As soon as you approach this lovely home's building, you're greeted with a beautiful pond with a fountain and colourful fish – we felt an air of calm straight away. The garden has an even bigger pond – the shared swimming pool is perfect for cooling off in the Italian heat or simply relax with a book on the lounger. Inside the apartment, there are characterful exposed beams and terracotta tiled floors. Another stand-out feature of this home is the main bathroom which has Swarovski crystals set in the furniture and on the washbasin – we do love a bit of bling. Situated a few steps from Spiaggia D'oro and the centre of Desenzano del Garda, it has a fabulous location. If you have kids with you, there's a playground 50 metres away too. Home truths: *There are stairs to climb here *There's free open-air parking here *During the low-season check in and check-out hours are flexible