Salò is located on the western shore of Lake Garda and is the first town on the Riviera dei Limoni. It has been a tourist resort of international significance for more than a hundred years and the past has left traces in the elegant historic center, between Piazza Carmine, the Fossa and the lakefront. The heart of Salò is a tangle of streets, alleys and squares with stately homes, palaces of great historical and artistic value, elegant shops and restaurants. The lakefront of Salò extends along the entire gulf and offers pleasant walks in a beautiful pedestrian area between the lake, inviting shop windows, cafes, ice cream parlors and characteristic bars.
How to get to Salò.
Reaching the center of Salò is conditioned by both the means of transport used and the direction, north or south, from which you arrive.
By car:
Along the highway, the closest exits to the center of Salò are:
For those coming from the east, the recommended exit is Desenzano, from there follow the signs for Salò.
For those coming from the west, the recommended exit is Brescia Est, from there follow the signs for Lake Garda and Salò.
By train or bicycle:
By train to reach Salò the advice is to get off at the Desenzano stop and from there take the ferry to Salò. The same can be said for those who want to reach the lakeside town by bicycle. Get to Desenzano through the cycle paths and low-traffic roads and then take the ferry to Salò.
By plane:
The most suitable airports are Catullo in Verona and Orio al Serio in Bergamo. If you want to arrive by plane, we recommend that you rent a car to reach Salò.
What to see and what to do in a day trip in Salò.
The surroundings of Salò are rightly famous for their beauty and for the amount of excursions and visits that can be done. Very popular, especially by foreign tourists, is the Saturday morning market in Salò.
Gate of the clock or clock tower.
This door marks the entrance from the west to the historic city center and is made up of a large round arch, squeezed by two rusticated pilasters that connect to each other in a massive cornice. On the outside, the lion of St. Mark is depicted, while above the structure continues with a large balustrade from which the massive pedestal that houses the clock that gives the tower its name starts. The clock door then ends with a curvilinear tympanum with eighteenth-century scrolls.
The lakeside.
The lakefront of Salò is the best way to appreciate the union between this city and Lake Garda, with the beautiful monumental buildings that are reflected in its waters. At the landing stage you will find “The Palazzo della Magnifica Patria” and “the Palazzo del Podestà” which testify to the noble history of the town located on Lake Garda in Brescia. The historic buildings now house of the municipal offices, where frescoes by Angelo Landi can be admired in the atrium.
On the lakeside of Salò there are many restaurants, shops for shopping and bars for an aperitif with friends or to admire the sunset that colors Monte Baldo with gold or pink depending on the season in which you visit this characteristic town.
The Cathedral.
The Cathedral of Salò, practically a cathedral on the lakeside, is consecrated to the cult of Santa Maria Annunziata, inside you will find paintings by Romanino, Paolo Veneziano, Moretto and Zenone Veronese. The building, between Gothic and Renaissance, has an unfinished facade and a remarkable portal in the Brescian Renaissance style. Very beautiful is the large wooden Crucifix from the 15th century, which was also admired by Mantegna.
Church of the Madonna del Rio.
An evocative avenue of olive trees leads to the small bridge which, after passing the “Rio”, allows access to the churchyard of the small church. The sanctuary was erected in the eighteenth century on the place where it is said that the Virgin appeared in a cave dug in the Rio, where, on a white stone, she would have left the imprint of her foot. The small church dedicated to the Madonna del Rio rises in a small valley behind Salò, shortly after the hamlet of Renzano.
Museums in Salò: discovering the MuSa.
The MuSa, inaugurated in June 2015, through the collections, the preparation and even more through the initiatives that make it a lively place of culture, aims to be a place in which to gather, interpret, communicate to the community and to those who visit Salò and Garda , the identity of the city, its treasures, its contribution to national history. For information on current exhibitions click here.
What to see in the vicinity of Salò.
Salò is also a starting point for numerous excursions in the vicinity of the lakeside town. A few kilometers away in nearby Gardone Riviera you can visit the Vittoriale degli Italiani and the Heller gardens, by boat you can reach the Garda Island and San Vigilio tip. We recommend that you take a visit to discover nearby Brescia.
Hotels, Restaurants and Experiences.
Hotels, Restaurants and Experiences in Salò
As with all of Lake Garda, Salò also has many facilities to stay in, from small and well-kept B&Bs to resorts with excellent wellness centers and beauty services. In the section dedicated to hotels in Salò (click here) you will find all the information to find the most suitable accommodation for you.
We can do the same for restaurants, at this link you will find our selection of restaurants in Salò. Remembering that in this area there are several starred restaurants and the quality of the culinary offer is very high.
There are many activities and experiences you can do in Salò and on Lake Garda, so we recommend that you visit the experiences section on our magazine, click here
For any questions about Salò or about your holiday on Lake Garda, do not hesitate to contact us by commenting on this article or by writing to us on our social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok), we are always available to answer your doubts and requests.
See you next time dear Outdoors!
