SHOPPING ON LAKE GARDA

Shopping on Lake Garda

Villages, shopping centres and markets: your guide to shopping on Lake Garda

Lake Garda has so much to offer: the beaches where your skin warms in the sun and your mind is lulled by the waves. Restaurants with views of the lake and others with views of the village. Museums. Parks. It's a shame you can't take a piece of it home. Or maybe you can?

Perhaps while walking through a village, your eye might catch a lemon candle – your mother's favourite; or wandering through an alley you might stumble upon a little-known shop hiding the perfect keyring for your best friend, who couldn't come with you.
For more practical needs, there are many shopping centres scattered around the lake, packed with shops, food areas and spaces for children: whatever you're looking for, there's a place made for you.

Villages on Lake Garda for shopping

Shopping in Salò

Salò is the first village we recommend visiting, both for its proximity to the campsite and for its character: it's elegant, lively and perfect for a day of shopping. Along the lakefront you stroll past historic buildings, cafés and shop windows overlooking the water. If you prefer something more intimate, the alleyways of the historic centre lead to boutiques, wine bars and local specialities. Via Fantoni and Via San Carlo are the main streets, but it's worth exploring the side streets too.

Shopping in Desenzano del Garda

Desenzano is the largest and most dynamic town in the area. The shopping offer is more varied and less themed than in the other villages: it doesn't have a signature product like the others, but makes up for it with variety. Between Piazza Malvezzi and Via Achille Papa you'll find clothing boutiques, accessory shops and some well-known brands, alongside artisan workshops and local gastronomy. It's the perfect compromise between the choice of a shopping centre and the pleasure of strolling through a village.

Shopping in Gardone Riviera

Gardone Riviera is a small village with local craft shops and a few lake products; it's not a destination designed for shopping, but for a slow stroll from which you return with that small souvenir you hadn't planned. If you've never been, combine your visit with the Vittoriale degli Italiani: Gabriele d'Annunzio's residence is a must-see for anyone on holiday at the lake.

Shopping in Sirmione

Sirmione is the best-known and most visited village on the lake: it gets crowded in high season, but it also has the highest concentration of shops. Typical souvenirs, local food products, clothing and the occasional surprising find: it's hard to leave empty-handed. The main promenade, from the Scaligero Castle to the thermal baths, completes the tour. To enjoy it more peacefully, we recommend visiting in low season or in the mornings.

Shopping in Limone sul Garda

Limone sul Garda. Such an iconic name that has nothing to do with lemons; it would seem to derive from the Latin līmen ("boundary"), the historic border between the province of Brescia and Trentino. Yet it has truly become the town of lemon groves: in the alleyways, local shops present the lemon in every form, from liqueurs to scented candles. If you can, reach it by ferry: seen from the lake, with the mountains behind and the houses at water level, it has a magical quality.

Shopping in Tremosine sul Garda

Tremosine sul Garda is the only village on this list where shopping is almost entirely gastronomic: local formaggella cheese, extra virgin olive oil, honey, cured meats and traditional sweets like spongadì. Flavours you won't find in the other villages on the lake, in a territory still largely untouched by mass tourism. The Cooperativa Alpe del Garda has a direct shop: the right place to start.

Shopping centres near Lake Garda

Complesso Commerciale Le Vele - Desenzano del Garda

The closest to our campsite is the Complesso Commerciale Le Vele, located in Desenzano del Garda, behind the station. Two floors, around forty shops including clothing, food and various items: the most compact on the list, but also the least chaotic. The second floor is open-air: pleasant in spring and autumn, less recommended in the height of summer. If you're in the area, combine your visit with a walk along the lakefront or through the alleyways of Desenzano.

Il Leone Shopping Center - Lonato del Garda

A few kilometres from Desenzano, in Lonato del Garda, you'll find the Leone Shopping Center: a considerably larger centre with over 120 shops covering fashion, electronics, sport and a supermarket for daily shopping. The food offer is varied, with several options for lunch or dinner. For children there is an indoor play area and, in summer, an outdoor inflatable zone. Dogs are welcome; for those who prefer to leave them outside, the dog parking "Mi Fido" is available, with a grooming service.

ELNÒS Shopping - Roncadelle

Outside Brescia you'll find ELNÒS: the largest shopping centre in the province with 145 shops and an integrated IKEA, the only one in Lombardy inside a shopping centre. On the food side there is a panoramic terrace and a good variety of cuisines for lunch or dinner. ELNÒS Junior is the space dedicated to the youngest visitors: 350 free square metres with educational and recreational activities designed especially for them. Parking is both covered and open-air; for those without a car, a shuttle service from Brescia is available.

Franciacorta Designer Village - Rodengo Saiano

If you're planning to visit the Franciacorta area, with its hills and renowned wine, the Franciacorta Designer Village is an extra reason to do so. It's a slightly different kind of shopping centre: completely open-air over 38,000 m², with over 180 shops selling clothing, footwear and luxury accessories at outlet prices. From fast food to gourmet restaurants, the options are plentiful; outside there is also a playground for children. It's not on the lake, but it will hardly feel like a shopping centre.

ADIGEO - Verona

Those staying near Verona and looking to shop will find ADIGEO just minutes from the motorway exit. It is the main shopping centre in the city with over 130 shops covering fashion, electronics, sport and a supermarket. The food area is spread across an entire food lounge on the first floor, with various restaurants and bars. The little ones have access to a play area with dedicated staff and free childcare for the first hour. There are over 2,000 free parking spaces, and it is also reachable by bus.

Weekly markets on Lake Garda

Monday

• Moniga del Garda: Piazza San Martino
• Sirmione: Via Colombare

Tuesday

• Desenzano del Garda: Lungolago Cesare Battisti
• Limone del Garda: Lungolago Marconi

Wednesday

• Gargnano: Via Zanardelli
• San Felice del Benaco: Via Dietro Castello

Thursday

• Toscolano Maderno: Viale Guglielmo Marconi
• Bardolino: Lungolago Francesco Lenotti

Friday

• Manerba del Garda: Viale della Rimembranza
• Puegnago: Via Palazzi Garibaldi

Saturday

• Salò: Piazza Mario Pedrazzi
• Padenghe sul Garda: Via Giuseppe Verdi

For more information, check out our article on the weekly markets in the area.

Conclusion

Lake Garda has much more to offer than you might think, even when it comes to shopping. Every village has its own story to tell, every shopping centre its own day to experience. Camping Europa Silvella is the ideal starting point for exploring all of this, just a few kilometres from the most beautiful villages on the Brescia shore and well connected to the rest of the lake.

See you soon on Lake Garda! From your #campingwithlove