Description of the attraction
Gardone Riviera, lying on the western shore of Lake Garda, includes eight settlements scattered along the lake shore and the slopes of the surrounding mountains. The total number of residents of the Riviera is approximately 2.5 thousand people.
The discovery of several tablets with inscriptions in the area of the village of Fasano suggests that people lived on the territory of the Gardone Riviera already in the era of Ancient Rome. Around the 7th century, the Lombards appeared here, traces of their settlements are still visible today. Then the town was ruled by Brescia, and from the 16th century it became part of the Venetian Republic. It was the Venetians who protected its inhabitants from the invasion of the troops of the powerful Visconti clan. From 1921 to 1938, the famous Italian writer Gabriele d'Annunzio lived here.
On the shores of Lake Garda within the Gardone Riviera, today you can see a 17th century villa - Villa Paradiso, which was converted into a hotel at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as a Casino that operated until 1946. Villa Alba is an amazingly beautiful neo-Hellenistic estate built between 1905 and 1910. Next to it stands the Tower of San Marco, and a little further - Villa Fiordaliso, famous for the fact that Mussolini's mistress once lived there. In the upper part of the Gardone Riviera, you can see the botanical garden, created in 1921: it is divided into several sections, among which are the Japanese Garden, Indo-Chinese Garden, Dolomite Garden, etc.
Perhaps the main attraction of Gardone Riviera is the Vittoriale degli Italiani, once the residence of Gabriele d'Annunzio. It consists of several different buildings, an open-air theater, a small church, a house where the poet lived, and the so-called Schiafamondo, a museum dedicated to d'Annunzio.
In summer, you should definitely go for a boat trip along the coast of Gardone Riviera - wonderful views from the water. You can also go windsurfing at one of the many local schools. There are several centers in the town where you can compete in clay pigeon shooting and the art of archery. The unspoiled nature and many hiking trails are ideal for leisurely walks, mountain biking and horseback riding tours.
