Visit Garda! Graphic design and promotion from the Belle Époque to modern tourism

About the event

For generations of travellers, the first encounter with Lake Garda did not happen on its shores but through an image. Thanks to its combination of alpine landscapes and Mediterranean atmosphere, the lake has fascinated travellers, artists and writers for centuries.

Posters, postcards and other promotional material accompanied this process, helping to shape the lake's own identity. Following the evolution of graphic design and tourism communication, the exhibition tells how the type of visitor, the way of travelling and the image of Garda itself changed over time.

From an unexpected Mediterranean to the rise of modern tourism, the more than one hundred objects on display show not only how Garda became one of Europe's most recognisable tourist destinations, but also how society, transport and customs changed over the twentieth century.

Programme

Expected weather

Forecast for Sunday, 27 September 2026 in Riva del Garda: sunny, 25° by day and 16° at night, 0% chance of rain.

Weather · Lake Garda →

Getting to Riva del Garda

By car, leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Rovereto Sud/Lago di Garda Nord and follow the SS240 for about 17 km to Riva. The nearest railway station is Rovereto, with regular Trentino Trasporti buses to Torbole, Riva and Arco; from the south you can also take the train to Desenzano, Peschiera or Verona and continue on ATV buses up the east shore. Ferries run from Desenzano and Peschiera via Malcesine and Limone.

Ferry: Northern terminus of the Navigazione Laghi (Navigarda) line from Desenzano and Peschiera, calling at Torbole, Limone and Malcesine; some summer runs are fast services with a supplement.

Parking: Parts of the historic centre are a limited traffic zone (ZTL). Paid car parks run by Altogarda Parcheggi e Mobilità include Terme Romane (Viale Pilati, 205 spaces), Ex-Agraria (Via Lutti, 218 spaces), Vecchia Stazione, Parco Lido and the Blue Garden car park on Viale Rovereto; free parking at the former hospital (Largo Marconi) and on Via delle Ginestre.

About Riva del Garda

Riva del Garda sits at the northern tip of the lake, where the cliffs of the Rocchetta drop almost straight into the water and the Sarca plain opens towards Arco.

Guide to Riva del Garda →