The tour starts with the visit of Lazise where you will find impressive reminders of medieval splendours as well: the magnificent Scaliger castle and walls that still surround the historic center, now full of shops, restaurants and bars. Next to the small harbour is the Dogana Veneta from where for centuries the Republic of Venice controlled all commerce on Lake Garda.
The story of oil-milling from its beginning as a rural activity to the dawning of the technological age, is the theme of the Oil Museum realized by the oil-mill in Cisano del Garda. The museum is a unique exhibition that shows how oil has been produced in rural society for over a thousand years. The exhibits, nearly all wooden, are now very rare , and represent the simple technique handed down from generation to generation of craftsmen with the occasional improvents made by enterprising individuals. There is the old lever-press which was a system already used by the ancient Egyptians, a rather rough-and-ready device which nevertheless demonstrated an abitlity to exploit phisical laws in an efficient manner and least but not less important the "mole", the grindstones for crushing the olives and turned by the farm animals. There are finally the screw-presses which represent a later development as well as the typical tools and equipment of the oil-mill. Of particular interest is the reconstruction of a nineteenth century oil-mill which is still in working order, driven by the classical water wheel which turns the grindstone through a series of wooden cog-wheels.
Next stage is another village which reminds a famous italian red wine: Bardolino. The mild climate, the lake and the fertile hills caused this territory to be claimed by emperors, monks and noble families who built castles, palaces and monasteries. Throughout the centuries an extraordinary historical and artistic heritage has formed revealed today by the towers and remains of the Scaliger walls, by the beautiful churches (small masterpieces of Romanesque art) and by the garden parks and Venetian style villas. VILLA GUERRIERI RIZZARDI, in the grounds of 19th century manor, built in the centre of Bardolino on the site of three patrician houses, is a romantic garden with beautiful specimens of laurel, cedar, magnolia, ginko biloba and Indian nut, originally laid out in the 16th century and redesigned by Jappelli in 1840. Visitors (groups of up to 25, by appointment only) are allowed to visit the ancient Guerrieri garden (recently rebuilt) that includes winding mazes traced by the Bardolino grape vines, as well as mini-orchards and an olive grove. It is a hortus conclusus with vegetable plots and flower-beds arranged geometrically in circles and squares, based on ancient principles of cosmogony. Visitors may make reservations to taste products from the garden, cheeses and salami from Mt. Baldo, cakes and biscuits, accompanied by wines produced by Guerrieri Rizzardi winery.