardonlino and walking to some of the vineyards above town overlooking the lake. We also walked from Bardolino to Garda on the lake and hiked up La Rocca halfway between them. Amazing !!!!!! Put that on your list.

Thanks Robert... list is started!!!

I have been reading these posts and find it very informative. My wife and I are planning a trip and interested in Lake Garda - never been. We will be there in Mid October and looking for some help if it would be a good time to visit Lake Garda? Are there plenty of areas to hike? We are thinking about staying in Sirmione - any suggestions on a place or different location? We are planning to drive, but noticed it might be difficult to park - is that true? Everyone's suggestions are deeply appreciated.