THE OLIVE RIVIERA HAS A MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE. OLIVES AROUND HERE AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE NAME. BUT THERE IS ALSO AN ABUNDANCE OF LEMONS, ORANGES, AGAVES AND PALMS. NOW WITH THE BRENNER MOTORWAY THE VERONA SHORES OF LAKE GARDA CAN BE REACHED IN FIVE HOURS BY CAR FROM MUNICH. SO TO SUMMER HOLIDAYS WE CAN ADD RESIDENT "tourists", WITH EVER INCREASING "colonies" OF GERMAN, DUTCH, SCANDINAVIAN, ENGLISH, BELGIAN AND FRENCH. IT CAN BE SAID THAT TOURISM AT GARDA BEGAN WITH GOETHE, WHO, IN HIS FAMOUS ITALIAN JOURNEY, WROTE:"It is not possible to find words to express the enchantment of this Riviera". GOETHE STAYED AT TORBOLE WHERE BEGINS THE OLD GARDA RIVIERA ROAD WHICH RUNS ALONG THE VERONESE SHORE OF GARDA LAKE AS FAR AS GARDA BAY (top and right).

IT IS COSTANTLY DOMINATED BY MONTE BALDO (top) WHICH IS AN IMPOSING CHAIN AND WHICH HAS BEEN CALLED "the botanical
garden of Italy" WITH THE RARE, SOMETIMES UNIQUE, FLORA TO BE FOUND THERE. TRAVELLING SOUTHWARDS YOU COME TO MALCESINE, WITH ITS POWERFULL MEDIEVAL CASTLE (rigth) AND TOWN HALL, THE
ANCIENT ABODE OF THE VENETIAN CAPTAINS. AT MALCESINE YOU FIND THE TERMINAL OF THE STEEP FUNICULAR RAILWAYS THAT TAKES YOU UP TO MONTE BALDO. AFTERWARDS THERE IS ANCIENT BRENZONE, A HAMIETS NOT TO MENTION ITS CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS. TORRI DEL BENACO (top and left) IS A TYPICAL SPOT FOR FISHERMEN WHICH WAS LOVED BY THE MEDICIAN POET, POLIZIANO, WHERE GIDE AND STEPHEN SPENDER HAVE ALSO FREQUENTLY STAYED. SAN VIGILIO POINT (top and center)WAS A FAVOURITE PLACE FOR LAURENCE OLIVIER AND THE GERMAN POET, OTTO TAUBE, WHILE NOT FAR AWAY IS GARDA (top and rigth), THAT TOWN OF ANCIENT ORIGINS AFTER WHICH THE LAKE IS NAMED. IT LIES IN A DEEP BAY (top and rigth) DOMINATED BY THE ROCCA, A STRONGHOLD LINKED TO THE LONGOBARD KINGS AND THE EMPRESS ADELAIDE, WIDOW OF LOTARIO. NEXT COMES BARDOLINO FAMOUS FOR ITS WINES. THE ANCIENT VILLAGE OF LAZISE, WITH ITS BRONZE AGE REMAINS, POSSESSES AN ALMOST INTACT SURROUNDING WALL AND CASTLE. FINALLY THERE IS PESCHIERA, THE ANCIENT POWERFULL FORTRESS MENTIONED BY DANTE, WHICH HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF SIEGES AND BATTLES IN EVERY AGE. HERE YOU FIND THE "Serenissima" MOTORWAY AND THE MILAN-VENICE RAILWAY.

PEACE AND RELAX CAN YOU FIND IN LITTLE CITY WHERE THE TOURISM IS NOT MUCH DIFFUSE (left and right). YOU CAN SEE HERE IN GARGNANO A BEAUTIFUL NATURE AREA WITH DIFFERENT CLIMATE (lake, hill, mountain).