Lazise holidays

You'll find Lazise's best beach just in front of the Spiaggia d'oro camping site, south of the town centre. It's a mixture of pebbles and sand. There aren't any facilities here, but you can grab a coffee and a snack at the campsite café.

There are more beaches along the promenade towards Bardolino. Stroll to Cisano and you'll come across a man-made sandy beach area with sun loungers to rent. Little ones are welcome - there's a small play area with swings and climbing frames.

The weekly market in Lazise is an event to catch, as it's all crammed in within the castle walls. As well as having the chance to pick up a souvenir or two, you'll be able to buy fresh produce like wine, olive oil and cheese.

Wander behind the promenade's cafés and restaurants and you'll come across smaller shops and boutiques, with Italian leather goods, clothes, pottery and gifts on sale.

The shops stay open late, the lights twinkle over the lake, and the castle walls create an intimate and magical atmosphere. Spending an evening pottering about in Lazise is something special.

The pretty streets of Lazise town centre come into their own in the evenings, as people stroll through the town and enjoy the atmosphere. The nearby towns of Bardolino or Garda are great to visit for live music and annual summer wine festivals too.

You're spoilt for choice for places to eat, with plenty of bars and restaurants around the port and along the waterfront.

Alongside the old harbour you'll find a gelateria or two, serving up every type of ice-cream flavour you can imagine - and maybe even some you can't.

Venture inland from the harbour down the side streets and you'll come across lots of family-run restaurants. Fish and seafood are often on the menu. Will you find a favourite while you're here?

Buses from Lazise run up and down the eastern shore of the lake, and you can catch them from the main road just outside the town walls. Bardolino is just 10 minutes away. You can buy tickets from the bus driver or from any of the Tabac shops in town.

The local ferry takes you to nearby towns dotted around the lake. You can catch it at the Porticciolo, which mans Little Harbour. Boats leave every once an hour or so. The views from the water are well worth the trip.

Stay within the town and you'll find the walking fairly easy. The streets are mainly flat and weave between the buildings nestled within the medieval walls. The lakeside promenade is gentle walking too, with wide open spaces and lots of places to sit and watch the world go by.

For a gentle, relaxing walk, head out along the waterfront promenade. You'll hear the sound of lapping water of one side and clinking cutlery on the other. You can take it easy or carry on to Bardolino up the shore. It's about an hour and a half's walk, but you don't have to go all the way - and there are lots of gelaterias and cafés to distract you.

Stay in Lazise and you can explore the meandering cobbled alleyways. Even the terrain outside the town walls is fairly easy walking, with wide, flat roads surrounded by green, open spaces.

This walk takes you alongside the river as it flows south from the lake into the countryside. Take a bus to Peschiera and head to the main port area. From here, you can walk along the river bank through the 18th century walls and underneath the motorway bridge, into rolling countryside.