best lake garda tour The Pentagon
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The Lake Garda pentagon: Peschiera

Pentagon- shaped, Peschiera combines a military past with the vibes of an Italian resort.

August 19,2022

Peschiera is located in the southern shore of Lake Garda, 40 minutes driving from Verona and very close to Sirmione. In spite of being very close to one another, the two villages are very different..
While Sirmione is a peninsula stretching into the lake and open to the water by three sides, Peschiera on the contrary is nested at the east lower corner of the lake and is sheltered by moraines in the south.

 

Peschiera, due to its peculiar geography, became a stronghold and had been for centuries.

This military role shaped the town from the Roman times to the Risorgimento in the XIX century. Its five bastions form a pentagon and are all surrounded by… water!

 

You soon realize that the water comes from the lake, but also from a river, the green Mincio, that is the only emissary of the lake.

 

Some of the barracks and military headquarters are still in use, such as the Accademia di Polizia. They look severe, rigorous and symmetrical, but curiously they get along very well with the panoply of colorful fishermen houses and with the cheerful crowds on holidays, strolling around in flip-flops and eating gelato.

This is the Italian version of the Pentagon!

 

If you want to appreciate this appealing chiaroscuro and the reason why Sirmione and Peschiera are so different, please take a look at our Getaway lake Garda tour.

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