UNESCO Walls of Peschiera

The Walls of Peschiera del Garda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, enclose one of the most fascinating historical centres of Lake Garda: a perfectly preserved star-shaped Venetian fortress, surrounded by the waters of the lake and the river Mincio. A short 3 km route that concentrates centuries of military history and architecture in a walk accessible to all.

The route
The complete tour of the walls follows the perimeter of the fortified star, with its five bastions jutting out over the water. You walk along the walkways at the top of the walls, where Venetian soldiers guarded the eastern border of the Serenissima. The view from up here embraces the lake, the Mincio and the surrounding mountains.
The Venetian walls, built in the 16th century and extended by the Austrians in the 19th, are a masterpiece of military engineering. The brick curtain walls, pointed bastions and flooded moats create an impressive defence system even after five centuries.

The historical centre
Inside the walls, the historic centre of Peschiera is a network of pedestrian streets with restaurants, shops and small squares. Porta Verona and Porta Brescia are the monumental entrances to the fortress. The inner harbour, where the Mincio leaves the lake, is one of the most photographed places on Lake Garda.

Practical advice
The route is completely flat and accessible also to prams and pushchairs. Free entrance. Accessible in all seasons. Peschiera is the transport hub of Lake Garda: railway station, Navigarda boats and cycle paths converge here. It can be combined with the Mincio cycle path towards Mantova or the cycle path towards Lazise and Garda.