Since Roman times, Desenzano del Garda, the largest lake in Italy has been an important trading centre at the southern end of Lake Garda, situated between the European Alps and the Po Valley. Later, the business-minded Venetians built a port and in the Villa Roma you can see what the luxurious houses of the Romans once looked like.

Going northwards along the western shore you reach Maderno, the economic centre of the Middle Ages.

At the eastern shore is a remarkable castle, the medieval Scaliger castle of Torri del Benaco. On the west shore again is Gargnano with the church San Martino and next to it is Limone sul Garda and on the east Malésine, a village with Scaliger castle and boat port.

To the north the lake ends in Riva del Garda. The heavily fortified port city was already important in Roman times.

But back to the south, where Peschiera del Garda has always been an important port and traffic junction.

The journey around Lake Garda ends on the Sirmione peninsula. Over the bridge to the Scaliger fortress, the numerous visitors from the mainland enter a fascinating place of history