Peschiera del Garda

The pentagon-shaped fortress-city

A fortress city in the shape of a pentagon Peschiera del Garda is a jewel of architecture, art and culture placed at the southern end of the "Riviera of the Olives", the classical name of the eastern shore of Lake Garda.
The name of the place refers to the ancient tradition of fishing; Plily the Elder, in his Naturalis Historia, describes the city's emblem that depicts two eels and a star, recalling the town as an exceptional place for fishing in autumn.

It was first part of the Lombard territory and then it became the domain of the Scaliger and Visconti families. It is only under the domain of the Serenissima Republic of Venice that Peschiera assumes its urban characteristic in the second half of the sixteenth century, with its line up of architects, including Michele Sanmicheli, who start the urban works of the Fortress and imposing surrounding wall. Today, the bastions and alleys of the old town are home to shops, hotels and fine restaurants that delight the palates of tourists with plates belonging to the gastronomic traditions of Garda, such as "Bigoli with sardines" and Risotto with carp which is best served with Lugana, a DOC white wine.

At the entrance of the city there are two harbours and infrastructures where there is speedboat racing and water skiing, while in the hinterland there is a countryside full of vineyards where you can bike along the long and winding cycle track that connects Peschiera to Mantua.

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