The small port of Torri del Benaco is one of the most beautiful in the whole of Lake Garda. Small, colorful, it is full of tables in the shade of umbrellas to relax and have a drink or something to eat. All this framed by a splendid lake view and by the imposing Scaligero Castle.
Torri is an ancient village, enclosed in well preserved medieval walls. Its beauty derives not only from the panorama or from the streets of its historic center, but also from those hidden treasures that every town on Lake Garda hides from the eyes of the less curious.
Curiosities and secrets of the Scaligero Castle of Torri del Benaco on Lake Garda.
The center of life in Torri del Benaco is the port area: here are some of the most representative buildings of the town, such as the Palazzo del Consiglio della Gardesana and the Scaligero Castle.
The Castle was built in the 14th century by Antonio della Scala – Italian politician and military, lord of Verona from 1375 to 1387 – concerned with defending his territorial possessions against the expansionist aims of the Visconti of Milan.
Today the Castle hosts two attractions of considerable interest: the ethnographic museum and one of the last citrus greenhouses in the Garda region, dating back to the mid-18th century. The peculiarity of the museum is that inside there is the fishing room, the first museum room built in Italy dedicated to fishing in lake waters. There are also very rare ancient nets and a Garda “flat gondola”.
The lemon greenhouse in the Scaligero Castle is one of the few remaining together with those of the Brescia side, as in the territories of Gargano and Limone sul Garda. According to tradition, citrus fruits were introduced in these areas in the fourteenth century by the Franciscan friars. On the Veronese coast, Torri del Benaco was the main center of this culture, surviving particularly rigid years (1905, 1929 and 1985).
The rock engravings of Torri del Benaco on Lake Garda.
In the area between Garda and Malcesine there are some sites where you can admire numerous graffiti, engraved on stone slabs smoothed by the retreat of the glaciers. The oldest date back to the Bronze Age, and the area of Torri del Benaco is the one that hosts the greatest quantity.
The best place to admire the engravings is on Monte Luppia (along the path you take from Punta San Vigilio), one of the southern offshoots of the Monte Baldo chain. The authors of this rock art, still little known by tourists today, were probably hunters and shepherds who passed through these areas. The museum of the Scaligero Castle of Torri del Benaco houses a room dedicated to engravings in order to deepen their knowledge.
And always from the rocks comes another beauty of the area that is worth discovering: the Tanella cave, just outside the hamlet of Pai. The cave opens on the slopes of Mount Baldo and extends into the heart of the mountain for 400 meters. It goes without saying that this place has spectacular environments created by the effect of water on the rock: meanders, tunnels, stalactites and stalagmites of various sizes and colors formed over the centuries. A little curiosity: the temperature in the cave is constant 12 ° C all year round.
What to do in a day trip in Torri del Benaco.
Every Monday, in this pretty village, the weekly market takes place which occupies the streets of the historic center and part of the car park; you will find clothes, household utensils, and excellent dishes to savor!
An event not to be missed is the patronal feast of San Filippo which takes place every year towards the end of May. During this event a boat surrounded by floating lights is burned, in the Veronese dialect “se brusa la barca”. San Filippo arrived in Torri del Benaco around 1600, during an epidemic of plague that was bringing the town to its knees; legend has it that his presence was enough to put an end to the epidemic and heal the sick. At the end of this work, the Saint wished to leave, but the inhabitants of the area burned his boat to prevent him from doing so; according to historians the boat was burned to remove the clothes of the plague sufferers, in any case every year a party is organized in honor of him!
Admire the landscape that surrounds the town of Torri del Bencaco with Monte Pizzoccolo or Napoleon’s Nose for Veronese, the Brescia side of Lake Garda, the Trentino side of Lake Garda .. and why not, if the temperatures of the season allow it , also take a dip in its splendid waters!
Where sleeping in Torri del Benaco.
Torri del Benaco is a beautiful village to stay in in every season, if you are looking for a Hotel, Menapace Hotel *** in Pai or Locanda San Marco in the center of Torri del Benaco are what you need; if you are looking for the comforts and comforts of an apartment, Casa Francesca is the solution you were looking for.
Where to eat in Torri del Benaco.
Torri del Benaco is also a destination that offers panoramic lake view restaurants, bars and clubs for carefree evenings. An example is the Menapace Restaurant in Pai.
Experience in Torri del benaco.
Torri del Benaco also offers shopping for all tastes, history, culture and unique outdoor excursions / trekking. Among the experiences to be carried out we point out an experience on a sailing boat with EST GARDA asd, which offers sailing courses for adults and children!
You can buy the photos of this article and many others in our new multimedia catalog dedicated to Lake Garda and its hinterland by clicking here. Good vision!
See you next time dear Outdoors!
