Lake Garda: Towns aim to limit mass tourism with daily fees and alcohol bans

Lake Garda is considered one of the world's most popular travel destinations, with more than 25 million people vacationing there annually, many of them from Germany. To better protect the region's nature and the charm of the picturesque towns surrounding the lake from mass tourism, some towns are now taking measures.

It's not uncommon in Italy for popular holiday resorts to establish rules of conduct for tourists. Many cities try to make life more pleasant for locals in these places with regulations and fees – often this also affects the way tourists dress . The municipality of Limone sul Garda in the northwest of the lake and the well-known town of Sirmione on the southern shore of Lake Garda want to go a step further.

The most prominent example of mass tourism in Italy is probably Venice. To counteract this, the famous lagoon city introduced an entrance fee for day tourists in 2024. Since April 2025, this has been up to 10 euros per day and person . Meanwhile, Sirmione is considering a similar approach.

The decisive factor was likely May 1, 2025, when a record rush of people hit the resort. As the Italian news portal "Bresciaoggi" reported, the bridge—the only access to Sirmione's old town—had to be partially closed. People had to wait up to 40 minutes to enter or exit the town. This sparked a debate about public safety, as locals and emergency services could no longer access the town.

The route into Sirmione's old town leads over a bridge that can barely cope with the influx of visitors during the high season.

Source: IMAGO/Zoonar

Security Director Massimo Padovan is therefore now calling for a reservation system for access to Sirmione's old town on days with particularly high visitor volumes. This should include a limit on the number of day trippers. Travelers staying overnight in Sirmione would not be affected, as in Venice. He also proposes a fee for people making a day trip.

Sirmione's hotels and restaurants support Padovan's proposal. With a view to the summer, all the responsible parties in Sirmione want to meet and develop a plan to limit mass tourism – so it's quite conceivable that a fee will soon be charged for a day trip to the popular Lake Garda resort.

The municipality of Limone sul Garda is taking a different approach. The town is among those that have already introduced the aforementioned dress code, but these apparently haven't had the desired effect. Mayor Franceschino Risatti has since stated: "The increasing number of visitors during the season has led to a noticeable strain on public spaces in the past," adding that there have been numerous complaints about noise pollution, vandalism, and bottles and cans lying around during the summer months, reports the travel portal "fvw."

This view makes it clear why Limone sul Garda is such a popular holiday destination.

Source: IMAGO/Bihlmayerfotografie

For this reason, a ban on alcohol in public spaces is now being introduced. Those who violate the ban face fines of between 25 and 500 euros. The hope is that this will improve relations between locals and tourists. However, the alcohol ban only applies seasonally. In 2025, it will be enforced from April 19 to November 1.

During this period, not only the consumption but also the possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on all public streets, squares, gardens, parks, and other public places within the municipality. Purchased alcohol must be transported home in a sealed or locked container. The new rules will be enforced by police and law enforcement officers. Exceptions to the rule will be made for officially sanctioned events in Limone sul Garda.

If you are looking for places on Lake Garda that have so far been spared from mass tourism, you can find some inspiration in this article.

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