10 Free Things to do in Riva Del Garda That You Shouldn't Miss

The Bastione, a tower of grey stone, located at the foot of Mount Rocchetta, is one the symbols of Riva del Garda, overlooking the city and Lake Garda. It was built in the early XVI century, just after the end of Venetian domination over Riva. It was destroyed in 1703 by the French troops under leadership of general Vendôme, who mined the main body thus rendering it unusable. It’s a few minutes walk from the port of Riva, along a road that winds through the black pinewood of the lower Rocchetta. The path then rises further to the chapel of St. Barbara on the mountainside (610m) and the Rocchetta itself (1520m). The Bastione has recently been restored. Visitors may see the imposing external bodywork and what is left of the inside from a winding staircase. The locations enjoys an excellent view.

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The name refers to the large chain which in the past centuries was stretched across the water in defence of the harbour. Until 1929, the piazza was home to the Imperial Customs House: a sign of the borderline which for centuries separated the northern stretch of the lake from the regions just a little further to the south. On this square the baroque statue of San Giovanni Nepomuceno, patron saint of the waters, can be found, which until the Great War stood in Piazza Benacense.

The small Chapel to Saint Barbara (m 625 – h 1,45 from Riva del Garda), was built in 1935 by the miners who worked on the conduits of the Ponale power plant. It is placed in a horrid and daring, yet panoramic position, on the slope of Mount Rocchetta near the start of the penstocks feeding the hydroelectrical plant. The Chapel is visible from afar thanks to nighttime lighting.

The parish church Santa Maria Assunta rises in the centre of Riva del Garda and looks out on the spacious Piazza Cavour. The present building, first mentioned in 1106, is a Baroque reconstruction(1728). It is an aisleless church and it has a side chapel for the Suffrages; it has numerous altars with decorations and stuccoes. Behind the high altar stands out the great painting of Our Lady of the Assumption of Craffonara, but the best work is kept near the fourth altar on the left, Our Lady of Sorrows. At the adjacent small piazza Craffonara we find a bas-relief bust by the artist Francesco Trentini (1790-1837) and an ancient column. The ancient church, later destroyed, stood on this small piazza.

One follows via Gargnano (Gardesana Occidentale National Road SS 45bis) from the centre of Riva heading towards Limone. On the right before the tunnel, take the old road which once linked Riva del Garda with the Ledro Valley. From there one can enjoy breathtaking panoramas for once in a lifetime photo opportunities.

Formerly called Piazza Granda and then Piazza Benacense, this piazza is the heart of both the old and modern town. It is the location for the Office of the Podestà and the Town Hall, the Torre Apponale a several houses of the nobility. The arcades dating back to the period of Scaligera rule, which close off the piazza towards the harbour and the lake, used to house the markets and shops.