VALVESTINO

The construction in 1962 of a dyke contributed to the creation of an artificial lake in which are reflected the rich vegetation and the friable rock of Valvestino. This fascinating locality is part of the Alto Garda Park of Brescia and it was decreed a ‘place of community interest’ by the European Union.
The flora consists on one hand of oleanders and olives typical of the mediterranean climate, on the other hand of beech and oak trees common of the alpine environment. This miscellany creates a unique landscape which plunges the spectator in to an enchanting atmosphere.

ALTO GARDA PARK

With its nine communes, the Alto Garda Park covers a large area of the western part of Garda, including the shore and the mountains, thus creating the biodiversity which renders the park so very special.

The two diverse climatic realities, that is the mediterranean and the alpine environment, together create a unique landscape.

The rich and variegated vegetation frames a clear network of paths winding between the sweet slopes of the park, ideal for fantastic walks or by mountain-bike.

You will enjoy discovering delightful and funny spots, for example the Hermitage of Saint Valentinewhich can be found in the homonymous locality, at a height of 700m, where the air is pure and the atmosphere magical and spiritual.

The small church, which is reached by a mule-track, was in fact built ex voto in 1650 by refugees who survived the 1630 plague.

The park offers a wide range of activities and outdoor sports in contact with nature, such as excursions, trekking, hang-gliding, bow and arrow, fishing and the so called ‘torrentism’, known also as canyoning.

The ideal climatic wind conditions make Garda the favourite destination of watersport lovers: waterski, windsurf, sailing. Every year a sailing contest of international acclaim, the Centomiglia, attracts sailing fans from all over the world.

The hills of Bogliaco on the other hand are a paradise for golf fans: the Bogliaco Golf Resort is immersed in nature and has a splendid view. Thanks to the mild climate one can play throughout the year.

Gargnano & Vittoriale degli Italiani

GARGNANO SUL GARDA

When David Herbert Lawrence wrote ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, he was inspired by the landscape of Villa di Gargnano, a delicious small village looking out over the lake. Characteristic small alleys and a romantic marina decorate the landscape.
Villa, where the Hotel Livia is set, is an outlying village of the Gargnano comune, a splendid locality full of history and folklore.
Gargnano dates back to as early as 973 A.D. In 1400 it was the centre of a so-called ‘quadra’ of the ‘Magnifica Patria’, a federation of 36 communes divided in six ‘quadre’. In the 18th-century the Bettoni Family gave the town splendour by building an homonymous villa in a nearby hamlet called Bogliaco.

Progetto dell’architetto Adriano Cristofali, riprende lo stile di alcune ville veneziane del XVIII secolo. Nel giardino all’italiana, progettato dall’architetto Vincenzo Pierallini, elementi naturali e marmi si fondono creando un’ immagine pittorica.
Le due ville Feltrinelli, oggi una destinata ai corsi estivi dell’Università degli Studi di Milano, furono dimore di Benito Mussolini e della sua famiglia durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.
VITTORIALE DEGLI ITALIANI

At Gardone Riviera, only a few miles from Gargnano, rises up the ‘Vittoriale degli Italiani’, a monumental citadel and symbol not only of the aesthetic devotion of poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, the so-called ‘Bard’, but also of his love for the fatherland.
Constructed from 1921 until 1938, it consists of a large number of interesting buildings and constructions such as the personal residence of the Bard, the ‘Prioria’, which offers an infinity of objects and furniture with special meanings.
In the summer season the Amphitheatre, with its 1,500 seats, offers a rich program of operettes, dances and concerts.

Other attractions include the Puglia Ship set in a rock, the auditorium with the SVA 10 airplane and the MAS, an insubmergible speedboat. The Mausoleum was inspired by the funeral graves of the Etruscan-Roman tradition.
In Gardone one can also find the fantastic Botanical Garden of the André Heller Foundation. Immersed in a holy atmosphere, it hangs between reality and fantasy where art and nature live together in a magical environment.
Here physician Hruska collected over 2000 examples of plants from all over the world. Multimedial artist Heller has enriched the park with works of art by artists of the calibre of Keith Haring.

CITY ART

VERONA

Art, history and culture meet up in this unique place, turning it every year into the favourite destination of a great number of tourists.
Immortalized by the hand of Shakespeare, who wrote of the deeds of the most famous lovers of history, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Verona is loved also for its historical centre and for the renowned Arena, which dates back to the 1st century A.D. and which every summer receives huge opera productions.

MANTOVA

This fascinating and evocative city preserves numerous art treasures.
The roots of this antique city dates back to the Etruscan era, but it thrived under the domination of the Gonzaga family, whose splendour is symbolized by the spectacular Palazzo Ducale. 

BRESCIA

Though Brescia is nowadays a cosmopolitan city, it is still strongly connected to its history and traditions. The many museums, art exhibitions and theatrical or television shows are proof of a rich artistic and historical inheritance. 
It is famous for the Castle, which dates back to 1300, and the Museum of Saint Giulia, a monastery of 753 A.D, where each year important art exhibitions are held.