Are you looking for suggestive places, perhaps rich in castles and ancient villages? Organize a nice trip to Brescia, to discover the Valtenesi, a few kilometers from the shores of Lake Garda. Getting there is simple: take the A4 Brescia-Padova motorway to the Desenzano del Garda exit. From here your journey along the Benaco coasts will begin in Padenghe, among its architectural beauties and the majestic castle, which has guarded the lake since the 11th century. Visiting the Romanesque church of Sant’Emiliano, outside the walls, you will cross a path surrounded by nature, a true paradise of faith and tranquility.

Continuing west you will find yourself in the middle of an area rich in prehistoric, roman and medieval archaeological remains. In Drugolo, the imposing Averoldi Castle will leave you breathless, a thirteenth-century manor that dominates the entire landscape alongside the Church of San Michele. In Moniga you can admire the seven towers that surround the castle of the village and the high tower transformed into a bell tower with a clock. The Romanesque church of Santa Maria a Manerba will make you discover the charm of pictorial art with its Romagna frescoes and trompe l'oeil dating back to the fourteenth century. In San Felice del Benaco you will immerse yourself in a scenario between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, thanks to the suggestive porticoed town hall from 1570 and the parish church that houses the altarpiece painted by Romanino. In front of San Felice you can embark on the Island of Garda, where San Francesco founded an important convent, transformed into a manor house at the end of the last century.

To round off this itinerary, in Soiano the paintings of the Baroque painter Andrea Celesti await you, guarded by the sixteenth-century church of San Michele. In Polpenazze you will experience an Indiana Jones moment among prehistoric archaeological excavations, and in Puegnago you can finally rest and taste the typical bread-based and basil-flavored gnocchi, served in tomato sauce.

Ready to go? Plan a trip with family or friends. Valtenesi is waiting for you!

A land to discover:

Food and wine: Puegnago gnocchi, spit with polenta and grilled Garda pike.

History: From prehistoric stilts to medieval manors, all in a few kilometers.

Territory: The suggestive background of Lake Garda among the Brescia hills.