Discover the best hotels for a laid-back holiday in Lake Garda, Italy

Once an Austrian territory, and marking the start of the Alps, the northern reaches of Lake Garda sports a hint of chalet chic; further south, the Mediterranean microclimate imposes a nonchalant Riviera feel along serpentine roads suspended from the rock face. To vroom along here is to follow in the tyre treads of James Bond; and the super-star villas perched above the lake have the sort of luxury trappings that would impress a retired jewel thief. Spend your days idling on the water, touring the vineyards or mooching in markets – Lake Garda's amazing natural splendour has earned it admirers from Catallus to Clooney, and it'll bowl you over, too.

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