Lake Garda, Italy

Infamous as Mussolini’s Republic of Salo headquarters and later the place of his execution, Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. Watering the fertile plains of Lombardy and the Veneto in the south, it is become temperamental up north where it expands to the Alps. The lake’s shores are beautiful with lush greenery and exotic flowers. The region around the lake was earlier a Roman settlement. The hot springs in Sirmione led to the lake’s popularity as a holiday destination. The spring still draws visitors from far and distant lands. Grada is the cleanest of the major lakes and draws swimmers and windsurfers. In fact it is consider the wind surfing Mecca of Europe.